The Montserrat Integrated Border Security Unit (IBSU) has issued some guidelines aimed at accelerating the processing time for persons arriving into the island.
The recommendations have been issued in light of the increased arrivals expected for the St. Patrick’s week of activities which begin on March 9 to 19, 2018.
The IBSU said it is looking at ways to process arriving passengers in a smooth and timely manner. As such, the Unit is encouraging travelers, especially those arriving by Ferry, to complete their Immigration and Customs Declaration Forms before arrival, and to label their ‘checked luggage’.
To complete the form, individuals are required to fill in the requested information on both the immigration and customs sections before arrival. The Immigration and Customs Declaration Forms are given to passengers once checked in at the airline or ferry agents in Antigua. By completing the forms, the IBSU said delays will be reduced and processing will be done in a timely manner when passengers meet with Immigration Officers on arrival.
For family members traveling together, each member of the family is required to complete the immigration section. The head of the family should complete the customs section of the form for all children under the age of 18, who are part of the family.
The IBSU further advices that passengers leaving the island are required to keep the ‘Departure Record’ (Section B) of the Immigration Form which will be returned to them by the Immigration Officer upon arrival. It is important that this section is kept safe, as it will allow for timely processing at the time of departure.
Individuals traveling with ‘checked luggage’ are asked to ensure that each item/bag is labelled correctly for easy identification on arrival on Montserrat and will facilitate passengers taking possession of their luggage in a timely manner and proceed to customs checks. The IBSU stated that bags on the Ferry are not normally tagged in the same manner as airline luggage, therefore it is the passengers responsibility to mark/label their luggage.
While efforts are being made to facilitate processing times with immigration and customs, passengers are reminded that Customs Officers reserve the right to check or make enquiries of any item being brought into the island. Therefore, travelers are asked to ensure that they are familiar with what they have in their possession and where necessary have the relevant accompanying paper work.
The Montserrat IBSU is comprised of Immigration and Customs Frontline Border Officers.
