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NASTY SURPRISE IN FRENCH POLYNESIA Many non-European cruisers in French Polynesia got a very nasty surprise this season when they applied to renew their 3-month visas. All the extensions were denied - except for those cruisers who had medical, family or technical emergencies. Many who had received 3-month tourist visas from French consulates abroad were wrongly told by those consulates that they could get a 3-month extension here at the DRCL in Papeete. Some were even told - I have no idea where the consulates got this incorrect information - that any police office in French Polynesia could give them an extension. So many of these cruisers, thinking they got the correct information from their French consulates, leisurely visited the Marquesas and cruised slowly through the beautiful Tuamotu Atolls. At least they got to enjoy those parts, because when they contacted the High Commissioner's Office in Papeete (Direction de la Reglementation et du Controle de la Legalite - DRCL, BP115, Papeete, Tahiti /ph: (689) 54 27 13), they got the nasty surprise that they only had a few more weeks - whatever was left on their visas - before having to exit the beautiful islands of French Polynesia. You can easily guess that these cruisers weren't in a very pleasant mood after their requests to stay longer were repeatedly refused. The A.V.P - Sailor's Association of Polynesia - did contact the DRCL to request an amnesty for this season because the wrong information had been given out by the consulates. But the law is the law, and there is no mercy. We contacted the consulates about their having given out incorrect information, but they didn't reply. I have spoken with officials here in Papeete, and this is what non-European cruisers should do next season to avoid any nasty surprises. The good news first. Yes, you can easily get permission to spend six months - or more - in French Polynesia if you follow the correct procedure. For non-European Economic Community citizens, there are three choices. 1) You arrive in French Polynesia without any visa and receive a visa for a month. But remember, there can be no extensions. 2) You apply to a French consulate outside of Polynesia for a 3-month tourist visa. But once again remember there can be no extensions. 3) You contact a French consulate and follow the procedure to obtain a Carte de Sejour - Temporary Resident Card - to stay for more than three months. You can ask for six months - or more. You will certainly have to explain why you want to stay that long, give an idea of what you plan to do, submit proof of financial independence, and they may want to check on your 'good character and reputation'. The consulate will then transmit your request to the High Commissioner here in Papeete, who will accept or deny your demand. Allow some time for that procedure, but don't be discouraged, for according to local sources, justified requests are completed in due time and are often granted. Cruisers visiting French Polynesia should also be aware of customs issues that relate to them. Any boat entering French Polynesian waters - and this includes French-registered boats - is subject to import duties, which are about 15% to 25% of the surveyed value of the boat - but only if the boat stays in French Polynesia for more than one year in any two year period. Or, if the owner takes a job locally or sells the boat in French Polynesia. Time on the hard or in a marina, while owners are outside of the country, can be excluded by prior arrangements with Customs. Failure to comply with customs regulations can lead to confiscation of your boat until taxes and heavy fines are paid. If you think this may be inhospitable, try to find out what any foreign cruiser would have to submit himself to if he comes to your own country. The rules might be even more restrictive. The days of free circulation of persons and merchandise are still a very long way away. By finding out the procedures first, and following them, you should avoid any bad surprises. So, you can enjoy the beauty and hospitality of French Polynesia at a leisurely pace. P.S. I, Luc, am the International Relations
Representative of the French Polynesian Sailing Association. Luc & Jackie - Thank you for your efforts on behalf of this year's cruisers and for clarifying the situation for those who might visit French Polynesia by boat next year. But please, you're insulting everyone involved by trying to defend the indefensible. If the French consulates screwed up, it's they, not the innocent cruisers, who should be inconvenienced. After all, it's not as if American cruisers are terrorists, they just want to enjoy the sights and leave some dollars in their wake. And what about the responsibilities of the French government? Did the French and French Polynesian governments bother to warn anybody about a sudden and dramatic change in what had been the long-standing visa policy? No. Do they care that many cruisers have invested large sums of money into once-in-a-lifetime visits to French Polynesia? Apparently not. As for the suggestion that the U.S. might even be more inhospitable, you need to look into the facts, as we are 10 times more hospitable to foreign cruisers. Pay $18 and you get to freely enjoy our country for a year. Sell your boat here and you're not slapped with punitive duty. Whenever there are big news events in the world, a lot of Americans fret over what 'our European friends think' of us. This is foolish, because as this instance so clearly indicates, our European friends are perfectly capable of being complete numbskulls. Worse still, even after the French government has acknowledged making a complete blunder, they refuse to take any responsibility or remedial action. "The law is the law" - geez, could there be a more moronic justification for bad policy? This problem doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the big scheme of things, of course, but symbolically it leaves the French government with 'oeuf' all over its face. Slighted on behalf of cruisers who were snubbed in French Polynesia, we have no choice but to respond in the strongest possible terms - no French fries until the new year. |
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