South African crew — we've seen a lot of posts suggesting the "new" Customs Traveller Declaration is fresh red tape from SARS. It isn't. The Customs Traveller Declaration is simply a digital version of the same Customs declaration travellers have always completed (or verbally declared) when entering or leaving South Africa. It helps you declare goods, currency, and other items Customs requires — that's it. We've always done this; it's just digitised now. What it is NOT: ❌ It

If you're a yacht crew member bouncing between the Med and home, the Schengen 90/180 rule is one of the most misunderstood — and most consequential — rules you'll deal with. The basic rule: Most visa-exempt travellers (and standard short-stay Type C visa holders) can spend a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries combined. It's not 90 days per country, and it's not a calendar-year allowance. "Rolling" is the part that trips peopl

Got your UK visa approval? Don't pack your bags just yet — there's one more step, and it catches a lot of South African crew out. The UK has now transitioned to eVisas for many travellers, including South Africans. That means visa approval isn't the final step — you also need to create your UKVI account and link your eVisa before you travel. Here's everything you need to know. Step 1: Create Your UKVI Account Before you start, you'll need to: Confirm your identity Add your ap

A common myth in the yachting world: "I work outside South Africa, so SARS can't touch me." Not quite true — and it's an assumption that can catch crew out badly. SARS taxes South African residents on worldwide income. Working offshore for months at a time doesn't automatically remove your tax obligations. What it can do is qualify you for an exemption — but only if you claim it correctly. The exemption most yacht crew rely on: Section 10(1)(o)(i) of the Income Tax Act can fu

We get asked this every single week — so here's the breakdown for anyone planning to go the MCA route using SAMSA-accredited training. First, check which accreditation the MCA actually requires: If the MCA guidance says a course must be MCA accredited, PYT (Professional Yacht Training) is currently the only MCA-accredited training provider in South Africa. If it only requires SAMSA accreditation, don't assume every school's version counts. Always check that the course itself