After suspending the issuing of new permits for BIOT in March this year, BIOT Administration have confirmed that from today they have re-opened permit applications for vessels wanting to enter BIOT from 1 February, 2021.

Published 4 years ago

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is an archipelago of 58 islands covering some 640,000 sq km of ocean located approximately halfway between East Africa and Indonesia.

The islands are uninhabited except for Diego Garcia which has about 3,000 military and civilian personnel stationed there. It is a British Overseas Territory and is administered from London.

BIOT is not a tourist destination. Access is restricted and a permit is required in advance of travel. There are no commercial flights and mooring permits are only issued to yachts in transit.

After suspending the issuing of new permits for BIOT in March this year, BIOT Administration have confirmed that from today they have re-opened permit applications for vessels wanting to enter BIOT from 1 February, 2021.

Permit applications should be made at least six weeks prior to the intended arrival date, as the application process can take several weeks. There is no right to receive a permit, and they are granted solely at the discretion of the Administration.

The territory does have COVID-19 Protocols in place, including a limit on the number of vessels in the islands at any one time and distancing between vessels and crew. Find out more at Biosecurity. 

BIOT is extremely remote. There are no banks, electricity, Wi-Fi, stores, diesel mechanics, sail lofts, cafes, stores, or health clinics. Yachts that visit the islands must plan on being 100% self-sufficient.

The rewards, however, are significant as BIOT hosts the world’s largest contiguous Marine Protected Area and the largest expanse of undisturbed coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, as well as globally significant populations of endangered species of birds and other wildlife.

• Details on how to apply for a mooring permit can be found at https://biot.gov.io/visiting/mooring-permits/
• A brief history of the Territory can be found at http://biot.gov.io/about/history/
• https://nsocl.wccstaging.com/place/biot-chagos

Our thanks to the Howarths and SV Totem for the photographs.