Clearing customs in the Caribbean

Are they just fueling up? Might vary by country. Some are rather... um, different, and like to control/inspect everything that goes through.

I really don't know, since there are so many countries. I've only been in the Carribean once to The Bahamas, (so I doubt I'll ever be back) but the bag checkers, porters, waiters, etc were obviously only interested in "tips", not legalities, fees paid, or what I thought the average American (me) would be concerned with, (clean water, not having to inhale smoke of a variety of sources, air to breathe, etc). The Carribean sucked. I would have had a better time had I spent the time in Ft Lauderdale, without the hassles of having a passport..

It depends on what you mean by the carribean.

I worked from Island-to-island in the Bahamas and always had to clear customes going into or out of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
But once in, I did not have to continue to do so.
I chartered puddle-jumper single and dual prop private planes to go from one to another.

Once you leave the Commonwealth to go home or any other destination - St. Thomas, Mexico, Belize, Cuba (lol), then you have to clear custome again.

Good luck

my understanding from a friend who flies commercial in and out of the Carib is that if the pilot stays on board the aircraft they don't have to clear customs. The flight plans are usually set ahead of time so all the airports know when to expect you and if you don't get out you don't have to clear. If however you land and get out of the aircraft and go to a hotel you have to clear customs but it does depend on the Island or location. Some are US airspace some British some Dutch some independant. This is an interesting site for info on Caribbean airspace, laws and stuff that he pointed me to http://www.caribbeanaviation.com/ who knows it may prove useful.

Desert Author said:

If a person is flying a private aircraft throughout the Caribbean, stopping at several different islands, are they required to clear customs at every stop?

Click to expand...

Yes.
Check out Jimmy Buffet's "A Pirate Turns Fifty". He flies his own private plane to several Caribbean nations and describes the customs experience- even late at night.