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Puerto Rico Flag of Puerto Rico

Pre Arrival:  Overview | Documents
Arrival:  Pilotage
Communications:  Pre-Arrival
Security:  Emergency
Local Info:  Time | Holidays | Weather
Shore:  Customs
Misc:  Authority
General Information for Puerto Rico
Geo-political:
Capital City: San Juan.
Nationality: (noun) Puerto Rican, (adjective) Puerto Rican.
Population: 3,966,213.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 1-787, 939.
Number of Internal Airports: 17.
Major Languages Spoken: Spanish, English.
Economy:
Currency: 1 US Dollar (USD) of 100 Cents.
Main Industries: Pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products and tourism.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 501 km.
Climate: Tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation.
Natural Resources: Some copper and nickel and potential for onshore and offshore oil.
Natural Hazards: Periodic droughts; hurricanes.
Terrain: Mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas.
OVERVIEW:  Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico comprises an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area of the Greater Antilles. It, however, ranks third in population among that group of four islands, which also includes Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Due to its location, Puerto Rico enjoys a tropical climate and also experiences the Atlantic hurricane season.
DOCUMENTS: 
1 Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) (for each passenger)
1 Cargo Manifest (CF 1302), (the original showing all cargo on board, and 2 copies showing only cargo for this port)
1 Conditional Landing Permit (Form I-95) (for each crew member)
3 Crew Effects Declarations (CF 1304)
2 Crew Lists (Form I-418)
1 International Load Line Certificate
1 Last Port Clearance
1 Maritime Declaration of Health
1 Narcotics List
3 Stores Lists (CF 1303)
2 Passenger Lists (Form I-418)
1 Ports of Call List
1 US Tonnage Tax Certificate (CF 1002)
1 Vaccination List
3 Vessel Entry & Clearance Statements (CF 1300)
1 Vessel Report (Form I-92)
Vessel's certificates may be inspected by a Coast Guard Boarding Officer during the vessel's port call.
Certificates that may be required by the Coast Guard Boarding Officer include:
1 Certificate of Civil Liability
1 International Load Line Certificate
1 Official Log Book
1 Oil Record Book
1 Ship Safety Radio Certificate
1 Ship Safety Construction Certificate
1 Ship Safety Equipment Certificate
1 US National Cargo Bureau Certificate (if applicable)
Note:  The vessel's navigational charts are also subject to Coast Guard inspection. Mariners should have on board, and corrected up to date, the largest scale charts for the intended route of transit through the port. Certain foreign charts have been approved for use. Contact Captain of the Port for details.
PILOTAGE:  Compulsory for all foreign vessels and US vessels under register when entering or leaving the harbours of Puerto Rico. Coastwise vessels, having on board an officer licensed as a pilot for the waters of Puerto Rico, and all pleasure yachts, are exempt from pilotage, unless a pilot is actually engaged.
The pilot service at each port is under the supervision and direction of a Commonwealth Captain of the Port. Agents should notify his local office in advance, so a pilot will be available at the expected time of arrival of a vessel. Pilots provide 24-hour service and board vessels from motorboats.
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION:  The control of all the ports of Puerto Rico is vested in the Commonwealth Government whose authority is exercised through the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (Autoridad de los Puertos de Puerto Rico). Appointed Commonwealth Captains of the Port have administrative charge of the harbours. They collect the port fees and assign vessels to anchorage or to berths alongside wharves.
At ports where Commonwealth and federal officials are not stationed, inspectors usually come from the nearest represented port or from San Juan as required.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTRE:  United States Coast Guard Sector San Juan is responsible for all Coast Guard missions throughout the Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands region. Provides 24-hour operations centre, search & rescue, law enforcement, marine casualty assistance, oil/HAZMAT spill assistance and port security.
Contact:  USCG Sector San Juan, 5 Calle La Puntilla Final, San Juan, PR 00901-1800, Puerto Rico. Tel: +1 (787) 289 2041. www.uscg.mil/sectorsanjuan
TIME:  GMT minus 4 hours.
HOLIDAYS:  1 January (New Year's Day); 6 January (Three Kings Day); 8 January (Epiphany); 10 January (Birth of Eugenio Maria de Hostos); 17 January (Martin Luther King Day); 21 February (President's Day); Good Friday; 30 May (Memorial Day); 4 July (US Independence Day); 25 July (Constitution Day); 5 September (Labour Day); 11 November (Veteran's Day); 19 November (Discovery Day); 24 November (Thanksgiving Day); 24 December (Christmas Eve); 25 December (Christmas).
Any holiday falling on a Sunday will be observed the following Monday.
In addition, the following holidays are observed by Customs & Border Protection: 22 March (Abolition Day); 18 April (Jose de Diego Day); 18 July (Luis Munoz Rivera).
WEATHER/TIDES:  Weather information, including hazards, forecasts and daily weather conditions, available from National Weather Service. www.srh.noaa.gov.sju/es/index.php
CUSTOMS:  US citizens do not need to clear Puerto Rican Customs upon arrival by plane or ship from the US mainland. All non-US citizens must clear Customs and are permitted to bring in items intended for their personal use, including tobacco, cameras, films, and a limited supply of alcohol (usually 40 oz.).
Ports of Entry:  Aguadilla, Fajardo, Mayaguez, Ponce and San Juan.
Contact:  Field Operations Office, US Customs & Border Protection, 1 La Puntilla Street, Office Room 203, San Juan 00901, Puerto Rico. Tel: +1 (787) 729 6950. Fax: +1 (787) 729 6978. www.cbp.gov/
AUTHORITY:  Captain of the Port:  US Coast Guard, Sector San Juan, 5 Calle La Puntilla Final, San Juan,  PR 00901-1800, Puerto Rico. Tel: +1 (787) 729 6800. http://www.uscg.mil Contact: Captain Eric King, Sector Commander.
PRPA Head Office:  Autoridad de los Puertos de Puerto Rico, PO Box 362829, San Juan,  PR 00936-2829, Puerto Rico. Tel: +1 787 729 8715. Fax: +1 787 722 7867. http://www.prpa.pr.gov Contact: Omar Marrero, Director designado.