BVI fishing licence for charter guests: how to apply, fees, limits and what you can catch
BVI fishing licence for charter guests: Form 20A, US$10 application fee, valid 1 month. No billfish, 30 lb per boat, closed seasons. Sourced, 2026.
Fishing licence needed?
Yes
Yes, for visitors (recreational licence)
Source: Government of the Virgin Islands, checked
Checked
28 Oct 2026
4 official, 3 secondary sources
Yes: anyone who is not a BVIslander needs a recreational fishing licence from the Conservation & Fisheries Department to take any marine life in the British Virgin Islands; you apply on Form 20A (US$10 application fee; we could not confirm the licence fee itself) and the licence is valid for 1 month, so apply before you arrive. All billfish must be released, and a boat may keep no more than 30 lb of fish.
Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 4 official sources and 3 secondary sources (sources). Anything we could not confirm is labelled (how to read the labels). Rules change: check with the authority or your charter company before you fish.
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter in the BVI?
Licence needed: Yes, for visitors (recreational licence).
Issued by: Conservation & Fisheries Department, Road Town, Tortola (Government of the Virgin Islands).
Cost: [Not verified] Application fee USD 10 (gov.vg). The licence fee itself is not verified (an earlier note said about USD 45, unconfirmed).
Valid for: Pleasure/recreational licence valid 1 month (BVI Tourism)
Non-BVIslanders need a recreational permit to remove any marine organism.
Apply on Form 20A with a passport copy and the vessel registration.
[Not confirmed in the official text] Processing may take about 10 business days (search summary), so apply before arrival.
This is a fishing licence. To skipper the yacht yourself you need a sailing licence or résumé, which is a different document: sailing licence requirements in the BVI.
What can I catch in the BVI?
| Species | Scientific name | How it is caught | Best months | IUCN status | Endemic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue marlin | Makaira nigricans | offshore trolling — release mandatory | Jun–Oct (peak Aug) (guide) | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Wahoo | Acanthocybium solandri | trolling | Nov–May (guide) | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Mahi-mahi | Coryphaena hippurus | trolling | Nov–May (guide) | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Bonefish | Albula vulpes | fly/light tackle on the flats | Nov–Feb, late Mar–Sep (guide) | Near Threatened (NT) | No |
| Tarpon | Megalops atlanticus | flats/fly | Mar–Oct (guide) | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Red hind | Epinephelus guttatus | bottom fishing | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Nassau grouper | Epinephelus striatus | bottom fishing | Not verified | Critically Endangered (CR) | No |
Notes on these species (local rules and FishBase):
- Blue marlin: BVI: possession illegal.
- Red hind: BVI closed 1 Jan–31 Mar.
- Nassau grouper: BVI closed 1 Mar–31 May.
Threatened on the IUCN Red List (global): Blue marlin (VU), Tarpon (VU), Nassau grouper (CR). Best months are from fishing guides (secondary sources); IUCN status from FishBase (how to read the labels).
Catch limits and fishing rules
- No possession of billfish (blue and white marlin, sailfish, swordfish)
- Max 30 lb of fish per boat
- Closed seasons (no catch, sale or purchase): margate and red hind 1 Jan–31 Mar; Nassau grouper 1 Mar–31 May; turtles 1 Apr–30 Nov; lobster 31 Jul–31 Oct; conch and whelk 15 Aug–31 Oct
Where to fish from a charter yacht
- North Drop: blue marlin, wahoo, mahi. Source: secondary: bvivoyager.com, inthebite.com.
- Anegada flats: bonefish, tarpon. Source: secondary: caribbeanfishingwithbigjoe.com, moorings.com.
Spots are suggestions from fishing guides and operators unless an official text is named. Check protected areas before you anchor to fish.
Protected areas and no-take zones
- [Not verified] BVI National Parks Trust marine parks (e.g. Wreck of the Rhone) — list not verified
Spearfishing rules
We could not confirm spearfishing rules for the BVI.
On a charter yacht: what guests need to know
Guests need a recreational licence from Conservation & Fisheries before fishing. Release all billfish. Keep no more than 30 lb of fish per boat.
Planning the trip around the fish? See the best time to charter in the BVI, month by month, and the British Virgin Islands charter overview.
See boats in the BVI
See catamarans for rent in the British Virgin Islands on SamBoat
Fishing rules apply whoever you book with; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure).
What we could not verify
- Application fee USD 10 (gov.vg). The licence fee itself is not verified (an earlier note said about USD 45, unconfirmed).
- Spearfishing and scuba rules: not verified
- BVI National Parks Trust marine parks (e.g. Wreck of the Rhone) — list not verified
- Best months for Red hind, Nassau grouper
How to read the labels
- [Secondary source]: From a non-government source (guide, club, operator or news); not official.
- [Not confirmed in the official text]: An official rule we could only read in a search summary, because we could not open the official text.
- [Not verified]: We could not confirm it.
- No label: Read in an official source (government, statutory body or the legal text).
Best months come from fishing guides and charter operators (secondary sources), not from regulators: treat them as a guide. IUCN status is the species' global Red List category as FishBase shows it (Red List 2025-2), not a local fishing rule. "Endemic" means FishBase gives a range limited to one sea; "No" means FishBase shows a wide distribution.
Sources
- Government of the Virgin Islands: Gov VI – How do I obtain a fishing licence (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Government of the Virgin Islands: Gov VI – Recreational Fishing brochure (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Government of the Virgin Islands: Form 20A (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- BVI Tourist Board: BVI Tourism – Resources (permits, closed seasons) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- BVI Voyager (travel guide): BVI Voyager (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- The Moorings (charter company): The Moorings BVI fishing (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- And Beyond Yacht Charters: Page cited for best months by species (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- FishBase species summaries (reference database, IUCN status as shown, Red List 2025-2), checked 28 Oct 2026: Makaira nigricans, Acanthocybium solandri, Coryphaena hippurus, Albula vulpes, Megalops atlanticus, Epinephelus guttatus, Epinephelus striatus.
Method: methodology. Data: JSON.
More on fishing and the BVI
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter yacht in the BVI?
Yes: anyone who is not a BVIslander needs a recreational fishing licence from the Conservation & Fisheries Department to take any marine life in the British Virgin Islands; you apply on Form 20A (US$10 application fee; we could not confirm the licence fee itself) and the licence is valid for 1 month, so apply before you arrive. All billfish must be released, and a boat may keep no more than 30 lb of fish.
How much does a fishing licence cost in the BVI?
US$10 application fee; licence fee not verified.
What fish can you catch in the BVI?
Common targets include blue marlin, wahoo, mahi-mahi, bonefish, tarpon. Local rules: Blue marlin: bVI: possession illegal; Red hind: bVI closed 1 Jan–31 Mar; Nassau grouper: bVI closed 1 Mar–31 May.
Can you spearfish in the BVI?
We could not confirm spearfishing rules for the BVI.