The Raja Ampat entrance fee, more accurately a marine park permit, is a conservation charge every visitor to the region pays, separate from your yacht charter rate. It funds park management and ranger patrols, and it is charged per person rather than per boat.
What the permit is
Raja Ampat's reefs sit inside a marine protected area, and the local government charges a permit fee to every visitor entering it, whether by liveaboard, day boat or resort stay. You will sometimes see it called an entrance fee, a conservation fee or a marine park permit, referring to the same charge.
Why the permit exists
The fee goes toward managing the marine park: ranger patrols, mooring buoys instead of anchors on sensitive reef, and conservation work across the region's protected areas. Raja Ampat's reef health, often cited as some of the best in the world, is not an accident, and permit income is part of what keeps it that way. Our note on responsible chartering covers this alongside other ways guests can travel considerately in the region.
Who needs one, and who arranges it
Every guest on board needs a valid permit for the duration of the trip. In practice, most yachts arrange this for you as part of boarding, either through the crew or a local agent, using passport details you provide ahead of time. A few operators ask guests to sort the permit themselves before arrival, so it is worth checking which applies to your yacht rather than assuming.
Children usually need a permit too, though the exact rules and any discounts are set locally and can change, so we confirm the current position for your specific dates rather than assuming last year's terms still apply.
What the permit does not cover
The marine park permit is separate from your national park fees if your trip also touches Komodo, from any diving-specific charges some sites apply, and from the yacht charter rate itself. It is purely entry to the Raja Ampat marine protected area. Wine, spirits, gratuities and flights are unrelated costs that sit on entirely different lines of your quote, covered in our guide to what a charter includes.
What the Raja Ampat entrance fee costs, and why we do not quote a number here
Permit fees are set locally and have changed more than once in recent years, so any figure we published here could be out of date within months. What we can tell you is that it is charged per person, it is separate from your charter rate, and your quote will state the current fee and whether it is included or payable locally. Always check the official current rate before travel rather than relying on an old figure you may have seen online or in an older brochure.
A practical tip: keep a small amount of local currency or the payment method your operator specifies set aside for the permit and any other cash-only costs at the point of boarding, since not every fee can be settled by card in Sorong.
How it fits into your charter quote
When we put together a quote, the marine park permit appears as its own line alongside the yacht's nightly rate, so you can see clearly what the charter covers and what is paid on top. Some yachts fold the fee into their published rate; most do not. Our guide to what a charter includes covers this alongside the other common exclusions, such as alcohol and gratuities. Our Raja Ampat trip cost guide shows where the permit sits relative to the other lines in your total budget.
We would rather send a quote with every fee itemised clearly than a single all-in number that hides what you are actually paying for. That way, if the permit fee changes between when you enquire and when you travel, you can see exactly what changed rather than wondering why the total moved.
Plan your charter
Tell us your travel dates and group size and we will confirm the current permit process for the yacht you are considering, along with the rest of your quote. Send your dates or see which yachts are open.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Raja Ampat entrance fee the same as a diving permit?
It covers entry to the marine park generally, for divers, snorkellers and non-divers alike. There is no separate fee just for diving beyond the standard marine park permit.
Who pays the permit fee, me or the yacht operator?
You, the guest, ultimately pay it, though most operators arrange the paperwork and collection on your behalf as part of boarding.
Does the permit cover the whole trip or just one day?
It typically covers your full stay within the marine park for the dates stated on the permit, rather than being charged per day or per site.
Where can I check the current permit fee?
Your quote from us will state the current figure at the time of booking. For the official rules and any changes, check the relevant Raja Ampat marine park authority before you travel.
Does the permit apply if I only visit for a few days?
Yes. There is no minimum stay for the permit to apply, and it covers any length of visit within the marine park, whether that is a short add-on to a longer trip or a full charter based entirely in the region.