Phinisi boat in Raja Ampat: the marine park permit and what to confirm before you sail

By Pinisi Boat Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: prices in the table carry their source and check month. Asking prices are not sale prices, and nothing here is legal advice.

Anyone sailing Raja Ampat on a phinisi falls under the marine park entry permit, known as the PIN or Environmental Service Fee. International visitors pay one rate valid for 12 months, Indonesian citizens pay per day, and children under 12 are exempt, at rates effective 3 August 2026. The amounts are shown in the price table on this page.

How does the permit work for each type of visitor?

These rules come from a curated Raja Ampat guide page, last updated on 29 September 2026, which links the official announcement and the permit site. It is as published when we looked in October 2026. Fees change, so read the announcement itself before you rely on it.

The two rates behave differently on a boat trip. For an international guest the fee stays the same whether you sail for a few nights or two weeks, and a return within the 12 months should be covered. For an Indonesian citizen the fee grows with each day, so a longer trip costs more. A mixed group should therefore budget by passport and not by head. The August 2026 rates also replaced a lower international rate, so if your quote is older than that date, ask whether it reflects the current one.

Where can you buy the permit?

The source names three places:

• The booth at Sorong harbour.
• The BLUD UPTD office in Waisai.
• Online, through kkprajaampat.id.

On a charter, the operator may offer to handle this, and you should settle that before departure. Ask who buys it, whether the cost sits inside your price, and how each guest receives proof. Names should match passports, and parents should ask what proof of age is needed for a child under 12. Keep your own copy of the permit, on your phone and on paper.

How do you get to the boat?

We hold no sourced flight routes or transfer times for Raja Ampat, so this page gives none. Sorong and Waisai appear in the permit rules as places where the fee is sold, and that is the extent of what we can state about them. Ask your operator for three things in writing: the exact port of embarkation, the latest arrival time for that port, and who arranges and pays for the transfer from the airport. Then check flights against those times, with a buffer. A boat that has already sailed is hard to catch.

When do boats sail in Raja Ampat?

Operators publish preferred months, but we have not been able to verify them, so no calendar appears here. Ask for evidence that relates to your own dates. Where was the boat last year in the month you want? Were departures moved or dropped? Does the operator run this area all year, or only for part of it? A boat's own schedule from the previous year tells you more than a line in a brochure, and an operator with nothing to show has answered the question in another way.

What should a diving or snorkelling trip spell out?

Go through this list with the operator, because packages differ. A phinisi sold as a dive boat and a phinisi that happens to carry snorkels are very different products.

• How many dives per day are planned, and how many guides work with how many divers?
• Which certification and recent-experience level do you require, and what happens to a guest who falls short?
• Is equipment included, and is it serviced? Who fills the tanks?
• Which safety equipment is carried for divers, and what is the plan for reaching medical help from the areas on the route?
• What do non-divers do during dive sessions, and is there a separate tender for them?
• Which permits and local charges are the guest's responsibility?

Do boats move between Komodo and Raja Ampat?

Some marketing suggests that boats work both regions and cross the Banda Sea between them. Ask where the vessel will be in your month, and where it has come from. A boat fresh off a long repositioning passage may have had little time for turnaround, so ask about that too.

If you are comparing the two destinations, remember they are separate parks with separate charging systems. The table shows how each is published, and our page on phinisi trips in Komodo gives the other half of the picture.

Which vessel rules should a guest ask about?

Passengers rarely think about registration, yet it tells you which rules the boat sails under. Whether a vessel is Indonesian-flagged or foreign changes what it may do with paying guests, and our regulations page sets out what is on record.

So ask two simple questions: what flag does this boat fly, and can you see its registration and safety certificates? The same Hubla note points to PM 29/2014, amended by PM 24/2022, on preventing pollution from vessels, which is a fair prompt for asking about sewage and waste on a boat in a marine park. For the fuller legal picture, read our page on phinisi regulations.

How should you start a booking?

Begin with what you want from the trip: diving depth, group size, length, and whether you want the whole boat. Our guide to hiring a phinisi explains how a charter is arranged, and our overview of phinisi tours compares regions and formats. Then send the boats you are considering the questions on this page, and see how quickly and how exactly each answer comes back.

Should you come to this desk, note our position: a request here can lead to a contract with a company in our group, and the offer names that company along with any fee and the payment terms. Ask us the same questions and judge our replies as strictly.

What are the short answers on Raja Ampat by phinisi?

Do children pay the Raja Ampat permit?

No. Children under 12 are exempt under the rates effective 3 August 2026. Carry proof of age, and ask your operator how the exemption is recorded.

Can I buy the permit online?

Yes. The guide we cite lists kkprajaampat.id as the online route, alongside the booth at Sorong harbour and the office in Waisai.

Does the international permit cover a second trip?

It should, within its 12-month validity. Confirm the wording in the official announcement before you rely on it, and keep the original proof of purchase.

Does a Raja Ampat permit work in Komodo?

Do not count on it. Komodo has its own tariff, published by the park office, so plan for each park separately.

Is the permit included in a phinisi charter price?

Do not assume it is. Ask whether the operator buys it, whether the cost sits in your price, and how each guest receives proof of payment.

Which sources support this page?

• Stay Raja Ampat: marine park entry permit guide (as published, checked Oct 2026)
• Balai Taman Nasional Komodo: official tariff and carrying-capacity page (as published, checked Oct 2026)
• Kemenhub, Hubla: note on UU 17/2008 and PM 29/2014 (as published, checked Oct 2026)

How do I reach the desk?

Questions about the permit, a route or a particular boat can go to the desk. WhatsApp: 6281139414563. Email: bd@juaraholding.com.