What the Misool marine park permit actually is
There is no separate Misool permit. Misool sits inside the Raja Ampat marine protected area, and the document you need is the Raja Ampat entry card, often called the PIN card or Kartu Jasa Lingkungan. One card covers one visitor for the whole archipelago, from the Dampier Strait down to the southern lagoons of Misool.
The card is administered by the Raja Ampat Marine Park Authority, a provincial body known as BLUD UPTD. The cited legal basis is West Papua Governor Regulation No. 4 of 2019, which sets the environmental-services tariff. The fee is a government levy, not a charter charge, which is why it sits outside every yacht rate we publish.
Vessel paperwork, port clearance and crew documents are the operator’s responsibility, handled before you board in Sorong. What the guest pays is the per-person card, and nothing else.
2026 fees as reported, and why we quote a range
The permit fee most consistently reported for 2026 is IDR 700,000 per foreign visitor, roughly USD 40, and IDR 425,000 per Indonesian visitor, roughly USD 25. That is the figure we use for budgeting until the desk confirms the tariff at booking.
Two competing figures circulate. Some 2026 sources state a new tariff of IDR 1,000,000 for foreign visitors, with Indonesians charged either IDR 500,000 or IDR 25,000 per day, said to take effect from 3 August 2026. Others still list the older schedule. We have not been able to verify the official authority website independently, so we treat the higher figures as unconfirmed rather than as fact.
Our rule is simple. We quote the permit as a dated range, IDR 700,000 to 1,000,000 per foreign adult, roughly USD 40 to 60, and the desk confirms the exact tariff in writing at the time of booking. If the fee changes between booking and departure, you pay the government rate that applies on the day of entry, and we tell you before you fly.
| Permit item | Reported 2026 fee | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign visitor, PIN card | IDR 700,000 (about USD 40) | Most consistently reported schedule |
| Indonesian visitor, PIN card | IDR 425,000 (about USD 25) | Most consistently reported schedule |
| Foreign visitor, revised tariff | IDR 1,000,000 (about USD 60) | Reported from 3 August 2026, unverified |
| Indonesian visitor, revised tariff | IDR 500,000 (about USD 30), or IDR 25,000 (about USD 1.50) per day | Conflicting reports, unverified |
| Validity | 12 months from purchase or first entry | Consistently reported |
| Issued at | Waisai office; Sorong harbor counter; online in some reports | Confirmed by the desk at booking |
Validity, children and where the card is issued
The card is reported as valid for 12 months from purchase or first entry, with re-entry covered. If you combine a Misool charter with a second Raja Ampat trip within the year, the same card applies. Keep the physical card; rangers may ask to see it.
Several operator sources report that children under 12 are exempt from the permit. We have not seen that exemption published in a tariff document we can verify, so we treat it as reported rather than settled. If you are traveling with children, tell the desk their ages at booking and we will confirm the current rule before you pay anything.
The card is issued at the Raja Ampat Marine Park Authority office in Waisai, the administrative town on Waigeo, and according to several sources at a counter in Sorong harbor. Some reports mention online purchase. For a Misool charter, Waisai is in the wrong direction, so the Sorong counter or an advance arrangement through the operator is the practical route.
How the yacht handles it on embarkation day
You do not queue for the card yourself. The desk collects passport details at booking, and the operator usually arranges the cards in Sorong before or on the morning of embarkation, handing you the card and a receipt on board. The fee is settled with your final invoice or in cash on the day, whichever the operator’s accounting requires.
Ask for the receipt. It proves the levy reached the authority rather than a vague service charge. The cards stay with the vessel’s papers, because ranger patrols in Misool check permits.
For shared liveaboard cabins, the operator collects the fee as a separate line on the balance invoice, or in cash at the harbor. If a quote says “all park fees included” without stating the amount, ask for the amount. Our booking process itemises the permit on every proposal.
Misool Marine Reserve rules in brief
The permit buys entry. It does not buy exemption from the reserve rules. The Misool Marine Reserve covers roughly 1,200 square kilometers in the south of the archipelago, with two no-take zones and a restricted-gear blue-water corridor. Inside the no-take zones, fishing of any kind is prohibited, including catch-and-release and spearfishing. The only stated exception is a limited traditional mollusc practice under local sasi custom, which does not apply to visitors.
The rules that touch a yacht guest are few and firm. No fishing, no collecting shells or coral, no anchoring on reef, no jet skis or other motorized water toys. Vessels use designated mooring buoys. A boat may transit the no-take zone, but a line in the water while transiting is a violation. The Misool Ranger Patrol, about 18 local rangers working from three stations with five patrol boats, monitors the area continuously with support from the Marine Police.
Dive briefings on board repeat the reserve’s expectations: neutral buoyancy, no gloves on the reef, no touching or chasing mantas at cleaning stations, reef hooks only where the guide permits. These are expectations on every vessel we place. Read the longer account on our Misool Marine Reserve page before choosing dive sites.
Drones
Published reserve rules do not state a clear visitor-drone policy. Rangers use drones for surveillance, which does not establish permission for guests. Treat drone use as not permitted until the desk has obtained written permission from the reserve’s managing bodies for your dates.
Where the permit sits in a worked trip total
Here is the line in context, using Kayra, a 38 m phinisi for 8 guests, at her 2026 rate. Seven nights at USD 7,000 per yacht, per night comes to USD 49,000 for the whole vessel, plus 11% VAT, or USD 54,390. That rate covers the yacht, crew, chef, all meals, basic snorkel and dive equipment, and Sorong airport transfers.
The permit line is eight cards at the reported IDR 700,000, about USD 320 for the group, or roughly USD 40 per person. If the higher reported tariff applies on your date, the line rises to about USD 480. Against a charter total above USD 54,000, the permit is less than one percent. It is a line to know about, not a line that changes the decision.
Also outside the charter rate: flights to Sorong, a hotel in Sorong the night before departure if your flight lands late, premium beverages, crew gratuities, and any nitrox or course fees. The full breakdown, with per-person conversions and the superyacht tiers, is on our Misool luxury cost page.
Plan it
Permits are the smallest line on the sheet, and the easiest to get wrong if you book late. Send the desk your dates, group size and passport count, and we return a written proposal that lists the yacht rate per yacht per night, the 7-night total with VAT, and the permit at the tariff confirmed for your departure date. Start with the cost page for the full range from USD 6,400 to 35,000 per yacht, per night, then compare shared-cabin liveaboard options if a whole yacht is more than you need. For the route from Sorong, read how to get to Misool.
Kayra
38 m phinisi · 4 cabins · 8 guests
From USD 7,000 per yacht, per night (+ 11% VAT), 7-night minimum.
How much is the Raja Ampat marine park entry permit in 2026?
The most consistently reported figure is IDR 700,000, about USD 40, per foreign visitor and IDR 425,000 per Indonesian visitor. Some sources report a revised tariff of IDR 1,000,000 for foreigners from August 2026, which we have not verified. The desk confirms the exact government fee in writing when you book.
Is the Raja Ampat PIN card valid for 12 months?
Yes, as reported. The card is valid for 12 months from purchase or first entry, and re-entry during that period is covered. If you return to Raja Ampat within the year, you present the same card. Keep the physical card, since rangers who board in Misool ask to see it rather than a photograph.
Do children under 12 need a Raja Ampat entry permit?
Several operator sources report that children under 12 are exempt. We have not seen the exemption in a published tariff we can verify, so we do not promise it. Give the desk the ages of any children at booking, and we confirm the current rule with the operator before any permit charge appears on your invoice.
Are marine park permits included in the charter price?
No. Private charter rates are quoted per yacht, per night, and cover the vessel, crew, chef, meals, basic dive equipment and Sorong transfers. The Raja Ampat permit is a government levy per person, itemised separately on your proposal. Shared liveaboard cabins follow the same convention, with the fee shown as a separate line or collected at the harbor.
Is the 2026 Raja Ampat visitor levy separate from the marine park permit?
The reports of a higher 2026 tariff describe a revision of the same entry card, not a second levy on top of it. You should expect one per-person charge for Raja Ampat entry, whichever figure applies on your date. If any quote lists two separate park charges, ask for the legal basis of each before paying.
What rules apply inside the Misool Marine Reserve no-take zone?
No fishing of any kind, including catch-and-release and spearfishing, no collecting of marine life or shells, no anchoring on reef, and no jet skis. Boats use mooring buoys where provided and may transit the zone without fishing. The Misool Ranger Patrol monitors the area and checks permits.
Send your dates and passport count, and the desk will return a proposal with the yacht rate, the 7-night total, and the permit confirmed at the tariff for your departure.
WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 · [email protected] · Contact the Misool Luxury desk
