Q Flag (Quebec)

A plain yellow International Code of Signals flag whose single-letter meaning is ‘My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique’.

Free pratique is the health authority’s permission for a vessel to have contact with the port after arrival formalities. The flag is traditionally displayed on entering a foreign port until the required clearance is granted, but national health, customs and immigration procedures determine what must actually be shown or reported.

The signal is not a general request for navigational permission to enter harbour and does not itself grant clearance. Radio reporting, electronic declarations, quarantine instructions and other flags may also be required by the port or state.