Buying a yacht in Greece to live aboard for a year - May 2019

[OZ-Sailor]

and here I was worried there wouldn't be any other Aussies over there

[steve77]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

okay - so in a nutshell (I'm trying to make it easy for any response to be yes or no answers)

Schengen means the following (as a non-eu citizen):

1) I can only stay in Schengen countries for a maximum accumulated total of 90 days in any 180 - correct?

2) so hopping from one Schengen country to another still adds to the count of the 90 days of the 180 - in other words it is not counted PER COUNTRY?

3) If the answer to #2 is yes, then at least half of every 6 months needs to be spent outside of any Schengen country?

Yes. The Schengen clock starts "resetting" when you leave the entire Schengen zone. It is a day-for-day reset, meaning each day out of Schengen will give you one more day when you return to any Schengen country. 90 days out will fully reset it and you can stay 90 days when you return.

The simple answer is, like you said, 90 days out of any 180 day period in the Schengen zone. Leaving one Schengen zone country for another Schengen zone country does nothing to reset the clock, which is the point, if you think about it.

If you purchase in the Ionian Sea (Lefkas, Preveza) then Albania and Montenegro are good places outside of Schengen to go. At present, Croatia is also outside of Schengen but I understand it is attempting to join.

Cheers!

Steve

[Rapanui]

The simplest way would be if your ancestry entitled you to an EU passport. As a EU citizen but non resident you can still keep a boat free of VAT in EU for 18 months, but effectively allows you to stay as long as you wish.

Croatia is still outside Schengen and in my opinion given the current migrant problems and that many Schengen-Schengen borders are now not free movement (ie border checks), widening Schengen seems unlikely. In the Eastern Med/Adriatic there are still a number of options to get 6 months or more in the Med for non EU citizens. Turkey, Montenegro, Albania are all outside EU and close to Greece, Tunisia a bit further away.

There are quite a few Os and Kiwis doing what you wish to do sucessfully, just make sure you comply with the paperwork eg ICC, VHF licence, local rules on safety equipment, etc, as the local authorities can be pedantic and keen on raising revenue, just think of Australian customs.

If you are prepared to consider ex charter boats, there are a huge number of boats for sale in the charter areas either in Greece, or close, Croatia, and Italy.

Who knows, in a few months, us Brits may be joining you in this merry Schengen dance.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

okay - so in a nutshell (I'm trying to make it easy for any response to be yes or no answers)

Schengen means the following (as a non-eu citizen):

1) I can only stay in Schengen countries for a maximum accumulated total of 90 days in any 180 - correct?

2) so hopping from one Schengen country to another still adds to the count of the 90 days of the 180 - in other words it is not counted PER COUNTRY?

3) If the answer to #2 is yes, then at least half of every 6 months needs to be spent outside of any Schengen country?

Basically look back at the last 180 days...total in the Schengen can't exceed 90.

Eastern Med does have some fairly easy options to get out for a while that are well worth visiting.

Also, do some checking. I think Austrailia may have some pre-Schengen treaties that allow for separate country by country visas as a work around...but make sure you have it all documented and can show both the law and paperwork to support it.

PS: If you spend any part of a day in the Schengen, it counts as a day. So if you fly in and the immigration guy stamps your passport at 11:59pm, it still counts as a day.

[bazwiles]

hi we bought our boat through "Yacht fractions" a uk bases firm who have an agent in Kalamaki marina, you will need to show insurance for the boat a bill of sale an SSR OR OZ EQUIVALENT , THEN present them to the habour pffice , we had to go to the CORINTH one, you will then get a booklet which will need to be stamped each year BARRY WILES

[robert sailor]

Lefkas is a good spot and Williams and Smithells is a very good broker, ask for Stephen.You can legally stay in Greece as long as you want as long as you do the proper paperwork. PM me if you like and I'll explain exactly what you should do. Cheers, R

[bluenomads]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

and here I was worried there wouldn't be any other Aussies over there

We're not there yet, but working towards it too. So I've been doing some research on what's need for when we retire to spend large bits of time in the EU.

Australia has some other agreements with European countries that (so I understand!) change the Schengen visa rules somewhat. I wouldn't bet my passport on it without further checking, but I checked with the Spanish embassy and they agreed with the article.

[OZ-Sailor]

Thanks for the heads up bluenomads - I've just read the article and have emailed the Greek consulate here in NSW - will post the results of this exercise.

[OZ-Sailor]

Doing a bit more reading - it looks like there are only two visas available now... Either Schengen or National.

According to the LIVING IN GREECE website - Overstaying a visa in Greece

It also states that they will only grant extensions to the schengen under special circumstances or if you have a very good (compelling) reason, not if you simply wish to travel longer...

so it seems we all gotta do the Schengen Waltz after all

[bluenomads]

I'd be interested in what the consulate says when you ask the specifics of the agreement with Australia. I hope/suspect you'll get an answer they'd prefer not to give, which is that they'd prefer you didn't know about the agreement and that it trumps the other things. If they don't acknowledge it, I'd get through to DFAT (Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and get their opinion...

[OZ-Sailor]

Elini from the consulate informed the following:

you should know there is no such a visa as holiday visa however you can always get a national visa as a financial independent person. Please visit our website www.mfa.gr/sydney, national visa to see all the supporting documents for your visa application. When will you fly out? The fee is $288 cash only.

By the sounds of it, she is probably referring to the visa as outlined in this post:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...sa-165228.html

With all this I am thinking it might be better just to do the Schengen Shuffle to start with and see how things go.

[Budawang]

I recently found out from someone who works at the Spanish Embassy in Canberra that there is a 3-month visa treaty between Spain and Australia. This means Spain won't count time spent in other Schengen countries against time spent in Spain and, in theory, will give Australians three additional months. It will only work, however, if Spain is the LAST country visited in Europe. However, because Spain usually is the last country visited before heading across the Atlantic this could work well. A sample itinerary might be:

June to August: Greece, Italy and France (3 months under Schengen).
September to November: Spain, including Balearics and Canaries (3 months under bilateral treaty).
Total time cruising Europe: 6 months.

The embassy official told me an Australian would have to show the Spanish border authorities a copy of the Treaty. However, it's possible some border guards might still choose not to recognise it so you could have some hassles. The Spanish Embassy only gave me a copy of it in Spanish - see attached.

[Psy at SEA]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

Hi all. I'm a 51yo long time sailor living in Sydney Australia. I have done both extensive recreational and some commercial sailing in the past (held Coxswain Cert 1 - NSW, skippering yachts on Sydney Harbour for a few years).

I am planning on taking a year's sabbatical you could say to sail the Greek Islands, commencing May 2019. I spent 6 weeks bumming around there in my early twenties and it's always been my dream to return.

I'd love some advice on where would be a good place to purchase a used 36' - 42' mono-hull with a max budget up to 45,000 euros to spend on the boat, with as little work needed to be done on her as possible. I will sell her when I wish to either move on to my next adventure or return to Australia.

I intend to fly over to Greece and can take my time to find a good buy once I have an idea where to start.

Also, I am only now clue-ing myself up on the licensing & VAT requirements so any tips and advice on this would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

OZ sailor, theres a great Dudley Dix designed boat lying in Greece, just came on the market. Aluminium hull, new rig, motor etc.
See yachtworld.com


To my knowledge (as per Croatian friends I have) Croatia is part of the EU. Montenegro more south is not.
Mooring/berthing in Croatia is quite exorbitant.



Fair winds Mate.

[BlueSlue]

I have been looking into Greek residency as well. My understanding is that after you receive the National (type D) visa in your home country, you then arrive in Greece and apply for a residency permit locally. They'll want proof of funds and a medical clearance, among other things.

The downside of getting EU residency is that you would then be liable to pay VAT on any boat purchased that hasn't already had it paid, so that is something to look into very carefully and plan for.

Please keep us updated on your experience!

[Budawang]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

Elini from the consulate informed the following:

you should know there is no such a visa as holiday visa however you can always get a national visa as a financial independent person. Please visit our website www.mfa.gr/sydney, national visa to see all the supporting documents for your visa application. When will you fly out? The fee is $288 cash only.

By the sounds of it, she is probably referring to the visa as outlined in this post:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...sa-165228.html

With all this I am thinking it might be better just to do the Schengen Shuffle to start with and see how things go.

It sounds like the Greek national visa might be the solution to all our Schengen woes! Provided you can prove you have 2,400 euros of income per month for a couple. I think Spain has a very similar visa, although the minimum income requirement is slightly higher.