Boat registration in the EU - as EU citizen

[Elcid]

I am a EU citizen - and I am looking to buy a boat in Spain.
I only have a RYA Day Skipper certification (and not the ICC). Due to some complications the earliest I could obtain the ICC would be next year in March.

Is there a country (e.g. Malta) where I could register my boat, that will accept only my RYA (and not require ICC)?

What are some countries I could look for? I researched Spain - but the it looks very messy

[B23iL23]

What's qualifications got to do with boat registration? You don't need anything to register a boat except the ownership/bill of sale and maybe your vat and insurance.

Where you sail the boat might require an ICC but it's not mandatory.

Originally Posted by Elcid

I am a EU citizen - and I am looking to buy a boat in Spain.
I only have a RYA Day Skipper certification (and not the ICC). Due to some complications the earliest I could obtain the ICC would be next year in March.

Is there a country (e.g. Malta) where I could register my boat, that will accept only my RYA (and not require ICC)?

What are some countries I could look for? I researched Spain - but the it looks very messy

[Elcid]

Hmm I’ve heard some countries are requesting this, e.g. I think Portugal?

As the boat is currently in Spain - do they require an ICC, or can I sail with my RYA Day Skipper license?

[HeinSdL]

The boat's current location also has no bearing on where you must register it. VAT status is relevant and the ability to show who is the current owner is relevant.


Edit: sorry you were asking about the need to have the ICC in Spain. AFAIK only Croatia requires this in the European part of the Med.

[Elcid]

Wow that’s good news then if I can buy the boat now and get that damn paper, the ICC, later �� What about insurance then? Won’t they require it?

The question still remains on what options I have for registering the boat. I read about Polish being an option. With no expiration.

[B23iL23]

Haven't heard about Poland. Malta is one of the favs but not cheap. Remember that it doesn't have to be registered in the EU. You can register it anywhere (BVI, Cayman etc) and still be VAT paid in the EU.

[Stewie12]

Poland is in the EEU and I understand they have a boat registration programme. They are not interested in if the boat is insured or not.

[Stewie12]

Registering as yacht in Poland.

https://www.polish-yacht-registration.com/

[Greg K]

Generally, registration is in the country of which you are a citizen or resident. Looks like you might be Danish. Why not register the boat in Denmark?


Also, remember, the flag determines the operator qualifications required. If you are Danish and register the boat in Denmark, the question you need to ask yourself is what qualification are required by Denmark.

[sepharad]

Portugal makes registration complex. At the port captains office they STRONGLY advised me against registering.

Portugal requires at least an RYA day skipper or their own equivalent to register or use any MOTORIZED boat. This includes Aux. diesel or outboard.

They also require rather frequent pull-outs for registration and inspection and they like to require re-liscensure at certain AGES, not your boats...YOURS.

Poland does have a registration scheme which is a lifetime registration. I don't know if they require insurance but I can tell you, I could NOT find a UK insurer who would insure in either Poland or Portugal. The reason...Only Poland and Portugal, in the EU, require that the policy be written in their language.

Belgium no longer insures non-nationals.

Dutch "simple registrations" are NOT registrations but merely a document stating you are the owner. Some EU countries refuse to recognize the "simple registration", MOST notable among them...Portugal. The Dutch do (or did when I last checked) have a real registration process but it ain't cheap.

Despite Brexit, the UK is still allowing Non-citizen (part 2 registrations). They have a fast track available, but as part of part 2 you must do a tonnage survey. I don't know if they will continue allowing type 2 registrations after January 31, 2021.

[Elcid]

I am a citizen of Romania working in DK, but not yet a resident. Hence the issue with obtaining the ICC. If I were a resident here RYA could issue an ICC for me.

So it sounds like Poland could be an option, at 500 eur for the lifetime of the boat. But finding an insurer could be an issue.

Does the broker which intermediates the sale handle this stuff. Or is it an extra service that they might offer?

[krismatski]

Originally Posted by Elcid

Wow that’s good news then if I can buy the boat now and get that damn paper, the ICC, later �� What about insurance then? Won’t they require it?

The question still remains on what options I have for registering the boat. I read about Polish being an option. With no expiration.

Polish register by PYA is very friendly.One time procedure and cost, no technical obligatory surveys etc. as long as your boat is for recreation, not business. To register you must submit documents in Polish, or Polish sworn translations.

How long is your boat?

[Rapanui]

• In general, you do not need sailing qualifications to register a boat, just to use it.
• Individual country requirements for registration vary widely, they may require inspections, safety equipement etc as pre-requisites.
• The requirements for sailing qualifications is country specific and applies only when you are inside their territorial waters. Croatia is one country amongst others that require qualifications. Countries can enforce whatever rules they wish regarding the boat and crew of whatever registration when inside their territorial waters. E.g. sailing qualifications, safety equipment.
• Country of registration has no relevance to EU VAT requirements for free circulation.
• EU VAT is required for vessels owned by EU residents only, irrespective of nationality. So an EU national owner resident outside the EU does not require EU VAT, but a non EU national owner resident in EU does.
• Boats in the EU owned by non EU residents can obtain Temporary Importation without paying VAT with the constraint they have to sail out of the EU within 18 months and re-enter
• Insurance companies can make up whatever rules they wish regarding who they insure. However, there are rules imposed by the EU regarding who can offer insurance and other financial services within the EU. So a non EU company may not be able to insure boats for EU residents for instance.

[peterbeale]

I live in Spain and registered my boat in Holland. It looks as though I will change to Poland next year. I have the Spanish Captain's license (PER Extended) but this registration avoids expensive inspections and gives on the freedom to sail where you want to. My agent is; info@alcomar.es

[Greg K]

[QUOTE=Elcid;3279132]I am a citizen of Romania working in DK, but not yet a resident. QUOTE]

Curious, why not flag the boat Romanian?