US boat entering EU country

[Trevizan]

Hello folks,

Is there any limitation for a US boat to enter an EU country?
I'm a EU citizen looking to buy a boat in US, and bring to Portugal. Can i change the registration to Portugal?

For example, in Brazil, Brazilians are not allowed to bring boat with different flags than from Brazil.

Cheers.

[Kenomac]

You can bring it to the EU without any issues and register it to your home country, but VAT will definitely be due and you might also want to check on import customs duty which varies with each individual country.

[Trevizan]

Thank you Kenomac.

Do you know if the US requires any special license to sail the cost before the passage to EU?

[grae]

Check the vessel has a CE mark, usually if the manufacturer is European or the original target market is European it will, if not then you'll likely need to look at the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) which you would have to undertake and get your 'new' vessel certified - not a simple thing at all, especially if the vessel is of any age.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Trevizan

Thank you Kenomac.

Do you know if the US requires any special license to sail the cost before the passage to EU?

No all you need is money here.

[rodgoult]

As far as sailing the East Coast before transiting to Portugal, do check to make sure that you conform to US Coast Guard safety requirements, life-jackets, flares and the like (if you are planning a trans-Atlantic I am sure you will!) and also check State by State rules for how long a visitor can stay Unless you are planning on being here for a year, my guess is that the latter are not a problem.
As an FYI, when I brought my boat from RI to the Merrimack River, the overnight charges for each stop were around $100... I was taken by surprise having been living aboard in the Chesapeake previously. So do your homework for cruising the coast!

The advice on looking at EU RCD requirements is very sound - I have read in the UK's Practical Boat Owner that getting a boat certified is expensive, but I don't recall numbers.

[grahamj]

The EU just imposed a 25% tariff on boats imported from the USA in retaliation for who knows what.

Vat would be payable too.

Adds up to about 45% of the value of the boat. Not a good scenario.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by grahamj

The EU just imposed a 25% tariff on boats imported from the USA in retaliation for who knows what.

Vat would be payable too.

Adds up to about 45% of the value of the boat. Not a good scenario.

Can you please provide a souce and link to confirm this? Are used boats included? Does it include boats made in the EU flagged in America?

The reason I ask, is that we presently have a US flagged boat in the EU that’s for sale. Need to know if it needs to move back to the US or Caribbean.

Thanks

Ken

[Anders]

Originally Posted by grahamj

The EU just imposed a 25% tariff on boats imported from the USA in retaliation for who knows what.

That was a response to the decision by Trump to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.
Not really sure why boats were included on the list since there are very few boats made in the US that are sold in Europe!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You can bring it to the EU without any issues and register it to your home country, but VAT will definitely be due and you might also want to check on import customs duty which varies with each individual country.

BIG changes have taken place recently regarding tariffs, check before doing anything.

[atlantical]

The VAT is not the biggest problem, you can do all sorts of things to get that reduced, like get it imported as a project boat, which can reduce the value by an awful lot. The average VAT is about 20 percent, you can pay the VAT in the country that has the lowest rate, it used to be worth paying it in the Azores, as it was less there. The big thing is getting the boat EC coded, if the engine comes up to EEC spec, and the electrics come up to spec, then the inspection would be about six thousand dollars, you could though end up having to change the engine and all the electrics, there could be other issues, really its not worth doing, I know because I brought a boat from the USA, and just can't afford to get it done, and to me, its not worth it, its all more than the value of the boat that I have. This means, I can't sell the boat, can't insure it, and cant register it in the UK.

[Kenomac]

Here’s a copy of the new EU retaliatory tariff schedule, boats are near the end of the list.
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/doc...doc_156909.pdf

[atlantical]

Their is no set rate of vat in the EEC, the UK is at 20 percent, where Hungary is 27 percent, I don't really know if the EEC sets a minimum rate, I know they were annoyed at Ireland for setting corporation tax so low, but there was nothing they could do about it.

[kish]

Originally Posted by atlantical

Their is no set rate of vat in the EEC, the UK is at 20 percent, where Hungary is 27 percent, I don't really know if the EEC sets a minimum rate, I know they were annoyed at Ireland for setting corporation tax so low, but there was nothing they could do about it.

VAT is payable at the port of entry to the European Union [EU], formerly known as the EEC.

On an west to east crossing to Europe, you have the choice of first landfall on either the Azores [Portugese tax system], most probable landfall, or the Canary Islands [Spanish tax system] or you can continue to the mainland of either country and pay there..

Check the VAT rates in your projected point of entry.

[mwmsea]

Please clarify. I assume we are speaking about trying to register a US vessel in the EU with the intent on staying long term.

Does the VAT tax apply if you are just visiting for 90 days? I thought that one could exit the EU before 90 days and then re-enter for another days without incurring any EU taxes.

Please advise. Thank you.