Greece- requirement to change "user" every 6 month on 18 month transit log?

[SY_Maria]

I am non EU citizen and own US-flagged boat with EU VAT not paid. I skipper the boat myself. We entered Greece last year and were given transit log that expires in 18 month. Now I have an agent telling me that unless I change "user of the boat" every 6 month, it is a violation and heavily fined.

Is there is a rule like this?

[MarkJ]

Spain has 181 days in one port and you need to pay VAT.
Are you staying in the same port?

[Sindbad]

Never heard of such rule. I am nonEU resident on a non EU flagged boat. We have been cruising Greece for the last 3 seasons. Never changed the user, only checked out once to sail to Turkey for resetting the VAT clock.
What you need an agent for?
I had very good experience with customs in Preveza and Nafplio. If you are not sure, just go there and ask, if you are in the area.


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[SY_Maria]

MarkJ, no, I'm not staying in the same port for more than 3-4 month.

[dlymn]

Never heard of this change skipper rule but then again we never stay in the EU fro longer than 3 months at a time because of Schengen. It is possible to negotiate a longer stay by applying for a residency visa, but this might then require you to pay VAT on your boat, JimB Sail has something on this. This might be why the fellow reckons you should change the name of the skipper. As with many of these rules, everything is fine and dandy until you come across that one bureaucrat who loves applying the letter of the law.

[SaltyMetals]

not sure where you are but you can re-set your 18-month clock by going out of the EU to some place like Turkey, Albania, or Montenegro. Best to check but i think just one or two DOCUMENTED days in one of these countries would be enough.

[reed1v]

Does not sound right. Contact your embassy and ask them to get clarification from the Greek authorities, in writing, with actual names and contact numbers.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by dlymn

Never heard of this change skipper rule but then again we never stay in the EU fro longer than 3 months at a time because of Schengen. It is possible to negotiate a longer stay by applying for a residency visa, but this might then require you to pay VAT on your boat, JimB Sail has something on this. This might be why the fellow reckons you should change the name of the skipper. As with many of these rules, everything is fine and dandy until you come across that one bureaucrat who loves applying the letter of the law.

Bureaucrats often do not know the letter of the law; instead they make up their own. Common everywhere in the world.

[GarthGregory]

My yacht has been in Greece for 4 + years it is Reg in Jersey British Small Ships register , but requires a Transit Log - Jersey is outside the E U in terms of Tax VAT . The log is valid for 18 months , at which point you have take the boat to a non E U country for as little as 24 hrs ( you need proof ) - there is no requirement re a skipper / agent .Be very sure you hand your log into the customs office if you leave , even if the boat remains in Greece in a Marina / yard . The fine is calculated Daily - in May an Aussie had to pay Euro 7000.00 as a fine for just short of 2 x years - Garth

[SaltyMetals]

The greek authorities were already successfully challenged in the EU court bec they were trying to impose limits on visiting yachts that were less than th normal limit within the EU so do not trust what you are told in Greece.

Just get yr boat out of Greece to a Non-EU country which will re-set yr 18-month clock, and then go back again (if you really wish yo go back into Greece.

[Gazzza]

Originally Posted by GarthGregory

Be very sure you hand your log into the customs office if you leave , even if the boat remains in Greece in a Marina / yard . The fine is calculated Daily - in May an Aussie had to pay Euro 7000.00 as a fine for just short of 2 x years - Garth

Hi Garth, what is the fine for?

Garry

[hellosailor]

"I am non EU citizen" Sounds fishy to me. Unless you are, specifically, a US CITIZEN you cannot own a US flagged boat. Your business might own it, but you can't. So if we rashly assume you are hiding your US citizenship, then you probably hit the Schengen limit of ponly being allow to remain within that group for six months before you have to leave--or be fined and possibly arrested or ejected. And that's bound to have some consequences for your boat as well. Lay all your cards on the table, and it will be easier to see if you've got a busted flush.

[Chalifour]

we are a Canadian registered ship, so non EU. As such we need a Transit log every time we enter Greece and need imperatively to drop it off at the custom office when we leave. As Canadians citizens, we cannot stay more than 90 days in any 180 days. Fine can be serious if we go behind our limit. This year, we exceptionally asked for an extension given the situation in Turkey, our home port which we obtained. The ship gets an 18 month transit log which can be reset by simply going out of the Schengen zone for 24 hrs and back with a new TR. as far as the 6 month user ID is concerned, it is clearly indicated on the transit log. In our case the space allocated for the 3 "users" were filled by the port authority at the outset with the first being my name and the 2 others being labelled "same", suggesting that I was to be the 3 candidates. In any event, they don't pay to much attention to this last aspect but rather to the transit log itself and the crew list which have to be valid and accurate at all time. Finally your attitude toward the agents are quintessential in staying out of trouble. A "Donald" attitude will get you in trouble in no time and your boat in detention with a efthy bill to get her out!!!

[SY_Maria]

Chalifour, thanks for your reply, where are these 3 users located in TL? I just have 1.Captain 2.Owner and 3.User (only one for all log papers)

[GarthGregory]

HI Garry ,The Aussie had an open Transit Log - i e He had not handed it in when he went home - he had ( I assume ) just binned it . The logs are registered on a central computer , so it remained open . The fine is calculated daily from the expiry date , in his case close on 2 x years , so about Euro 7000.00 . He unfortunately went to the Port Police , you can't negotiate with them , he should have gone to the Customs authority as I did and after much to and fro -ing , my lost log was cancelled with no fine . All of this may well change with the new system about to come in Rgds Garth