Greenland clearing in with alcohol?

[OBT]

We are arriving in Greenland by private sailboat from the USA via Canada.
Like any larger cruise ship, our sailboat has a liquor locker that has a stock of alcohol for the ship's onboard crew during the extended trip from and back to Canada and the USA. This alcohol will remain on the ship during the trip. Will we have any trouble about this issue when clearing into Greenland?

[GordMay]

Evidently, alcoholic beverages are subject to excise duty, in Greenland.
➥ https://www.ups.com/ga/CountryRegsPr...intRegulations
➥ https://www.norden.org/en/info-norde...ions-greenland

Voyager’s notes on sailing in Greenland [2005]
➥ https://oceannavigator.com/voyagers-...-in-greenland/

Hands-on advice for cruising in ice – expedition to Greenland [2016]
➥ https://www.yachtingworld.com/featur...reenland-70032

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by OBT

We are arriving in Greenland by private sailboat from the USA via Canada.

Like any larger cruise ship, our sailboat has a liquor locker that has a stock of alcohol for the ship's onboard crew during the extended trip from and back to Canada and the USA. This alcohol will remain on the ship during the trip. Will we have any trouble about this issue when clearing into Greenland?

Unlikely to be an issue. Say nothing , good deeds do not go unpunished

[ozsailer]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Unlikely to be an issue. Say nothing , good deeds do not go unpunished

Absolutely say nothing - Then explain to the customs officers when they search your vessel when they find your alcohol then pull your boat apart looking for anything else you did not declare then maybe end up with a fine and refusal to enter. What an absolute asinine comment to make. Can I suggest you go to the Greenland Government website and see what your obligations are.


Ozsailer

[Dockhead]

I'm not sure where you are planning to enter, but when we went to Greenland, no one was interested at all in what we had on board.

We arrived in Scoresbysund from Iceland, and went into Ittoqqortoormiit, apparently the most remote human settlement on earth, to try to clear in. The one Danish policeman officially responsible for border control seemed surprised to see me, and didn't even open the passports of my crew, much less stamp them. He advised not to bother with customs so we didn't. The only thing he cared about was that we promise to not go on shore unarmed.

This was the more remote East coast, so if you are entering in the relatively more populous West then YMMV, but that was our experience.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by ozsailer

Absolutely say nothing - Then explain to the customs officers when they search your vessel when they find your alcohol then pull your boat apart looking for anything else you did not declare then maybe end up with a fine and refusal to enter. What an absolute asinine comment to make. Can I suggest you go to the Greenland Government website and see what your obligations are.

Ozsailer

Is that how it works in Oz these days?



That's not the way customs officers typically behave in this part of the world. They are not generally interested in alcohol transported for personal use, whether or not it exceeds the nominal limits by some reasonable amount. If that were not so, the economy of Helgoland would instantly go bust, as the whole island lives from selling cases of duty free gin and whiskey to day trippers from Germany. Every yacht which calls in Helgoland lays in a few cases for their summer in the Baltic. The shops deliver to the docks. No one cares. I've never heard a single case of a liquor locker on a private yacht being checked by customs in Northern Europe, not even in Russia. My boat was searched once by the Doaniers in France, and they were thorough, but neither did they even open the liquor locker.



Now violate your Schengen days as a non-European -- that's a different matter.

[goboatingnow]

I agree with Dockhead , most customs have zero interest in personal levels of dutiable items on board. Usually you just declare it so.

In most med countries you’d be expected to turn Up with loads of drink anyway !