Buying a boat in Netherlands & registration in EU

[Saltyone]

I’m a new member looking to purchase a boat in the Netherlands & bring back to Portugal where I live full time. From research I’ve done on line many owners register their boat in Poland. Apparently it’s simple and quick to do. However I’m concerned that could mean every time I sail into a port or marina in Portugal I may need to visit border control which isn’t ideal. Anyone with experience & advise on this?
Cheers

 

[Tranona]

All 3 states are in the EU so you will not need to report, although having Polish registration may attract random attention because it is ften used to avoid complying with local requirements for registration.

 

[SimonX]

All 3 states are in the EU so you will not need to report, although having Polish registration may attract random attention because it is ften used to avoid complying with local requirements for registration.

And used by Russians and Belarusians smuggling according to an advisor we have spoken to ( we are looking to buy a boat in Netherlands which will be owned by 4 Dutch and 2 British and have had conflicting advice)

 

[Refueler]

I’m a new member looking to purchase a boat in the Netherlands & bring back to Portugal where I live full time. From research I’ve done on line many owners register their boat in Poland. Apparently it’s simple and quick to do. However I’m concerned that could mean every time I sail into a port or marina in Portugal I may need to visit border control which isn’t ideal. Anyone with experience & advise on this?
Cheers

There are various States in EU that will register the boat under their 'International Status' ..... Swedish .. Polish are two of the common examples. Swedish is one of the cheapest and simplest via the Swedish Cruising Club.

As others say - Netherlands .. Portugal and Poland are all full members of the EU .... also full Schengen Member States .....

This means that your regfistration in Poland will be fine and no need for Border Control etc.

I don't know the costs / reqt's for Portuguese registry - maybe like latvian - its expensive ? Its why I chose Swedish ....

 

[Graham376]

Friend of ours in Portugal obtained Polish registration, IIRC cost was about €500. As he lives aboard with no on shore address, he's had problems obtaining insurance, despite being resident in Portugal. All boats based here >6 months, whatever their nationality, have to comply with Portuguese safety equipment standards but not Autoridade Maritima surveys.

Still having a UK address (dual residence) we've kept our boat on UK SSR, it's been here 20 years.

 

[lusitano]

I bought in Netherlands a couple of years back and took the boat to Portugal where I registered it Polish.
No problems but do make sure that you have all the necessary documents that Polish registry require.
They have tightened up on paperwork now, and are quite strict. I was caught up with the "Certificate of Conformity" requirement for my boat but luckily managed to get a duplicate from the Builder.
COPY OF PREVIOUS DOCUMENTATION (IF AVAILABLE)
- BOAT DETAILS (MAKE/MODEL/YEAR)
- ENGINE DETAILS (MAKE/POWER/SERIAL NO.)
- COPY OF THE PURCHASE CONTRACT
- COPY OF THE ID OF THE BUYER(S) AND ADDRESS
- NAME YOU WANT TO GIVE TO THE BOAT
- IF THE BOAT IS AFTER 1998 COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY (IF YOU HAVE IT) AND PHOTO OF THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE HULL ON THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE STERN
- PHOTO OF THE ENGINE(S) SERIAL NUMBER(S)

 

[Saltyone]

There are various States in EU that will register the boat under their 'International Status' ..... Swedish .. Polish are two of the common examples. Swedish is one of the cheapest and simplest via the Swedish Cruising Club.

As others say - Netherlands .. Portugal and Poland are all full members of the EU .... also full Schengen Member States .....

This means that your regfistration in Poland will be fine and no need for Border Control etc.

I don't know the costs / reqt's for Portuguese registry - maybe like latvian - its expensive ? Its why I chose Swedish ....

Thanks guys, it can be quite confusing with all the contradictory info out there.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Swedish Cruising Association is a quasi-official registration that is not the same as an official government register. Although the Swedish government granted the SCA the right to issue certificates it does not authorise the holding vessel to wear the Swedish ensign, a legal requirement when in foreign national waters. In Sweden only the official Swedish government registry confers that right, and that is not available to boats under 12m length, and then only to Swedish residents or boats under Swedish control.

The SCA registration might work well in the Baltic where all the countries and officials are friendly, but it may cause trouble in the more officious Mediterranean countries like Greece. You'd probably get away with it until there's a reason to investigate a boat, and then the book and letter of the law get thrown at you. I have had a boat I was delivering impounded by the Greek authorities, and it's a painful process to break free from.

The Polish registry is more expensive, but it's a proper government registry.

 

[Graham376]

All 3 states are in the EU so you will not need to report, although having Polish registration may attract random attention because it is ften used to avoid complying with local requirements for registration.

20 or so years ago, it was normal to visit Policia Maritima office when booking in to a marina but these days the marinas handle everything and copy details to police. All they want to see are registration certificate, insurance and passport/residence or citizen card. Same applies if stopped for inspection when underway. Light dues will have to be paid and circulation tax.

 

[Refueler]

Swedish Cruising Association is a quasi-official registration that is not the same as an official government register. Although the Swedish government granted the SCA the right to issue certificates it does not authorise the holding vessel to wear the Swedish ensign, a legal requirement when in foreign national waters. In Sweden only the official Swedish government registry confers that right, and that is not available to boats under 12m length, and then only to Swedish residents or boats under Swedish control.

The SCA registration might work well in the Baltic where all the countries and officials are friendly, but it may cause trouble in the more officious Mediterranean countries like Greece. You'd probably get away with it until there's a reason to investigate a boat, and then the book and letter of the law get thrown at you. I have had a boat I was delivering impounded by the Greek authorities, and it's a painful process to break free from.

The Polish registry is more expensive, but it's a proper government registry.

Where I agree withy your posting about SCA given authority by Swedish Govt to issue International Registry .... the matter of flag flown is actually quite simple :

The Flag flown on the boat can and is allowed to be the State Flag of Owner and / or majority nationality on board. A fact that many ignore or do not know about.

Of course if I was to sail my 38 into a Greek Marina with UK Red Duster flying - as I am allowed to - being Owner ... show Swedish International Registry Certficate - it could be an interesting discussion !

Quote from Swedish Cruising Association :

"Boatregistration in the Swedish Cruising Association and the Swedish flag
In the international Law of the Sea Convention it is provided that there must be a genuine link between each vessel and its flag. This link is universally understood to be the owner's nationality, though it is possible to manipulate this by letting the vessel be owned by a company, which can have another nationality than the person controlling it. In any case, departure from the genuine link requirement exposes the vessel to being visited and arrested on the high seas and in foreign countries which stick to the principle.

However, the EU has departed from this through a series of decisions of the EC court. The first concerned a Spanish fishing company called Factortame Ltd, and it was followed by others. Since these decisions the EU allows carrying another EU flag than the "genuine" one provided the owner resides permanently in the country whose flag he is carrying. In accordance with this the Swedish Maritime Code now provides in Chapter 1 section 1 that the Maritime Administration (now Transportstyrelsen) may on application grant the owner the right to carry the Swedish flag if the operation of the vessel is essentially under Swedish control or the owner has his permanent residence in Sweden.

However, there is no penalty provided for carrying the wrong flag in Sweden, and it is thus relatively safe to do so. In many other countries this is however punishable, and on the high seas one may, as stated above, get into trouble for not having the correct flag.

Registration in a club register such as that of the Swedish Cruising Association does not confer any right to carry the Swedish flag. However, under the Maritime Code chapter 2 secton 1(2) vessels of 12 m lenth and 4 m breadth or more ("ships") may obtain official Swedish registry in accordance with EU rules.

Hugo Tiberg
Professor emeritus of Maritime Law, at Stockholm University"

To avoid discussions - my 38 flies a Swedish flag - same as all the other similarly registered boats I know of who have no Swedish Owners ..... but of course I am not sailing Mediteranean .. many of us have been stopped by maritime patrols - Baltic is as you know a bit of a hot spot and patrols keep an eye on you !! But none that I am aware of have ever had any problems about flying the flag. Technically I could fly the Red Duster or the Latvian Flag .... based on my UK Passport or my Permanent Residence in Latvia.
Insurance - if the 'flag' was an issue - then I am sure that insurance would be interested ..... but policies are issued without problem .... the only 'hiccup' I have seen is being UK Passport holder and my previous German Insurer after Brexit declining to renew .... insurance was then issued in Tallinn ....