Buying a used boat in Spain post Brexit

Steamboats52 said:
A late joiner to this thread. I am also looking into buying a UK flagged boat in Torrevieja. The boat will have been in Spain at the end of the Brexit transition period.
I am a UK resident with a holiday apartment in Spain, using it within the 90/180 Schengen limits.
Even for a sub-8m UK flagged yacht, I think I would be required to take it out of the EU every 18 months. Tricky! Or would I be exempt from this because I am not in Spain or EU for more than 183 days/year?
Alternatively, if it is already CE marked, should I re-register it in Spain? Or will that require a re-certification inspection?
Or just register it under a Polish flag?
My brain is hurting.............
Click to expand...
Uk flagged
Is it owned by a Brit?
Does it have an SSR number?
It’s got EU VAT so
If the answer is Yes, Yes then (I stand corrected) but you just buy and go. No need for any taking out of the EU.
This is what I’d expect if I sold my boat in Spain to a Brit who wanted to keep it there.
 
DavidJ said:
Uk flagged
Is it owned by a Brit?
Does it have an SSR number?
It’s got EU VAT so
If the answer is Yes, Yes then (I stand corrected) but you just buy and go. No need for any taking out of the EU.
This is what I’d expect if I sold my boat in Spain to a Brit who wanted to keep it there.
Click to expand...


You're correct. As long as you can prove it's eu vat paid status then no need to take it out the eu every 18 months, UK flagged or not
 
I think you have a few things mixed up here.
Your 90/180 days in the EU has nothing to do with the boat.

You aren't clear but I think you are saying that the boat in question is VAT paid and was in the EU on the 31st December 2020.
If so, you can keep it in the EU for as long as you like.
AFAIK, you can also take it out of the EU and return it into the EU for a maximum of 3 years without it attracting any VAT.

CE marking (assuming it is already CE marked) or the boat's registration also have no bearing on the matter.
 
Hurricane said:
I think you have a few things mixed up here.
Your 90/180 days in the EU has nothing to do with the boat.

You aren't clear but I think you are saying that the boat in question is VAT paid and was in the EU on the 31st December 2020.
If so, you can keep it in the EU for as long as you like.
AFAIK, you can also take it out of the EU and return it into the EU for a maximum of 3 years without it attracting any VAT.

CE marking (assuming it is already CE marked) or the boat's registration also have no bearing on the matter.
Click to expand...
Thanks. My reference to the CE mark is just trying to think through the process if I decided to go for Spanish registration. Obviously the boat would then require an ITB inspection but might it also need a re-certification inspection (even though already CE marked) before it could go on the register? Or are these the same?
 
You don't need a Spanish registration. That's a whole can of worms you don't need. SSR is fine. The ITB safety check is scheme is not very good.
Some examiners don't even get on the boat. My boat came with an indate (just done) ITB. The flare pack was 8 years out of date and in a bag full of water going rusty.

In Spanish marinas the only thing they ever want to see is the SSR or other registration certificate and your insurance. As a UK person, not resident in Spain with a UK registered boat in Spain, you should have no problems getting insurance with a UK company. Mix things up and it gets complicated.
The Customs/Guardia Civil people (unlikely) may ask to see your ICC and some proof of VAT, maybe a VHF license
 
I go back to my question
Does it have an SSR number? (or Part1 /Part2)
I know from this forum that there are different views on how easy/extremely difficult to deregister a French registered boat. I think because of suspect potential avoidance of wealth tax (if you’re Spanish) that you may hit some Spanish bureaucracy if it’s registered there.
 
Last edited:
Re Steamboats52, if you are looking for any boat buying help at all in Torrevieja or the wider area talk to Shekzhad at BOATS - MSK Yacht Broker
He used to work at Navicularia, but has set up on his own. Asian guy, seems very laid back but I have dealt with him on and off for 11 years. Really helpful guy. He sorted out my current boat's SSR reg from the original Spanish registration, sorted all the paper work, got me a new SSR certificate in a few days and a SSR number sticker for the boat for very little. And I didnt buy the boat through him.
 
kashurst said:
You don't need a Spanish registration. That's a whole can of worms you don't need. SSR is fine. The ITB safety check is scheme is not very good.
Some examiners don't even get on the boat. My boat came with an indate (just done) ITB. The flare pack was 8 years out of date and in a bag full of water going rusty.

In Spanish marinas the only thing they ever want to see is the SSR or other registration certificate and your insurance. As a UK person, not resident in Spain with a UK registered boat in Spain, you should have no problems getting insurance with a UK company. Mix things up and it gets complicated.
The Customs/Guardia Civil people (unlikely) may ask to see your ICC and some proof of VAT, maybe a VHF license
Click to expand...
Can you suggest the UK insurance company? I have taken my boat to Portugal, and have struggled to find anyone (UK or Portuguese) who want to insure it.
 
Thank you to everyone who has helped me in this thread. Just to confuse matters, my interest may now be shifting to the purchase of a Belgian flagged boat. From all the advice here, best option for keeping it in Spain still seems to be registration on UK SSR. Seller will have to de-register - hopefully not a problem for Belgian register. Just to add cost, radio will have to be stripped of current MMSI so I can register it with Ofcom.
 
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