EU Citizen entering the EU?

[goeasy123]

Do I need to enter the EU through an official port of entry if I'm an EU citizen?

I.e. Can I, for example, sail across the Atlantic arrive in a Spanish anchorage and then be deemed to be in the EU?

This is a question relating to the person, not a boat.

 

[RAI]

It might be against some rule but I bet you can get away with it. Might be harder after the ETIAS system gets working.

 

[Irish Rover]

Do I need to enter the EU through an official port of entry if I'm an EU citizen?

I.e. Can I, for example, sail across the Atlantic arrive in a Spanish anchorage and then be deemed to be in the EU?

This is a question relating to the person, not a boat.

You'll definitely be deemed to be in the EU and probably liable for arrest for not completing the check-in procedure for your boat.

 

[Roberto]

As a EU person (without boat) you are not allowed to have your passport stamped by a EU border authority, your presence on the EU territory is enough (but of course does not provide a date of entry).
I (EU national) had a similar problem while delivering a boat from the US to Europe, after having arrived there by plane (hence with an US entry stamp on the passport): if you then sail out of the US, no US authority will provide an exit stamp (we asked all of them, police, border control, customs, coast guard etc etc). Once in the Azores we asked to have our EU passports stamped to provide proof we exited the US but they said it is not allowed: so basically if I now go again to the US, they will find myself having heavily overstayed my tourist visa... I asked the US Consulate they said to keep the boarding card of one flight I took in Europe a few days after our arrival, and show that as proof of having exited the US. Bit of madness.

 

[PlanB]

Years ago I had a similar problem with US exit (but different cause). I wrote to the consulate with proof of flight and being in the UK, never heard back but didn't have a problem next trip.

 

[billskip]

I would declare my presence unless I had a very good reason not to.