Export of a trailered boat from the UK

MapisM

MapisM

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Is anyone aware of paperwork required to drive from the UK to another EU Country (Italy, in this case) with a trailered boat?
I mean, aside from the usual VAT saga, could UK customs ask anything specific, if I'm leaving the UK with an Italian car and a UK trailer?
Assuming to have proof of purchase of both trailer and boat, that is.
I guess (but I'd gladly stand corrected) that French customs, as long as I can prove I'm in transit, shouldn't bother too much...
 
Ok,

You need proof of country of registration like SSR or Part 1 registration or new countries registration. VAT reciept, Insurance doc (can be used to help support ownership). Apart from that nothing! If you have recently bought it the sale receipt would be good. Very few issues leaving UK. French seem OK as long as boat is not oversize or overweight.

Done it quite a few times with no probs and will be doing it again soon!

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Hi,
I'm joining this as I have a similar quandry.

I hope to buy a boat, which I am currently interested in. The boat was built in UK in 1977, is still in UK and the present owner has very little documentation.
I live in France and plan to moor it there.
Presumably, if it can be proved that the boat was built prior to 31st Dec 1984 (via hull number) am I free of VAT worries? Also, if I registered it on the SSR would this help.
 
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I live in France and plan to moor it there.
...... if I registered it on the SSR would this help.

[/ QUOTE ]
As far as I can tell from numerous, complex (and not necessarily agreeing) threads on this topic, you have to be a UK resident (more than 183 days in the UK per year) to be able to register SSR.
From a posting on the Livaboard Link recently, to avoid a French annual tax on boats (for French registered people) some French owners register in Belgium.
 
UK customs will ask you nothing! They wont know or care the the trailer is/was UK. Once it has italian car plates hanging on it, it will look italian
 
If the current owner is a private person, and you are a private person, you do not need a VAT certificate. Just make sure you keep a copy of the sales contract so you can prove it was a private purchase.
 
Thanks a lot, that's all I was asking really, 'cause I wasn't sure about UK regulations on trailer plates.
It's amazing how the VAT subject pops up even in threads starting with "aside from the usual VAT saga..."!
Apropos, didn't you promise to give us a stone tablet on the subject, after your last trip to HMR&C on Mount Sinai?! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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If the current owner is a private person, and you are a private person, you do not need a VAT certificate.

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I think the VAT that is being refered to is the original one when the boat was new. You should to be able to show that VAT has been paid in the EU. It's a problem if the boat has been sold a few times and the information lost.
I think boats pre 1984 are excluded....not sure of the date!
 
I trucked my boat from UK to Latvia without my accompanying. Haulage company wanted CMR (Customs Manifest Report) with name address of sender, name address of receiver. Detail of article ie boat !
With that was an inventory of items inside the boat / included in the load + copy of SSR + letter authorising truck driver to act on my behalf.

I know the above is not what you are asking as you are trailering and then using the boat yourself. But it shows that really there is not so much to crossing EU with boats now.

The only worry I had was all the British sausages, big turkey, other purely Brit things stuffed inside the boat for that years Xmas do !! Truck arrived 4 days later at my house and no-one had looked at anything.

Yes - Turkey and the 200 sausages were excellent !
 
[ QUOTE ]
Apropos, didn't you promise to give us a stone tablet on the subject, after your last trip to HMR&C on Mount Sinai?! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah yes, sorry. Chisel is a bit blunt at moment. Will do soon. Been (very) busy getting boat ready - it loads onto ship 12/3/09 to Genoa
 
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