Exporting a small boat to Corfu from UK

[seanfoster]

Hi all,
Not posted on this forum for a while but been a member for many years!
Firstly I appreciate this sort of question has been raised many times and while I think I have a grasp on the general situation regarding importing a boat my situation is quite specific and there are many grey areas which I am unsure about.

I have a 1990 7m sports boat which I bought a few years in a doer up state from a broker for £5000, I've since refurbed and always dreamed of keeping her in Corfu, with the intention of towing from the UK via France, Germany, Italy. Venice ferry to Igoumenitsa then corfu.

So, where things get complicated, there isn't any previous paperwork showing vat, marina bills etc, I have the mca bill of sale only.
I am currently a UK only resident but will be getting my eu citizenship back soon via my Irish citizenship application.

As I see it I could temporarily import it on a rolling 18month basis (potentially visiting Albania to reset the clock) while I am a non eu citizen, but as soon as I am an eu citizen I will then have to declare it to customs and pay the vat. As it is a low value, I can live with that.

I'm thinking if I have to do this anyway, should I just declare it on arrival in France off the ferry, as it will then be eu vat paid?
As I would be importing it, import duty would be liable on transport costs as well, so thinking I would only effectively have to pay duty on the ferry crossing, plus value stated on the bill of sale?

And then the question comes to where the boat should be registered, with polish registration being quick and easy, or ssr, or Greek registration?

I realise many people will think what's the point of doing all of this if I could just buy a local boat, but there are a number of reasons why I'd like to do this; there are very few boats like mine available in corfu, the ones that are available are 4-5 times the price, I have thoroughly sorted the boat and know it's ins and outs, and finally it's a dream and adventure I've always wanted to do, tow my boat from the UK to greece!

The boat would spend the rest of it's life there.

So a long question, can anyone help, or point me in the direction of anyone or organisation that could give me the answers to these questions?

Thanks in advance
Sean

 

[Graham376]

The fact that you don't have any proof of original VAT being paid doesn't matter there as it will now be unpaid in EU anyway, more of a problem if you bring it back to the UK at some point. As you will be travelling through various countries, I would pay EU VAT wherever cheapest. Is it rcd compliant and CE marked?

Assuming you're towing it behind your car, make sure the trailer meets current regs. and is certified.

 

[seanfoster]

Thanks Graham,
That makes sense, regarding the RCD, it should be exempt as it was built in 1990 and is shown on the hin plate, as I understand it ”It was built in the EEA prior to 16 June 1998" is one of the exemption conditions stated by the RYA (correct me if I'm wrong).

The trailer is old but has a vin plate showing the capacity, I'm assuming this would be acceptable?

 

[Graham376]

Thanks Graham,
That makes sense, regarding the RCD, it should be exempt as it was built in 1990 and is shown on the hin plate, as I understand it ”It was built in the EEA prior to 16 June 1998" is one of the exemption conditions stated by the RYA (correct me if I'm wrong).

The trailer is old but has a vin plate showing the capacity, I'm assuming this would be acceptable?

I hear conflicting tales about boats which were originally exempt from rcd. Some say that exclusion is still valid, others say as a new import, it will have to comply. I don't know which is correct.

If the gross weight of trailer plus boat is over 3500kgs for private use it has to be registered. Don't think certification of an existing trailer is needed but worth checking.

 

[seanfoster]

I'll try and get an answer from the RYA,
Thanks for mentioning registering the trailer, will be less than 3500kg but would be worth registering anyway.

 

[pandos]

Just because you are Irish does not make you an EU resident. So you having and using the boat in the EU should not be a problem even after you get the Irish passport.

After a few years who is really going to care if an Irish citizen has a boat in Corfu...whether vat paid or otherwise....

 

[AndrewB]

Personally, I'd sail it over to a French port as a British registered yacht, then pick it up from there and trail it down to Greece. The VAT/Import duty would never catch up with you. Greece has such byzantine rules (see postings by Chris Robb) they'd never sort it if you kept a low profile, and as Pandos says, in a couple of years won't care anyway.

I warn you though, prices in Corfu marinas are eye-wateringly high, VAT will seem like small fry in comparison.

 

[Irish Rover]

As I understand your OP you are a UK resident and do not intend to change your residency. If that's so then you can avail of Temporary Admission for 18 months. Your citizenship British or Irish or both has nothing to do with it. If however you're planning to relocate to the EU then the VAT has to be paid now or later.

 

[westernman]

I hear conflicting tales about boats which were originally exempt from rcd. Some say that exclusion is still valid, others say as a new import, it will have to comply. I don't know which is correct.

If the gross weight of trailer plus boat is over 3500kgs for private use it has to be registered. Don't think certification of an existing trailer is needed but worth checking.

If the boat was used at some time legally in the EU, I think that exemption is maintained for the EU for the boat. I have no idea for the trailer.

However, it does not work the other way around. If you import a boat into the UK it has to be certified to the current UKCA. This is essentially the same thing as RCD 2013/53/EU which will be a problem with an old boat.

 

[st599]

As I understand your OP you are a UK resident and do not intend to change your residency. If that's so then you can avail of Temporary Admission for 18 months. Your citizenship British or Irish or both has nothing to do with it. If however you're planning to relocate to the EU then the VAT has to be paid now or later.

Temporary Admission is for a vessel arriving by sea - if you check all the British class associations, they say that a trailered boat requires a VAT payment or a Carnet.

 

[Irish Rover]

Temporary Admission is for a vessel arriving by sea - if you check all the British class associations, they say that a trailered boat requires a VAT payment or a Carnet.

Mea culpa ☺