Grek entry fee

[OldBawley]

Greek entry fee.

Have question. I went to Ermioni to get a Dekpa stamp. Female Coast guard officer was extremely fussy but polite, spoke good English.

She was very glad I had paid three months of Tepai tax, told me I was the first one who knew and who had paid. This was in July.

She then asked where my boat was before July.

When I told her we just came from Italy ( !!!! ) she told me I had to pay an entrance fee.

Does somebody know if this is true?

Some years ago an other officer told me I had to pay an entrance fee because I came from Turkey. From out of the EU. So I told him I came from Italy. No fee.

Does every airplane passenger or train passenger has to pay an entrance fee when entering Greece?

I made a lot of noise there in Ermioni and became my stamp without paying an entrance fee.

 

[Yngmar]

We paid for the (new) Dekpa, I think €50, plus a €15 stamping fee to the PP. Plus the TEPAI online. We did come from Italy (and said so), upon which the PP officer in Gouvia said "that's good" and that was that. No "entrance fee".

How much was it? Perhaps what you've really paid was the "entering Greece at a small port fee", which pays for the PP's coffee ;-) Or perhaps she found it an unlikely location to be arriving from Italy at!

 

[Mr Cassandra]

We paid for the (new) Dekpa, I think €50, plus a €15 stamping fee to the PP. Plus the TEPAI online. We did come from Italy (and said so), upon which the PP officer in Gouvia said "that's good" and that was that. No "entrance fee".

How much was it? Perhaps what you've really paid was the "entering Greece at a small port fee", which pays for the PP's coffee ;-) Or perhaps she found it an unlikely location to be arriving from Italy at!

I think it I remember correctly paying €50 entry fee at Corfu coming from Italy last year.

 

[Mistroma]

I think it I remember correctly paying €50 entry fee at Corfu coming from Italy last year.

A new DEKPA costs 50 euro. Did you get a new one or use an existing one?

 

[OldBawley]

We paid for the (new) Dekpa, I think €50, plus a €15 stamping fee to the PP. Plus the TEPAI online. We did come from Italy (and said so), upon which the PP officer in Gouvia said "that's good" and that was that. No "entrance fee".

How much was it? Perhaps what you've really paid was the "entering Greece at a small port fee", which pays for the PP's coffee ;-) Or perhaps she found it an unlikely location to be arriving from Italy at!

We paid nothing. She did not mention how much the entrance fee was, had no chance because I sort of exploded in anger ( dumb, I know ) and started protesting.

I don't know what it is with me, I have problems with big mad dogs and everything wearing a uniform and telling me what to do.

Our Dekpa was three years old, from after they reinstated the Dekpa stamp nonsense for yachts shorter than 10 meters.

A 15 € stamping fee? Why ? The ink can´t cost a lot and the labour ????

Why would yachty´s have to pay an entrance fee and airplane or train passengers not ?

If they want money for coffee, I don't mind. I will gladly pay them a coffee. Not some discriminating fee.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

A new DEKPA costs 50 euro. Did you get a new one or use an existing one?

If I am honest I cannot remember , I had to get a new Dekpa ,but I also think there was an entrance fee.

 

[cmedsailor]

As far as I know, the 15 euros is the entrance fee. Any boat entering the country must pay for that.

 

[OldBawley]

As far as I know, the 15 euros is the entrance fee. Any boat entering the country must pay for that.

In that case Greece is the only country wanting a entrance fee ( for the boat )
We sailed in 6 European countries, never had to pay to enter.
Vic is not wrong claiming that the Greeks try to wring money out of sailors.

Just a remark, not a rant : I watched the Coast guard chequeing boats last week in two different places.
One thing was clear, They targeted small Greek boats. I did not see them chequeing on foreign yachts, nor did they cheque bigger ( + 7 m ) Greek mobo´s.

Saw the same thing happening in Turkey many years back. When I asked a befriended Coast guard officer he told me that chequeing on big mobo´s was the same as giving away your job. Owners of big mobo´s have connections. I wonder if the same is happening in Greece.

 

[macd]

Why would yachty´s have to pay an entrance fee and airplane or train passengers not ?

You seem confused between people and boats.

Yachties don't pay an entry fee when arriving from elsewhere in Schengen. That would be illegal.

I suspect that if you took your boat to Greece on a plane, or even a train, the formalities and cost would be rather formidable.

 

[Resolution]

You seem confused between people and boats.

Yachties don't pay an entry fee when arriving from elsewhere in Schengen. That would be illegal.

I suspect that if you took your boat to Greece on a plane, or even a train, the formalities and cost would be rather formidable.

So would the train or plane! (be formidable)

 

[GTom]

What I dislike in this, is the way they overcomplicate things and express that "you tourist are being punished coming here". They could easily incorporate all fees and dues in one single tax (afaik that was the point of the entire cruising tax originally).

This is done widely in the Med, you pay tourist taxes in Croatia and Italy too on top of the other hefty taxes (vat, fuel).

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I now have the head of Port police Greece staying next to me in Porto Rafti. Very polite man with perfect English. ( I now know why my papers were checked a few weeks ago for the first time in 3 years here)
He has told me that they are cracking down on Black Charterer's and boats not paying the new TAX hence the new ribs , he also said that they have started looking at internet sites ,Crewbay, Find a Crew , to find those that black charter. He seemed to be knowledgeable about these things.

 

[GTom]

Interesting, when does a boat become "black charter" in Greece? Even if a crew pays his/her own food?

 

[Tony Cross]

Interesting, when does a boat become "black charter" in Greece? Even if a crew pays his/her own food?

I would think the test will be the relationship between the owner/skipper and the crew. Family, workmates and friends will be fine, but if you don't have a relationship with the crew then I would think they'd suspect a black charter.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Interesting, when does a boat become "black charter" in Greece? Even if a crew pays his/her own food?

Multi- national fast changing crew lists ,would be a clue.

 

[Tony Cross]

Multi- national fast changing crew lists ,would be a clue.

Certainly here in AG Nik on Crete the local tripper boat owners watch very closely for this kind of thing and they will shop you in a heartbeat...

 

[grumpygit]

I now have the head of Port police Greece staying next to me in Porto Rafti. Very polite man with perfect English. ( I now know why my papers were checked a few weeks ago for the first time in 3 years here)
He has told me that they are cracking down on Black Charterer's and boats not paying the new TAX hence the new ribs , he also said that they have started looking at internet sites ,Crewbay, Find a Crew , to find those that black charter. He seemed to be knowledgeable about these things.

Allegedly in Aigina, two yachts have been pulled by the Port Police for doing black charters and they had their boats confiscated. Each had to pay a fine circa €20k to get their boats returned to them.

 

[GTom]

Certainly here in AG Nik on Crete the local tripper boat owners watch very closely for this kind of thing and they will shop you in a heartbeat...

understood, no crewbay then, I am a singlehandler type anyway. Seems they got envy on the plethora of "looking for young female crew" ads

 

[Chris_Robb]

Interesting, when does a boat become "black charter" in Greece? Even if a crew pays his/her own food?

Anyone using the Vessel must be either a co owner (shown on the ships papers, and DEKPA). Other official users must be recorded as such on the DEKPA.

I added my sons name to the DEKPA this year as the only other one who will regularly use the boat. Just as well, as I had to get him to rescue the boat from Kythnos following my argument with the Anchor Winch. They are especially looking out for illegal charters as others have said. We know of one where the owner was fined €40K - It was very borderline chartering - a long standing friend who contributed money for unspecified costs. So any use must be formal and only very direct specified running costs can be paid for.

Worth noting that the Kythnos Harbour Master warned my son about getting involved in anyway with the Port Police - but to leave as fast as possible!

Port Police will be "interested" in any boat where an accident has taken place, as the local Law officer will be brought into it to decide if "Criminal Negligence " has taken place.... Don't involve Port Police in anything you don't have to.

 

[Yngmar]

Got checked this morning at anchor off Pylos (Navarino). Very amateur show. Unmarked boat, only one guy with uniform, poor boat handling, hit our boat unfendered (on the steel clad rubrail luckily) and I had to grump at them for holding onto our lifelines as well. We held them off by hand while they checked our papers. He was polite enough, but the whole thing felt a bit unprofessional compared to the Italians who last checked us. The driver definitely wasn't coastguard - seemed like they just got some guy with an old motorboat to take them out?

Uniformed guy wanted registration, DEKPA, insurance papers and know how many people are aboard. Another guy without uniform was taking pictures of our papers with his phone. Once satisfied, they proceeded to other boats around the anchorage. Still think the recent change of government may have stirred something up a bit.