Has anyone had any problems living aboard in France?

basic

basic

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 Dec 2011
Messages
375
Location
On the boat
Visit site
I live aboard in France for 10 months of the year and have never had any problems though I have heard of people who have had problems with the Douanne. I find them to be most polite although they do know me now and there do not seem to be any issues. It would be interesting to hear of the experiences of others.
 
If you are an EU citizen, you can live anywhere in EU without restriction.

However, if the port has restrictions, these will affect you indeed.

GL
 
Do the same regulations apply to a boat as a car.... in the UK its six months then you have to register the car in the UK.Like wit my daughter had to.
 
Wansworth said:
Do the same regulations apply to a boat as a car.... in the UK its six months then you have to register the car in the UK.Like wit my daughter had to.
Click to expand...

Not at present. Registration is nothing directly to do with the EU. However it is possible that states could apply circulation taxes if you stay over 6 months, and in theory in Spain you have to "import" your boat if you become resident in Spain, potentially paying a tax. However it is the individual's status that determines this, not the boat, so you can keep a boat there indefinitely provide you do not live on it for a long enough period to be considered resident.
 
basic said:
I live aboard in France for 10 months of the year and have never had any problems though I have heard of people who have had problems with the Douanne. I find them to be most polite although they do know me now and there do not seem to be any issues. It would be interesting to hear of the experiences of others.
Click to expand...

It is not a problem for your boat, but could be for you as you are potentially resident in France rather than the place where you spend the other 2 months of the year.
 
Tranona said:
It is not a problem for your boat, but could be for you as you are potentially resident in France rather than the place where you spend the other 2 months of the year.
Click to expand...

With the result you would have to pay the annual "passeport" tax for the boat (or more precisely for being a French resident with the benefit of the use of a boat - in theory where ever that boat might be in the world).
 
michaelchapman said:
With the result you would have to pay the annual "passeport" tax for the boat (or more precisely for being a French resident with the benefit of the use of a boat - in theory where ever that boat might be in the world).
Click to expand...
I heard about that one so I visited the Douanne head office in Quimper. I explained to the guy that I am in France more than 6 months every year. He took the details of my boat and said that as the tax would be less than 70€ a year it was not collectible. When I said I had heard of boats being fined for not having the passport in spite of being below the collectible limit he gave me a paper explaining to whoever it may concern that I had been to his office and he had declared the boat exempt. Can't do any more than that.
 
michaelchapman said:
With the result you would have to pay the annual "passeport" tax for the boat (or more precisely for being a French resident with the benefit of the use of a boat - in theory where ever that boat might be in the world).
Click to expand...

The tax is based on engine size and it's yearly. Me and the other half got nicked and had to pay a back tax of 3 years plus a small fine , even thought we had been in France for 6, by law they can only go back 3. If you register for your Passport du Douanne In Corisica it's a lot cheaper (sorry my spell check isn't out of bed yet) The French also pay this tax.

This was all about 4/5 years ago thing could have changed.
 
Wansworth said:
Do the same regulations apply to a boat as a car.... in the UK its six months then you have to register the car in the UK. Like my daughter had to.
Click to expand...

EU directives allow countries to treat boats and cars the same way. If they're more than 6 months a year in a country which they are not registered in, the country may choose the machine ("Means of transport" in EU speak, or "MoT") to be imported. If permanent import (ie, changing residence long term) the MoT can be required to be re-registered. If the MoT is going to be used in other countries, then it does not have to change its registration (car plates, flags) but it will have to go onto its host countries registration database, and meet all local rules and pay all local circulation taxes.

Countries do not have to apply these directives, but what they're not allowed to do is apply a more strict regime than the directives allow.

In practice, this means that most countries turned these directives into local law for cars (irrespective of how much time you, yourself, spend there) and only a few countries wrote similar laws applying the rule to boats (irrespective of how much time you spend there).

I'm aware that France, Portugal and Spain have written laws limiting how long boats may stay before they must be "imported" (temporarily, or permanently).

Whether the law is applied to boats is another matter. As noted already, France is very pragmatic, and if the circulation taxes due are low, won't bother (though they'll check your flares are in date!). Spain only gets excited if the boat's owners are also tax resident. Portugal seems not to bother with boats, charges circulation taxes on everybody (against EU directives, but small amounts) and some of their officials expect all boats in their waters to meet local regulations on compulsory inventory items.

Most of this stuff is covered in http://www.jimbsail.info/going-foreign/time-abroad. if you have different experiences, do add them to that page as a "comment".
 
Carmel2 said:
So what else is it?
Click to expand...

Le droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN)

Les navires francisés de 7 mètres et plus, ou d'une longueur de coque inférieure à 7 mètres dotés d'une motorisation égale ou supérieure à 22 chevaux administratifs, ainsi que les véhicules nautiques à moteur (VNM), ou scooters des mers/jets skis, dont la puissance des moteurs est égale ou supérieure à 90 kW, sont soumis à un droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN) perçu par la douane et dû par le propriétaire.

Ce droit est calculé comme suit.
pour les navires francisés de 7 mètres et plus, motorisés ou non :

- paiement d'un droit calculé en fonction de la longueur de coque du navire et, le cas échéant, de la puissance administrative de ses moteurs (taxation à partir de 6 CV administratifs) ;
pour les navires francisés de moins de 7 mètres mais dotés d'une motorisation égale ou supérieure à 22 CV administratifs :

- paiement d'un droit calculé en fonction de la puissance administrative de ses moteurs (taxation à partir de 22 CV administratifs).
pour les VNM d'une puissance supérieure ou égale à 90 kW :

- jusqu'à 90 kW exclus : pas de taxation ;
- de 90 kW à 159 kW : 3 € par kW ou fraction de kW, à partir du premier kW ;
- à partir de 160 kW : 4 € par kW ou fraction de kW, à partir du premier kW.

Foreign owned boats based in France pay the same amounts.
 
Sybarite said:
Le droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN)

Les navires francisés de 7 mètres et plus, ou d'une longueur de coque inférieure à 7 mètres dotés d'une motorisation égale ou supérieure à 22 chevaux administratifs, ainsi que les véhicules nautiques à moteur (VNM), ou scooters des mers/jets skis, dont la puissance des moteurs est égale ou supérieure à 90 kW, sont soumis à un droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN) perçu par la douane et dû par le propriétaire.

Ce droit est calculé comme suit.
pour les navires francisés de 7 mètres et plus, motorisés ou non :

- paiement d'un droit calculé en fonction de la longueur de coque du navire et, le cas échéant, de la puissance administrative de ses moteurs (taxation à partir de 6 CV administratifs) ;
pour les navires francisés de moins de 7 mètres mais dotés d'une motorisation égale ou supérieure à 22 CV administratifs :

- paiement d'un droit calculé en fonction de la puissance administrative de ses moteurs (taxation à partir de 22 CV administratifs).
pour les VNM d'une puissance supérieure ou égale à 90 kW :

- jusqu'à 90 kW exclus : pas de taxation ;
- de 90 kW à 159 kW : 3 € par kW ou fraction de kW, à partir du premier kW ;
- à partir de 160 kW : 4 € par kW ou fraction de kW, à partir du premier kW.

Foreign owned boats based in France pay the same amounts.
Click to expand...

Yes but exempted if collectible amount less than 70€.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top