Help me to understand the bureaucracy of exporting boat from UK to EU

T

tomasis

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2015
Messages
26
Visit site
Hi, I've read thorough the section of Sailaway boat in the HMRC website but I didn't find something that suits my situation.

I'm an EU citizen and bought a boat from the guy who lives in Australia. The boat is registered in UK anyway. However it was bought year 2016. The guy was private and I lost contact with him. It was 6 years ago..

Now I'm ready to sail away from UK. What kind of papers do I need to clear bureaucracy hurdles?

Many thanks!
 
Where was the boat on 31/12/2020? What country are you tax resident in?

Unfortunately, it's probably a bit late to be asking the questions. The likely scenario is that it will be uneconomic to take it to the EU.
 
tomasis said:
In UK during the brexit... I pay taxes in Sweden. Can the boat remain uk registered ?
Click to expand...

Yes, on Part 1 of the ship's register (Part 3 registration is for UK residents only), but state of registration means nothing for tax purposes. The boat is UK VAT paid as it was in the UK at the moment of Brexit.

As you are a resident of an EU country you cannot use the Temporary Admission scheme when you take the boat to anywhere in the EU. The boat arriving in the EU will be a new import even though it's an old boat. You will be liable for VAT at the rate of the country of arrival on the value of the boat at the moment of arrival, even if you are heading out of the EU again in the future. After the end of this year your boat will also have to be tested and conform with the requirements of the RCD at the moment of arrival. This often means a new engine to meet current emission standards but it depends how old it is. Even if you engine is OK it's expensive to get a test and certificate of conformity. If your boat was supplied as being conformant with the RCD when new and you import it into the EU this year then no testing is required, but you will have to have paperwork to demonstrate this.

To summarise this - the UK and the EU are since Brexit different customs areas and you can't move goods freely between the two.

Unfortunately this means that it is probably uneconomic to import the boat into the EU unless it's low value and you can do it this year. It will probably be better to sell it in the UK and buy one in the EU. On the bright side prices are high in the UK for used boats at the moment and are selling quickly, but this may not last. You may have to decide to sell quickly.
 
Last edited:
just to add to this. The EU has dealt with recertification differently as obviously it accepts post 1997 boats with an RCD and it has also continued the exemption for pre 1997 boats if of a type built in the EU or in service there before 1997.

There is not enough information supplied to give anything more than what the rules say.
 
Going back to previous posts, you say you are an EU citizen and pay taxes in Sweden but, where are you resident? VAT payment on entering the EU depends (I think) on residence not citizenship. If you are officially resident in UK, then I think 18 months temporary admission would be allowed.

As far as paperwork is concerned, we only been asked for passport, insurance and registration docs. but occasionally, others have been asked for radio license, operators certificate and sailing qualifications.
 
Ok who determines value of my boat? It is a rare and very small boat, 6.5 metre long.

I modified the boat heavily. So it is hard to say value of the boat. I could finish gelcoat work but maybe leave as it is (ugly).
 
Graham376 said:
Going back to previous posts, you say you are an EU citizen and pay taxes in Sweden but, where are you resident? VAT payment on entering the EU depends (I think) on residence not citizenship. If you are officially resident in UK, then I think 18 months temporary admission would be allowed.

As far as paperwork is concerned, we only been asked for passport, insurance and registration docs. but occasionally, others have been asked for radio license, operators certificate and sailing qualifications.
Click to expand...

Resident in Sweden.

Re insurance, is it obligatory? I have a certificate of brittish registry (ssr) and a passport . I plan send a excel to their email re voyage report.
 
tomasis said:
Resident in Sweden.

Re insurance, is it obligatory? I have a certificate of brittish registry (ssr) and a passport . I plan send a excel to their email re voyage report.
Click to expand...
Couple of thing you may have a ssr registration at the momentt come next time your going to have a problem to renew not being Resident in the UK.
Next 6.5 mts boat , I wouldnt worry about taken it into EU
 
tomasis said:
Resident in Sweden.

Re insurance, is it obligatory? I have a certificate of brittish registry (ssr) and a passport . I plan send a excel to their email re voyage report.
Click to expand...

Insurance is not compulsory in the UK but many places require it, for example harbours and marinas, to use their facilities. Sweden may be different.

If you are not resident in the UK your SSR registration is against the rules. You might have got away with it up to now but you won't be able to renew it.

Who are you sending a voyage report to? That does not mean you will have to pay VAT on the value of the boat on arrival in the EU.
 
Hmm, I need collect my thoughts. I'm prepared to pay vat in future ...however I need to know what kind of papers I need to have for departure? Ssr is out of question. A journey report according to hmrc, maybe it is for UK residents.

I was confused when the worker in a marina told me that I need custom clearance paper. Or I might be detained.

I assume I just need follow eu rules?
 
tomasis said:
Hmm, I need collect my thoughts. I'm prepared to pay vat in future ...however I need to know what kind of papers I need to have for departure? Ssr is out of question. A journey report according to hmrc, maybe it is for UK residents.

I was confused when the worker in a marina told me that I need custom clearance paper. Or I might be detained.

I assume I just need follow eu rules?
Click to expand...

Are you sailing the boat to Sweden? If so your boat needs to be registered somewhere as it is an international voyage. You say that it is currently registered on the SSR. While as a non UK resident you are not allowed to have a boat registered on the SSR, I expect it would satisfy any registration document check you may have if you have the certificate and it's in date. When you arrive in Sweden register it properly. You could before you go register the boat on the UK Part 1 register, but it is expensive. You can also register it on the Polish register, but again, is not cheap.

As for the crew, if they are not UK citizens, they need to check out of the UK at a port of entry before leaving the UK for the last time. Assuming they are foreign citizens who have arrived in the UK for the purpose of the voyage they will have checked in to the UK on their arrival, so will have to check out. I know that UK citizens going to the Schengen area we get a stamp on entry and again at exit. I presume it's similar for EU citizens visiting the UK now.

On arrival in the EU the rules of the country of arrival apply for a returning EU citizens. For UK citizens arriving back in the UK we have to let immigration know, but they aren't very interested.

The VAT and RCD issue is more difficult as it's still early days and has not been frequently done. The rules say as soon as you arrive in the EU, so if you go via France or Germany for example, VAT is due there. How you go about it, I don't know.
 
Re registration, you're right. It expired out long time ago (i checked recently). The boat stayed on the land a few years and I did renovation on her.

What's best way to solve it quickly? I will depart in two weeks. So maybe it is too short time to make a registration. Since you mention part 1 registration. Ssr registration is part 3. I google part1 for now.

Btw, I'm sailing solo. So I need check out or just journey report HMRC?

I will sail straight to Sweden, maybe stay in Denmark. No entering port and such, only anchorages.
 
You don't need to inform HMRC that you've exporting a boat.

Sail it home, keep your gob shut.

If the Swedish taxman asks about VAT then its value is approximately the same as any similar 6,5m boat - find some examples for sale online and haggle that yours is worth less because reasons.
 
KompetentKrew said:
You don't need to inform HMRC that you've exporting a boat.

Sail it home, keep your gob shut.

If the Swedish taxman asks about VAT then its value is approximately the same as any similar 6,5m boat - find some examples for sale online and haggle that yours is worth less because reasons.
Click to expand...

ok, tack :)

The marina guy scared me.. I might be detained? On what ground? Maybe they checked my boat registration and it tells name of the previous owner.
 
tomasis said:
The marina guy scared me.. I might be detained? On what ground? Maybe they checked my boat registration and it tells name of the previous owner.
Click to expand...

You and the boat are two separate things with different rules applying to each. For the boat it's VAT and RCD on arrival in the EU, and the boat's registration needed for an international voyage. For you it's immigration and your stay in the UK, and immigration rules in Sweden for a returning citizen.

You do need to check yourself out of the UK, otherwise you will have a check in record from when you arrived from Sweden but no check out. Next time you try to come to the UK it will look like you have overstayed. You need to leave via a port of entry and wave your passport and get immigration to make a record in your passport and/or their system that you have left the UK. They won't care about your boat. This procedure is the same for Brits when we go to the Schengen area. This is probably what the marina man was referring to. If you appear as an overstayer on your next arrival in the UK you could be detained, fined and banned from the UK. That is also the same for Brits and the Schengen area. This procedure is simple and cost free, but must be done.
 
Last edited:
tomasis said:
Re registration, you're right. It expired out long time ago (i checked recently). The boat stayed on the land a few years and I did renovation on her.

What's best way to solve it quickly? I will depart in two weeks. So maybe it is too short time to make a registration. Since you mention part 1 registration. Ssr registration is part 3. I google part1 for now.
Click to expand...

You need to get this resolved before you go because the registration document is the document most likely to be asked for, and if you don't have it you will be fined. Part 1 requires a survey so is unlikely to be possible in 2 weeks. You are not eligible for Part 3 (SSR) as you are not a UK resident. There are other states that you can register with, for example Poland, but I don't know how long registration takes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top