Polish Flag Registration

[shan]

Do you still need a license if you don't catch anything? Asking for a friend

FRO!!!!!! Going fishing hopefully on Wednesday. Boat is back art the yard. Had a 6hp engine fitted as an emergency backup... which then necessitated a visit to the Capitania's office to update the Livrette and we had to have the 6hp inspected (that happened on Friday) - so the Livrette should be available for us on Monday. Boat being delivered back to the Marina on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[Graham376]

Do you still need a license if you don't catch anything? Asking for a friend

Don't forget everyone above deck has to wear life jacket if anyone is fishing from the boat. Presumably because the fish may drag everyone overboard

 

[luckybeanz]

It seems you never actually got an answer to this. Well my boat is Polish reg, I did it through this company POLAND FLAG REGISTRATION €420 (incl VAT) pretty straight forward, my insurance is Topsail and they have not had any issues with it. One needs the MMSI licence apparently needs to be a Polish one now, you can do that through the agency or direct at Maritime service - Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej which is a lot cheaper.

 

[Stingo]

It seems you never actually got an answer to this. Well my boat is Polish reg, I did it through this company POLAND FLAG REGISTRATION €420 (incl VAT) pretty straight forward, my insurance is Topsail and they have not had any issues with it. One needs the MMSI licence apparently needs to be a Polish one now, you can do that through the agency or direct at Maritime service - Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej which is a lot cheaper.

Thank you, luckybeanz.

 

[Laser310]

It seems you never actually got an answer to this. Well my boat is Polish reg, I did it through this company POLAND FLAG REGISTRATION €420 (incl VAT) pretty straight forward, my insurance is Topsail and they have not had any issues with it. One needs the MMSI licence apparently needs to be a Polish one now, you can do that through the agency or direct at Maritime service - Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej which is a lot cheaper.

For Topsail.., is your residence the UK?

 

[luckybeanz]

For Topsail.., is your residence the UK?

Yes, well a UK PO Box. I don't reside anywhere full time so for all intents an purposes my residency defaults to my last know residency which is the UK.

 

[Laser310]

Yes, well a UK PO Box. I don't reside anywhere full time so for all intents an purposes my residency defaults to my last know residency which is the UK.

I have considered just using a UK mailing address.., but you need to be careful.

Insurance companies mostly don't just want your address to be in the UK.., they want you to be a "habitual resident" of the UK

Some policies pretty explicitly say that if you are fibbing about this you may have difficulty with a claim.

Now, some insurers are fine with a live aboard situation, and if they know that this is what you are doing,then presumably you are fine.

 

[Alicatt]

I have considered just using a UK mailing address.., but you need to be careful.

Insurance companies mostly don't just want your address to be in the UK.., they want you to be a "habitual resident" of the UK

Some policies pretty explicitly say that if you are fibbing about this you may have difficulty with a claim.

Now, some insurers are fine with a live aboard situation, and if they know that this is what you are doing,then presumably you are fine.

I got a rejection from a couple of UK insurance companies when looking to see what the boat I'm interested in would cost, I am resident in Belgium and I do also have a UK address where I was resident for 11 years before changing to Belgium for that B word thing, my Belgian car insurance company however were quite happy to quote for a UK boat kept in the UK, and it was a lot less than I expected too

 

[pipemma]

It seems you never actually got an answer to this. Well my boat is Polish reg, I did it through this company POLAND FLAG REGISTRATION €420 (incl VAT) pretty straight forward, my insurance is Topsail and they have not had any issues with it. One needs the MMSI licence apparently needs to be a Polish one now, you can do that through the agency or direct at Maritime service - Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej which is a lot cheaper.

Has anyone used Polish yacht registration | polish flag | lifetime registration (polishyachtflag.com)? Looks interesting...

FWIW I'm with Topsail and they seem to have no problem with the Polish registration - UK/CH citizen, living in CH, boat based in Greece

 

[Mistroma]

I wondered about the issue of VAT payment as a couple of friends decided to transfer from UK to Polish registration. It would certainly help in one case as they were going to visit Turkey and wanted to avoid getting a transit log on their return. However, neither boat needed to provide much (none I think) proof of VAT payment when registering.

It seems that might actually be a problem now and Noonsite have an article. Polish registered boats entering Greece now need to provide proof of VAT status. Failure to provide acceptable proof results in issue of a 30 day transit log. There's also the possibility that a UK owned boat might be treated differently from one owned by an EU citizen. The latter might be a red herring as Greece already ignores owner's citizenship when deciding UK registered boats need a transit log. The same logic would mean they ignore owner's citizenship when looking at a Polish registered boat.

But we are talking about Greece, so who knows.

Greece: Urgent Situation with Polish flag Yachts

 

[sailaboutvic]

I read that yesterday although so far there been nothing on the grapevine about this happening.
but as you say , it’s Greece and anything go in Greece .
it also reported that there a £500 fine if you don’t stamp into ever port ,
I can remember the very early days when this was supposed to be and hardly no one did , just the odd stamp every month or so.
althought Greece is a lovely country with some of the best cruising grounds and anchorages it also the worst country for conflicting Infomation leaving cruising at times in limbo.

 

[billskip]

I can remember the very early days when this was supposed to be and hardly no one did

I did, back in 2000, I put boat back in water at start of season and left to sail down to Aegina, about 1am I got stopped by their coast guard and directed into Lavrion, they gave me hell for three hours for not stamped out at the local port, it was fortunate that I was friends with the wife of one of the port officials in Aegina, so they let me go, they actually phoned the Aegina port to confirm I had checked in and not done a runner.

 

[Wansworth]

Spoke to yachting gestoria here in Vigo who was not overly keen on going to Polish reg as the Belgium reg had been stopped.There comments where in relation to changing from Spanish flag to Polish….their opinion was while it lasts ok

 

[sailaboutvic]

Spoke to yachting gestoria here in Vigo who was not overly keen on going to Polish reg as the Belgium reg had been stopped.There comments where in relation to changing from Spanish flag to Polish….their opinion was while it lasts ok

While shouldn’t it not last tho , it’s a legal registration the Greeks maybe making a fuss over it ( maybe) but other countries so far have not been interested.
I clearly remember when Croatia before they entered the EU offered people to pay a much lower VAT , the RYA and I think the CA was suggestion it wasn’t legal and would not be excepted by other country’s .
well many did take them up on it and it stand up no country have questions it.

 

[Koeketiene]

Spoke to yachting gestoria here in Vigo who was not overly keen on going to Polish reg as the Belgium reg had been stopped.There comments where in relation to changing from Spanish flag to Polish….their opinion was while it lasts ok

Eventually, every loophole/back door gets closed.

Years ago, it seemed like almost every other boat in France was registered in Belgium.
These days, Belgian ensigns are few and fr between outside the tourist season.

There are more (bit still relatively few) Polish ensigns around in these parts these days.
And by coincidence, they invariably seem to attract the Gendarmes Maritimes or Douane.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Eventually, every loophole/back door gets closed.

Years ago, it seemed like almost every other boat in France was registered in Belgium.
These days, Belgian ensigns are few and fr between outside the tourist season.

There are more (bit still relatively few) Polish ensigns around in these parts these days.
And by coincidence, they invariably seem to attract the Gendarmes Maritimes or Douane.

Didn't France simply institute that although you could have a foreign (EU) ensign you had to comply with French registration requirements thereby making it pointless.

 

[Koeketiene]

Didn't France simply institute that although you could have a foreign (EU) ensign you had to comply with French registration requirements thereby making it pointless.

Not quite.

French registered yachts pay an annual boating tax - droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN).
What the French introduced for foreign registered yachts kept permanently in French waters is 'le droit de passeport'.
Basically, foreign registered yachts kept permanently kept in France pay the say annual tax as French registered yachts - the tax just has a different name.
Foreign registered yachts kept permanently kept in France are not subject to French rules when it comes to things like required equipment, etc...

 

[Clancy Moped]

Not quite.

French registered yachts pay an annual boating tax - droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN).
What the French introduced for foreign registered yachts kept permanently in French waters is 'le droit de passeport'.
Basically, foreign registered yachts kept permanently kept in France pay the say annual tax as French registered yachts - the tax just has a different name.
Foreign registered yachts kept permanently kept in France are not subject to French rules when it comes to things like required equipment, etc...

Based on engine size?

 

[Poignard]

Not quite.

French registered yachts pay an annual boating tax - droit annuel de francisation et de navigation (DAFN).
What the French introduced for foreign registered yachts kept permanently in French waters is 'le droit de passeport'.
Basically, foreign registered yachts kept permanently kept in France pay the say annual tax as French registered yachts - the tax just has a different name.
Foreign registered yachts kept permanently kept in France are not subject to French rules when it comes to things like required equipment, etc...

I have not (yet) been asked to obtain un droit de passeport but if it legitimises me keeping my British-registered boat in France I would not try to avoid it.
Which organisation administers the scheme?

 

[Clancy Moped]

I have not (yet) been asked to obtain un droit de passeport but if it legitimises me keeping my British-registered boat in France I would not try to avoid it.
Which organisation administers the scheme?

The Douanes.