Ports of entry Dodecanese

[rigpigpaul]

Hi All,
I am planning a three week cruise in the Greek islands in May. I am based in the Marmaris/Bodrum area of Turkey and my cruising permit expires in May. My plan is to book out of Turkey and cruise the nearby Greek islands then return to Turkey and buy a new cruising permit. Question-Can anyone reccomend a port of entry in the nearby islands. I have been to Symi before but just passing through and how much does it cost for a DEPKA. rgds RPP

 

[Appleyard]

We are planning this as well.....so

here's a suggestion..
Check out of Turkey in Bozborun,no need for an agent ,the relevant offices are in the same building.
Short hop over to Pedi bay in Symi.Anchor or go alongside the small jetty Avoid mooring in Symi town as it is a very busy and unpleasant harbour. Take the bus over to the town from Pedi (bus every hour or so,1 euro each way) . The port police is just along to the right from the bus stop,and the guys there ,at least in the past few years are pleasant and efficient. The bad news is that you then have to walk right round to the other side of the harbour,to the passport office,get stamped and then back to the police where you will get the necessary documents .
No idea how much a DEKPA is this year.

 

[rigpigpaul]

Thanks for the tips Jamesmar.
What documents will I need. Do I need a crew list for instance and will my passport be stamped even if I am from UK. I have two passports because of my job and are full of West african visas so I would have to be careful which one I used. rgds RPP

 

[Squeaky]

Good morning:

Rigpigpaul: My plan is to book out of Turkey and cruise the nearby Greek islands then return to Turkey and buy a new cruising permit.

I presume you mean that you need to buy a new transit log as I have never heard of a cruising permit.

If you PM me your e-mail address I will send you a scanned copy of the crew list you require in Symi.

I disagree with Jamesmar's comment that the main harbour is busy and unpleasant as those are personal opinions and completely different than my view of the Symi harbour. It might well be busy at certain times of the year but never unpleasant IMHO.

If, on arrival, you find the main harbour matches his discription it takes only a short time to move around to Pedi.

If you use the main harbour take the crew list to the Passport police on the north side of the harbour before making your way over to the Port Police office on the south side of the harbour. If you go to the Port Police first you will have to make the long trek over to the Passport Police and return before getting your paperwork. Am sure you will have more interesting things to do then patrol the quay side needlessly.

Cheers

Squeaky

 

[cmedsailor]

If you fancy a little longer trip you could sail to Kastelorizo. Plenty of space, quiet, nice food....

 

[jimbaerselman]

Ports of entry (and exit) for both Turkey and Greece are marked by red blobs on the chart at http://www.jimbsail.info/drupal/mediterranean/greece/dodecanese . All except Symi, that is, too small an island to fit all the blobs on!

Details of the Greek entry procedure are listed in the (would you believe?) the "Entering the country" paragraph at http://www.jimbsail.info/drupal/going-foreign/countries/greece . If you already have a DEKPA, this will still be valid, but you'll still have to check people into Schengen (passports) in one office, and the boat into Greece (DEKPA) in another, and then pay for an €0.88 stamp at the tax office (unless the port police have decided to keep a stock of stamps). Your DEKPA will remain valid for a return visit to Greece, as long as you remember to check out when you return to Turkey.

Crew lists can be made up on the spot. You'll need passport details for each crew member.

 

[Appleyard]

Hi Squeaky ... " unpleasant" was perhaps the wrong to use to describe Symi harbour,it is really a very pleasant town which we visit regularly,however I find the" hassle" (better?) involved ,especially when it is busy,not very conducive to a relaxing atmosphere.Anyway,as you say ,it is easy to move round the corner.

 

[tennisgirl1]

Depending on the time of year Kalymnos is a quiet place to enter or leave Greece. I understand it only operates as a port of entry during the height of summer. We booked out of Turkey in Turgutreis last July and entered Greece in Kalymnos where the Police (passports) and the Port Police (boat documents) were about a 15 minute walk from each other.
http://yachtvigdis.wordpress.com

 

[jimbaerselman]

The Greek authorities are flexible about ports of entry if crew are all EU passports, and the boat is EU registered. Non-EU passports have to be issued with Schengen visas, usually only possible at registered ports of entry or by special pre-arrangment.

 

[Pinetops]

Symi

If you do not have a DEKPA be careful about using Symi for entry into Greece. We left Greece for Turkey from there last October an asked about returning. We were told that there was currently no tax office and consequently one could not be issued even if they had the forms. It's OK if you already have a DEKPA.

The tax Jim refers to is a port entry tax often not collected in Greek ports. The tax for a DEKPA is quite a lot more (although not expensive) and can only be paid at a tax office.

We enjoyed Symi but noted that the berthing attendants like you to do precisely as they instruct.

Pinetops

 

[jimbaerselman]

Good point about the tax for a new DEKPA. An additional issue here is that tax offices, like so many public offices, don't open at weekends, and during the day usually only open 0900 to 1400. They will work outside these hours if needed, but then make an "overtime" charge.

 

[rigpigpaul]

Port of entry Dodecanese

I thought after the first few threads that Symi was the place. Ok, so if Symi does not have a tax office to pay the tax on a DEPKA, where is the nearest place. regds RPP

 

[catmandoo]

checking into Greece

if you are 9 m or so and dont qualify for a DEKPA would SIMI still be OK or do you have to still register the boat as entering?

 

[[29051]]

We got our Dekpa in Symi - from the harbour police. It was a few years ago now, and there was no charge.

 

[jimbaerselman]

if you are 9 m or so and dont qualify for a DEKPA would SIMI still be OK or do you have to still register the boat as entering?

You're going into the Schengen zone from outside, so technically, immigration is compulsory. If the boat is EU flagged, and the registration says <10m, it'll be ignored.

 

[rigpigpaul]

Ports of Entry Dodecanese

Hi all, thanks for all the advice. I have decided to check in at Kos town. I want to be "legit." with no loose ends and I have never been there before. rgds RPP