Spain: registering a boat

[denhams]

I understand that after spending more than 182 days in Spain in any calendar year one is classified as a Spanish resident. As a result, it is necessary to re-register one's boat as Spanish which costs ~12% of its value. Also, it is then necessary to get a Spanish sailing qualification ("patron de yate"?).

Does anyone know if the above is correct and has anyone actually gone through the process? Given the number of ex-patriots with boats living in Spain there must be many who haven't, but what (if any) alternatives are there?

Regards,

Stephen.

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[smee]

I suspect this is only applicable if you actually apply for your residencia, as there are many "residents" in Spain who do not register and so can totally ignore Spanish requirements. I suspect the majority of liveaboards do not obtain residencia's unless they have to work, so unless you happen to be in an area with loads of bureaucrats you are unlikely to be asked to comply!
Indeed they seem to overlook a lot of things, car registry is another one!

Also since values of things in Spain are miles less than paid price, the 12% is highly unlikely to be taken on anything near the true value of the boat! On old paperwork my boat was valued at 4 million pesetas for VAT purposes, by the customs, and its true value is closer to 11 million pesetas! Property values are the same, as the Spanish don't like paying taxes!! Depending what boat you have you may be able to find out its taxable value from a yacht brokers from a thing called the Bulletin. THough some boats aren't in it if they weren't popular in Spain (Westerly's aren't apparently!)






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[Wansworth]

hi Iam a english sailer with spanish residence.my wife is spanish so residence is normal.aaaaia had a boat and after overstaying the six month period i was find and given the choice of either leaving spain or putting the boat under spanish flag, which is what we did i now have a certficate P E R that means i can legally sail 12 miles offshore in a 12 mtr boat Spanish ways maybe or appear to be lax but you my be the unlucky one so go to the aduanas and the port capitain and check out the situation,there might be an alternative like sealing the boat for 6 months but still being able to live aboard,which is what happened to us,dont assume they have not seen you! regards I am thinking of buying another boat but will check first!

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[lezgar]

You can find information in Spanish here http://www.mfom.es/marinamercante/marina.html

About the Spanish sailing qualification the law say
"TITULACIONES DE RECREO

C.1. CONDICIONES GENERALES DE LOS TÍTULOS DE RECREO

...Los titulados de la Unión Europea podrán ser autorizados por la Dirección General de la Marina Mercante, a través de la Capitanía Marítima correspondiente, para gobernar embarcaciones de recreo de pabellón español, siempre y cuando acrediten hallarse en posesión de un título análogo al español y que se haya obtenido en un Estado de la Unión Europea...."

If you have a EU sailing qualification you can ask in Capitania Maritima for a authorization for skipper a Spanish registered boat.



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[kellys]

Hi Mogy,

I will be doing the same as you in a few years, my wife is also Spanish and we will be becoming resident in Spain. My boat is Canadian and I most likely will be registering it in Spain as well. Did you do a transfer of residence with all your belongings, including your boat to eleiminate the VAT and duties? Which port did you do this at and were the Spanish customs agents easy to work with?

regards,

S Kelly
Canada