Turkey to Greece and not book out

[rigpigpaul]

I plan to cruise in Turkey next year. I have been there before and the the Greek islands are so close and inviting. Simi springs to mind. Could I leave Greece/EU without booking out then book into Turkey and then go back to the islands if I wanted to. My boat is British flagged and I am from UK. I know I would have to remember to change the courtesey flag.
thanks in anticipation
RPP

 

[Appleyard]

Things have changed a bit recently...depending on where you are,the Greek Police seem to be much more active ,often arriving at the boat when you arrive and asking where you have come from etc. so you should be careful .
This has happened to us on 2 occasions,and both times we had the correct answers ready, having done what you are proposing,and never had any problems.
If checking into Turkey from Symi,avoid Bodrum..use Datca or Bozborun...much less hassle.

No doubt there will be different opinions on this,but the above is based on experience.

 

[[29051]]

We have often done this too, but the other way round as we are based in Turkey.

But we are worried now that if anyone chooses to check our passports (British) it is obvious from the Turkish visa stamp that we did not exit Turkey. German friends get around this by using their German ID cards to enter Greece.

Simi has usually just been glad of the extra business, and not asked too many questions.

If we enter Greece correctly, but did not exit Turkey, we are not sure if we have committed an offence in Greece or not. Or do they not care about the Turkish paperwork ?

 

[blueglass]

I would be amazed at any international correlation of Greek and Turkish paperwork

 

[Appleyard]

I would be amazed at any international correlation of Greek and Turkish paperwork

Agree with the above,but it only takes one official to start asking akward(sp?) questions and the game's a bogey. Times have changed.

 

[jimbaerselman]

I plan to cruise in Turkey next year. I have been there before and the the Greek islands are so close and inviting. Simi springs to mind. Could I leave Greece/EU without booking out then book into Turkey and then go back to the islands if I wanted to. My boat is British flagged and I am from UK. I know I would have to remember to change the courtesey flag.
thanks in anticipation
RPP

Entering Turkey from Greece is a rigmarole - taking a bit of cash and some time. And if you book out, you have to book in again with more rigmarole and cash. So there's a temptation to avoid this process. When in Turkish waters you will be stopped occasionally to check you hold a Turkish permit to cruise. Going to Greece and returning without telling the Turks is fairly easy to get away with, but don't change crews!

Going to Turkey from Greece without Greek formalities is easy. You can always report your exit later. And formally re-entering is easy too - you keep the old DEKPA, have a passport inspection and a log book stamp saying you've returned.

But you will be breaking the immigration rules if you enter Greece from Turkey and don't report the fact. And officials may note this (on behalf of the immigration service) from the Turkish entry stamp which hasn't been matched with an exit stamp. The problem here is that you may then be accused of people smuggling (a popular activity along this coast). Oooops! Trouble.

If you're travelling north, then returning south later, it's best to do Turkey in one direction, then Greece in the other, and play by the rules.

Yes, some people zigzag informally, and get away with it. A few are caught, and wish they'd played it straight.

 

[xtiffer]

Neither Greek nor Turkish Immigration Police sre stupid.
Why take the risk?
Cheers,
Chris

 

[tennisgirl1]

We arrived in Palon harbour, Nissyros two days ago. The Port Policeman came over to tell us to check in at his office before we had finished tying up our mooring lines.

We were here several times two years ago and we did not visit the Port Police office and saw no sign of them. During our stays we met quite a few people who had "nipped over from Bodrum" without checking out of Turkey. I'm don't think that would be wise at the moment.
Two days ago off Kos, on the VHF we heard a boat/ship being told by Turkish authorities that it was in Turkish waters and should leave immediately!

 

[hlb]

Pity, I'm in Symi now, I could have asked around a bit, but going home in the morning.

 

[Niall1975]

We sailed last week from Turkey to Athens. We stopped off in Patmos, Naxos and Kinthos. Never asked for a log in any of them and only saw port police in Patmos as they were checking all boats were secure due to the high South Easterly that was blowing. We checked in at Gouvia in Athens officially and got our log. Took 4 days to sort out and Port police didnt give a toss. We were simply told to come back when we were ready. I left a scan of my passport and went back offshore. Again no issues at all. It did however cost E200 to check out of Turkey.

Niall

 

[[29051]]

200 Euros to exit Turkey ?

We have never been charged more than a few cents for the stamp, maybe about a lira. Why would you be charged so much ?

 

[Niall1975]

When we bought the boat it was in Turkey so we had to pay for transit log etc to be signed over. We used an agent to save ourselves a trip to Bodrum. So i guess by the time they all had their cut.

Niall

 

[Artemis_C2121]

Can confirm currently in Palon went to the port police office and paid my 8 euro like a good little boy, about an hour later the Port police came around asking all the boat that had not booked in to do so.

As a side note when we asked about going to Turkey we were told we had to do this from Kos or Simi debating wether to do this or go straight to Datcha and book into Turkey anyone know if this would cause a prob at the turk end?? or when we come to use our DEPKA again which will prob be next season???????????

 

[jimbaerselman]

Departing from Greece to Turkey is easy if you are an EU resident in an EU flagged boat. Just tell the local PP you are departing for a Turkish port. They stamp you out - destination Turkey. You keep your DEKPA.

So, EU crew, EU boat, you don't have to go to a port of entry to do this. You can actually notify the port police after departure if you wish. Not all port police are aware of this. It does leave questions when you return if you don't have a stamp saying "gone to Turkey", although a copy of a Turkish entry document will usually overcome this. So leaving with an exit stamp is the neatest way to do it, with minimum hassle on return. Your old DEKPA will still be valid.

Non-EU crew, and non EU boat is a different matter. You must leave from a port which has immigration officials - usually a port of entry. This stops the clock on any EU/Schengen visas your crew hold. Additionally, it stops your "transit log" (not a DEKPA) time in Greece, so you'll no longer be pursued for the three monthly tax. You'll hand the transit log in.

Earler in the thread someone mentioned a boat bought in Turkey. By definition this is not a VAT paid boat, whatever its previous history, and if driven by an EU citizen it will only be given a limited "transit log" - usually one or two months. After which, VAT must be paid.

Policing VAT paid status for EU registered leisure boats is not vigourous, but if caught (typically, after some minor accident or incident when papers are usually studied very closely and questions are asked) the penalties are very high. Multiples of the VAt payable. In my view, not an acceptable risk.

 

[tennisgirl1]

Can confirm currently in Palon went to the port police office and paid my 8 euro like a good little boy, about an hour later the Port police came around asking all the boat that had not booked in to do so.

As a side note when we asked about going to Turkey we were told we had to do this from Kos or Simi debating wether to do this or go straight to Datcha and book into Turkey anyone know if this would cause a prob at the turk end?? or when we come to use our DEPKA again which will prob be next season???????????

Going into Symi is no problem - at the moment there is plenty of space in the harbour, so why not check out properly and go over to Dacha or Bozburun to enter Turkey. We did this last weekend and there were no problems.

 

[steveallan]

Departing from Greece to Turkey is easy if you are an EU resident in an EU flagged boat. Just tell the local PP you are departing for a Turkish port. They stamp you out - destination Turkey. You keep your DEKPA.

Not the case in Rhodes last year port police would not stamp me out until I had a cetificate from immigration and customs.

 

[DaveRo]

In Simi we got a stamped paper from immigration before getting the DEKPA stamped out at the port police. The port police told us when we arrived that we had to do that.

Quite quick and straightforward - apart from the two offices being as far apart as physically possible while still being beside the same harbour!

 

[jimbaerselman]

Steve/Dave,

Thanks for the correction. You're right, of course. Boats leaving the EU for a non-EU destination should inform customs (C 1331 if leaving UK). Schengen border controls also allow that passports can be inspected.

 

[Artemis_C2121]

Went to Simi and what a nice place it is bit noisey in the evening but still worth a visit

Order of play is

Port police to do crew list stuff which the land police look at and stamp

Land Police to do passport control stuff and stamp crew list

Port Police to do DEPKA stuff

I would suggest using the tender as mentioned the two offices are at opposite sides of the harbour

Only problem was police said the could not clear us out for the next day until 20.30 as it caused a problem with the stamps (we wanted to leave at 06.30)

What i think he was getting at was that there is some sort of time limit or window in which you have to leave the country once clearded out but just did as we were told came back that evening and finished off the process must add there were very pleasent and quite helpful even taking my good lady from the PP office back to the police station on a moped as they had forgotten to give us a piece of paper needed to clear the bost out of greece.

I was a tad disapointed i didnt get to go on the moped as it was ridden by a very pretty greek girl in PP uniform wearing mirrored avaitor sunglasses Yummy