Greece - Bad News for Non EU yachts commanded by EU citizens?

Created by sue. Last modified on 2009-10-24 16:03:09
Contributors:
Topic: European Union
Countries: Greece

This season (in Lefkas, Greece) we have had non-EU flagged yachts commanded by an EU citizen only being allowed to stay in Greek waters for one month. This time is not extendable.

This is not very long for an owner who wants to have his yacht cruising in Greece for the season (if he had a non-EU skipper he could stay 6 months with the possibility of an extension).

This law will have the effect of putting British or other EU skippers, at a disadvantage when looking for employment on cruising yachts (intending to cruise Greece).

I don't know when this law was passed but we have only had problems with it this season (2009).

I would be interested to hear from anybody who has experience or comments on this, also if this type of legislation is in force in other parts of the EU.

Joe Charlton
Contract Yacht Services
Lefkas, Greece
cys@otenet.gr

The information submitted is only partly true. I am a Dutch skipper on a Brazilian yacht. Arriving in Corfu in August 2009 I was only given 1 month for the following reasons:
- EU yachts 6 months
- Non EU but European flag 3 months
- Outside Europe 1 month

All this independent of the skipper and this is also a local rule, as apparently customs officials have a lot of leeway on what they want to allow.

I arrived in Rhodes, applied for an extension and got 6 months, no hassle. Acutally the customs offical in Rhodes did not understand why I only got 1 month in Corfu.

Frans Prijkel

We are Australian flagged with skipper and crew on British passports and had no problems with getting a Greek transit log for both 2008 and 2009. I have not previously heard mention of the issue mentioned by Contract Yacht Services of Levkas. We checked in to Greece last year in Symi, and checked out in Corfu.

Peter Colquhoun