Greece: Non-EU yachts beware if planning to cruise more than 6 months in Greece!
Greece has issued a retrospective law that from the 1st July 2014 the transit log issued to non-EU boats is no longer extendable from the initial 6 months up to normal EU limit of 18 months unless the boat is in bond. Our thanks to Jim Baerselman of the Cruising Association (CA) for reporting this to noonsite.
Published 9 years ago, updated 5 years ago
As some CA members have discovered, in July last year Greece changed its procedures for treating non-EU boats visiting Greece.
Formerly, non-EU boats were issued with a transit log, and after 3 months, then had to pay a per metre tax for each three month period they were in Greece, up to 18 months total when they had to leave the EU customs zone for a short period before re-entering. This was in line with EU unified customs zone provisions.
From 1 July 2014, Greece issued 6-month transit logs with no provision to extend the period of stay – unless boats were in bond. The 3-month tax was dropped, because it was expected they would be paying TPP instead (this is the new circulation tax – see Greece Formalities for more details), limiting the stay to 6 months applied from 1 July, but retrospectively.
Since then a number of non-EU craft were fined quite heavily for over-staying 180 days (6 months).
This clearly breaks EU common customs zone regulations – which permit 18 months for non-EU boats. The CA has pointed this out to the Ministry of Marine, which accepts this is true. The CA has asked for a change and mentioned that if no change occurs, it will lodge a complaint with the EU commission.
Sadly, however, the government change means a change of minister, and the CA’s very helpful contact has left with him. All discussions are now “in the air” while the CA try to re-establish contact.
Therefore currently there is no chance of non-EU boats extending their stay in Greece beyond 180 days. It’s also not clear how non-EU registered boats which have paid VAT will be treated.
Related to following destinations: Greece
The maximum stay in Greece for non-EU yachts is 6 month [contrary to the rest of the EU]. Then one has to leave Greece or pay VAT, or one puts the yacht in bond for at least 6 months [e.g. in winter].
In bond means not using the boat and surrendering the transit log to customs. For this, the yacht can stay in the water or on land. Also, the owner has to go outside the EU. After the 6+ months in bond period, a new transit log will be issued for 6 months.
Practically all this can be done over and over again. After departing from Greece to another country the yacht has to be abroad for 6 months in order for Greece customs to issue you a new transit log.
[Warning: All transit logs are centrally registered in all of Greece]. If the yacht sails e.g. to Italy for 1 month and comes back to Greece the clock for the OLD transit log has stopped for 1 month.
This fee which is paid every 3 months is a Port Police fee. It’s about 15€ per meter. This law is applied from 1999. The fees for those 6 months is not heavy at all comparing to other countries.
Cant be everything for free… Having non-EU registry for tax avoidance and then demanding having further law fees and having almost the same rights and benefits with those that have European registry.