Greek Formalities

[Haddock1]

Hi All,

I am trying to establish if I need to clear into Greece when sailing this year.

I am a UK citizen and have a UK registered boat (Vat not paid) which I sailed to San Carles marina (Spain) in June of last year. I intend to sail her this June to Cyprus (Turkish side) where I have secured a berth (paid for in advance). The reason is to enable me to not outstay my 90 days and to reset the clock (18 Months) on the TA for the boat and therefore not required to pay the VAT.

My question. I am trying to establish what formalities I need to adhere to when sailing to Greece. I am aware of the need of a TEPAI which I will do online before I arrive but am unclear if I need to do anything else (ie Transit Log) other than hoist a Greek courtesy flag as I am sailing from another Schengen country.

I understand I will need to clear out from Greece before my 90 days are up (23 August) which I plan to do at Simi.

Anyone know the rules as not clear online?

Thanks in advance.

[goboatingnow]

In theory Schengen rules don’t apply when arriving by personal leisure craft. In practice immigration treat it as if it does

This means if you travel directly from one Schengen country to another you ( as distinct from your boat ) you personally don’t need to clear in , after the first clearing in.

However Greece require non EU yachts ( or U.K. yachts not in Greece before dec31) to be issued with a transit log.

Hence on first arrival you will have to clear your vessel into Greece , receive a time limited transit log which also starts the vat clock if not already started. This does not apply to U.K. yachts availing of the withdrawal agreement.

As you mentioned in addition you will pay the cruising tax , in theory this has to be paid in advance but Greece will back date it to the start of the month of arrival anyway it’s 33 euros upto 12metres and 8 euros a month per metre at 12 and beyond

A skipper competency cert is needed consistent with the intended travel ( ie night travel etc ) vhf operator cert if you have vhf and a translation into Greek of your insurance is useful

Time spent at sea between EU countries is not normally deductible unless a non EU country is visited in between

Note you get 90 days personally in the Schengen area not Greece, hence if you visit other Schengen countries that visit time and the sea transit in between will be deducted from the time allowed in Greece.

Again if your boat was in the Eu last year , once you have proof , you do not need the transit log only the TEPAI tax docs.

Note that taking your vessel out of the Eu customs union will remove the benefit of the withdrawal agreement procedures. Hence on return you will be subject to the Greek transit log process.

[Haddock1]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

However Greece require non EU yachts ( or U.K. yachts not in Greece before dec31) to be issued with a transit log.

Again if your boat was in the Eu last year , once you have proof , you do not need the transit log only the TEPAI tax docs.

Hi slightly confused. Perhaps you could clarify as the above seem to contradict each other. As a background to my specific circumstances I sailed my boat (VAT not paid) from Southampton in June 2021 to La Linea (got my passport stamped at Spanish customs while there) then onto San Carles marina in Spain. The boat remained there and I returned home. My understanding is that crossing into EU territorial water (ie La Linea) was the automatic start date of the 18 month TA period. My boat is currently in San Carles in Spain and I intend to sail her to Greece in June. So the boat, UK registered, was in the EU (your second point) but was not in Greece on the 31st December 2021.

Therefore do I need to clear in and get a transit log on arrival in Greece?

As you seem knowledgeable in formalities I also have another question relating to the resetting of the TA status of my vessel. I plan to sail from Greece clearing out from Simi and then clear into Turkey (Marmaris) before my initial 18 months TA are up. I understand that this will reset the TA status of my boat giving me a further 18 months when next entering the EU. However, I then, in October, will clear out of Turkey and clear into Cyprus (Turkish northern territory) where I have a marina berth booked. My question is does clearing into the Turkish territory of northern Cyprus also reset the TA status of my boat or is it considered part of the EU and therefore my 18 month clock starts when I arrive?

Also, for the person, if I have been on my berth in northern Cyprus and then fly from Larnica (Greek part) back to the UK will the time spent in the north also count as time spent in the EU (ie part of my 90 days)? If so I will need to recalculate my 90 day allowance.

Thanks in advance.

[Haddock1]

Found this on the Schengen Visa Info website which seems to suggest that time spent in northern Cyprus does not count towards the 90 day entitlement.

"Northern Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)
Northern Cyprus is territory on the northeastern section of the island of Cyprus. It’s recognized as an independent country only by Turkey. Due to the political division, Northern Cyprus is not a part of the Schengen Area or the EU, but foreigners who have a valid visa from any Schengen country can stay visa-free for up to 90 days. However, you might not need a visa since most visitors can enter the territory visa-free regardless of their nationality.

Please note that Northern Cyprus is not to be confused with the Republic of Cyprus—a member of the EU."

[goboatingnow]

If your boat is in the EU under there TIP procedures ( temporary import ) then you will need a transit log and will need to clear the boat into Greece

A trip to Turkey will reset the vat clock on the boat

Turkish Cyprus will not be recognised as outside Schengen etc. So can’t be used to reset the vat clock

Time spent in Cyprus will deduct from your 90 days


Note technically under the withdrawal agreement you were not entitled to TIP in June 2021 in Spain. But this is now irrelevant