What papers are need?

[sveinutne]

I bought a 41 foot sailboat in Florida, and imported it to Norway and payed the VAT on import. I put in new CE certified engine and did all modification the CE certification requierd, but I have not payed the €6000 needed to get the CE certificat. The boat is self incured, and you do not need to regiter boats that is less than 50 feet in Norway, so it is not registered. To sail this in Norway is fine. No one is asking for any papers, but what if I want to sail it to England or down to the Canary Icland? What do I need to bring in adition to pasport, or do I need to register it before the trip?

[AiniA]

You do need to be registered. Customs and immigration officials routinely ask to see your boat registration. Check around to see where you could register your boat outside the EU. In some countries (research needed), you do not need to be a resident of a country to register a boat there.

[sveinutne]

To register it in an other country is OK with me, but I would like to keep it in Norway or EU more than 6 mounts per year. I know there are some restrictions on this, but that might be if you do not pay the VAT.

[Bertie68]

In Spain there are many people registering boats in other countries due to the excessive and costly requirements. It seems the most popular flags are Belgium and the Netherlands, but I've also found that France and even Isle of Man have simple procedures.

[northwestsailor]

Isle of Man is real easy and the registrar and others are a dream to work with. I would highly recommend them.
In addition the IOM does not require you to have a local agent nor to have a IOM company (if the boat is not owned by you personally.) This makes is very convenient for US citizens who already have set up boat ownership with an LLC or LP within a particular state.

[sveinutne]

Northwestsailor,
The boat is own by me personal, but are you sure IOM will allow a non EU certified boat to be registerd? I think IOM might be part or EU, or maybe IOM is not? I will check.

[sveinutne]

From Wikipedia:
European Union

The Isle of Man holds neither membership nor associate membership of the European Union. Protocol 3 of the UK's Act of Accession to the Treaty of Rome included the Isle of Man within the EU's customs area, allowing for the trade for Manx goods without tariffs throughout the EU.[40] However, there are still limitations on the movement of capital and services.
EU citizens are entitled to travel and reside, but not work, in the island without restriction. And Manx citizens—without the hereditary qualification outlined above—are similarly restricted from working in the EU.[41][42]
--
So maybe there is hope for a boat that do not have CE certification?
This looks good. I will google more about it tomorrow.
Thanks

[sveinutne]

Register your sail or motor yacht under world’s most prestigious flag, the Dutch flag. We will handle it fast and with the lowest possible commission.

Also available for non EU citizens!


https://www.yachtregistration.compan...tion-products/
Need to check if this might work too.

[dreyer]

To sail outside Norway you WILL NEED Insurance papers (!) - all ports down Europe asks for that, and som kind of registration papers showing technical data and proof of owner (length, beem, draft etc) for paying harbour fees. The further south in Europe - the more they must have papers.. UK is not the biggest problem. Check småbåtregisteret: https://www.nssr.no/sbr/velg-registr...Far2cgodEOAEXw

[dreyer]

Also - if not regisred with Norwegian papers - then you are NOT allowed to use Norwegian flag - I will STRONGLY advise you to registrer in Norway as long as Noregian VAT is payed.

[Bertie68]

Originally Posted by northwestsailor

Isle of Man is real easy and the registrar and others are a dream to work with. I would highly recommend them.
In addition the IOM does not require you to have a local agent nor to have a IOM company (if the boat is not owned by you personally.) This makes is very convenient for US citizens who already have set up boat ownership with an LLC or LP within a particular state.

I've been looking at the webpage, but unfortunately it's not very clear about the docs needed; these pages seem to be contradictory. (Is a survey needed or not?). Also, there is talk about an annual safety inspection (it would be rather inconvenient to have to sail to IOM every year!).

https://www.gov.im/ded/shipregistry/...surveyinfo.xml
https://www.gov.im/ded/shipregistry/...s/pleasure.xml
https://www.gov.im/lib/docs/ded/ship...combined20.pdf

It would be nice to have, in addition to all the official info, some kind of how-to guide...

[sveinutne]

The Dutch flag might be the easy option. No survey needed. Only pay €350 and the papers will be ready in one week. There is just one glitch. I got a call from a Norwegian sailor that told me that I might not be allowed to sail a Dutch flagged boat in Norway as a Norwegian citizen. I know that is the case with foreign cars in Norway, but that is because of the extremely high tax on cars, and I have already payed all taxes and VAT on this boat to the Norwegian authorities.
I just tried to register the boat in Norway in something called small boat register. If I manage to register it there it will be fine. Then I will have some sort of paper I can show when I go out of the country.
In a day or two I guess I will know if I succeeded or not.

[George DuBose]

FWIW, I paid VAT to The Netherlands and had a Dutch firm CE mark my boat to RCD "A". The sales tax was paid on a "low" purchase price and I shopped around for the CE inspection and in the end contracted to pay 3200 euros.

When I came to make the second installment of the payment to the inspection firm, they told me that my boat had so few defects, that they were going to knock 1000 euros off the price for the certification.

The Dutch sometimes seem to have a much more relaxed position on VAT and CE marking than some of the other Schengen countries.

I think for less than 5000 euros, I paid the VAT and the inspection.

My boat is US documented. I am a US citizen living full time in the EU. While the various customs agents I have met clearing in and out of European countries are interested in my ship's papers, they have never specifically asked me for any VAT or CE marking documents.

There is no property tax on boats in The Netherlands.

Good luck.

[sveinutne]

Yes, just got email back from small boat registery in Norway, and my boat is registered. They will now send me the documents. Wow that was quick and easy and only €50. Later it will be plus €25 for each year in the future. No survay and no CE certificate. That is almost too good to be trough...
But for me this might just be what I need to sail to England. I can show profe of ownership and I have my insurenspapers for liability.

[Bertie68]

Originally Posted by sveinutne

Yes, just got email back from small boat registery in Norway, and my boat is registered. They will now send me the documents. Wow that was quick and easy and only €50. Later it will be plus €25 for each year in the future. No survay and no CE certificate. That is almost too good to be trough...
But for me this might just be what I need to sail to England. I can show profe of ownership and I have my insurenspapers for liability.

Green of envy... Here in Spain it's a nightmare. Probably crossing the Atlantic is easier than working your way through all the bureacracy and hoping that the inspector won't disqualify your boat due to some minor defect.