Temporary Importation
Owners who are non EU residents, or a yacht which is non EU Flagged, who wish to sail their yachts in EU waters for private purposes may temporarily bring their yacht into the EU without customs duties or VAT needing to be paid.
The boats concerned have to be placed under the 'temporary importation procedure' (TI) with Customs and the period of use in the EU is limited in time to eighteen months. The temporary importation rules are covered under Article 562 of the Customs Code. When the time is up the boat has to leave, in official jargon this period is called 'the period of discharge'. The re-exportation of the goods from the customs territory of the Community is the usual way of ending or 'discharging' a temporary importation procedure. If the boat does not leave before the end of that time then customs duty and VAT become due.
A boat is temporarily imported into the EU and not into one of the constituent Member States. Thus it can move from one Member State to another with no further customs formalities during the 18 month period allowed.
After 18 months the yacht must be exported before re-entering the EU under the same rules.
How can a yacht be placed under TI?Just crossing the frontier of the customs territory of the Community is in general sufficient. But, the yacht may be required to use a route specified by customs and they may require the vessel to make an oral or written customs declaration. It is possible that customs may require the provision of some kind of security or guarantee to cover the payment of the customs duties and VAT that become due if the boat does not leave the EU.
We have considerable experience in the importation of yachts and the formation and management of appropriate corporate structures.