Importing A Non-CE Boat Into Europe

Importing a non-CE boat into Europe: how to import a boat into the EU 

All private-use boats flying the non-EU flag can sail freely in EU waters within a maximum period of 18 months, i.e. discharge deadline, beyond which they incur an obligation of definitive importation with payment of customs duties and VAT.

The discharge period is interrupted in the case of vessels kept in storage, as long as they comply with the following conditions:

• the place where the vessel is stored shall be notified to the local customs authority attaching the navigation license with request for affixing seals;
• the vessel shall remain in storage for at least three consecutive months;
• at the end of the storage period, the same customs authority will remove the seals and return the navigation document.