Spain: registering a boat
 

I understand that after spending more than 182 days in Spain in any calendar
year one is classified as a Spanish resident. As a result, it is necessary
to re-register one's boat as Spanish which costs ~12% of its value. Also, it
is then necessary to get a Spanish sailing qualification ("patron de
yate"?).

Does anyone know if the above is correct and has anyone actually gone
through the process? Given the number of ex-patriots with boats living in
Spain there must be many who haven't, but what (if any) alternatives are
there?

Regards,

Stephen.

Spain: registering a boat
 

On Sunday 20 June 2004 3:08 pm in rec.boats.cruising Stephen Denham wrote:

I understand that after spending more than 182 days in Spain in any
calendar year one is classified as a Spanish resident. As a result, it is
necessary to re-register one's boat as Spanish which costs ~12% of its
value. Also, it is then necessary to get a Spanish sailing qualification
("patron de yate"?).

Does anyone know if the above is correct and has anyone actually gone
through the process? Given the number of ex-patriots with boats living in
Spain there must be many who haven't, but what (if any) alternatives are
there?

This sounds like the VAT ruling, if a boat on which VAT has not been
paid remains in EU waters for 6 mounths it is deemed to have been
imported into the EU and VAT must be paid at the prevailing rate for
the country concerned. You are posting from a Pipex account which implies
that your boat is probably UK registered, so you only need to produce
the VAT receipt to prove that VAT has been paid in the UK.

If a boat is subsequently exported from the EU the VAT can be reclaimed
on proof of export.

Immigration is a separate issue, but as an EU citizen this also does
not affect you.

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