comparison Greece UK prices buying yacths

[georgesoilis]

I am planning to buy a sailing yacth soon and i am researching toi see whether it is cheaper in Greece than in UK to buy,if the VAT applies to non UK citizens,and if i can get the boat registered in some otgher flag .
All these and more are questions that i face so if you have any idea about buying in Greece or in UK please feel free to post advise.
The budget is around £15000,or 30000 euro.
we plan to livwe on the boat ,so it has to be as big as possible.Also we are looking for something that needs redecoration or/and repairs,as long as the hull is in good order.The plan would be to prepare the boat during the winter 2004-05 and sail to greece in summer 05.but is this kind of money going to buy us a boat or do we need a lot more for something that we can live in?
thanks in advance for ny contributions.
GS

[928frenzy]

We currently live in the USA, but are considering moving to Greece to live permanently or at least more than six months a year. My wife was born in Greece, so she is considered a citizen of an EU country.

Here is what the Greek Embassy said we could do. From an non-EU country, we could bring into Greece; one non-diesel car, one boat, one motorcycle, and one plane all without having to pay a VAT. We must have owned any item we bring in for at least 6 months, and we must sign an agreement that we will not sell it for at least one year. If we buy any item from an EU country, we must pay the VAT.

Your situation may be different from ours.

~ Good luck and happy sails to you ~ _/) ~

[amangos]

Dear George, are you a EU citizen?

The sailing yacht you gonna buy will not be brand new, so the VAT is allready paid, if it has EU flag. If you are a non EU citizen, you can stay in Greece for maximum 6 months in tranzit, then you got to take the boat out of the country, orelse you got to prove that the VAT was paid in EU.

Boats with non EU flag, are paying every 3 months a special fee 18 euros per mettre. EU boats are not paying such fee. So if you want to sail in Greece and to stay long, it is better to use a EU or Greek flag sailing boat.

[PaulL.]

Hi George,
Should you decide to purchase a boat that has been outside of the eu for more than three years (say a bargain in Turkey) then you will be liable to pay VAT again as it looses its VAT paid status. Boats moving between eu countries that have have had vat paid are not a problem but the customs officials seem to be making up rules to suit themselves in some cowww.so make sure proof of VAT paid is shown on an old receipt so as to be sure you are safe. Also boats of a certain age are exempt, sorry cannot remember the year. For further advice have a look at the right hand side of web sight www.noonsite.com/Countries/Spain/LaCorunauntries
Hope this helps.

[928frenzy]

The Greek embassy told me that I could bring in a boat from a non-EU country and not have to pay the VAT so long as I had owned it for at least 6 months, and I wasn''t selling it within 5 years. The same it true for a car, plane, motorcycle, and trailer.

~ Happy sails to you ~

[avournas]

Hi George,

Prices of second hand yachts in the Greek market is considerably lower than in UK. Reason for that, is the charter income which these vessels brought to their owners through the years.
To my knoweledge, your budget should be sufficient to purchase a vessel around 33'' and aprox. 10-12 years old.

Good luck in your research
ALex