Employment Abroad

[atavist]

Just wondering if there is anyone on here from America who has done commercial sailing work in the EU or the UK.

I am attending a Fastrack course (with Straits Sailing) in two weeks and am already looking ahead to when it is done and I have my commerical endorsed YM Ocean certs... I will be finishing the course in Gibraltar and would like to find a job straight away and just keep sailing but am wondering if work visa requirements might stand in the way? Any other considerations I'm not seeing at the moment?

thanks,

J

[Nausikaa]

I am not from America but I can put you right on the work permit / visa requirements.

Unless you hold an EU passport or one from Norway or Iceland then you will need a work permit and a residence permit to work in Europe. That is the basic rules. However, some countries, like the UK, have what the call a 'working holiday'arrangement where you can live and work in the country for a limited period based on a much simpler form of application.

Again, not being from the UK either, I cannot say exactly how to apply but start with getting in touch with the Home Office. That, I believe, is the competent authority in the field.

Aye // Stephen

[SV Gwendolyn]

Hi there

I believe the critical issue here would be whether you would intend being shorebased and working on boats or not i.e. if you were to be employed as skipper or mate on a foreign flagged vessel you would not effectively be residing in the EU or UK as the case may be and the different rules applying to "visiting" seamen would apply.

Cheers

C

[atavist]

But if I'm working on a UK or EU flaggede vessel I'm back in the same boat as if I was shore based, right?

[Nausikaa]

Originally Posted by atavist

But if I'm working on a UK or EU flaggede vessel I'm back in the same boat as if I was shore based, right?

Not necessarily. If you are working on a commercial vessel there are arrangements for non flag-state crew members. There are, for example, many British and Norwegian ships with Philipino crews.

If you are not öffically"working, i.e. just helping out ona yacht and getting some money direct in your hand then yes, you are committing an offence - well several in fact ranging from working without a permit to tax evasion.

Incidentally, the UK is in the EU so even British ship's are EU ships, with the exception of those registered in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or a colony. The UK is not, however, in Schengen so the rules for visas etc are different to those of mkuch of the EU. As an example, South Africans need no visa to visit the UK but they do to visit Schengen countries.

Aye // Stephen