Non EU citizens sailing in the med

[Hummingbird]

Hello
I would like some advise about sailing in the Med. We are non eu citizens with a non eu boat in Turkey. The point that I want to know is how sailors manage to stay longer than the 90 days allowed. We would like to spend the winter in Italy ( 6 months) AND we want to live onboard.
Well, any suggestion is welcome!

SY Hummingbird

[ianhouston]

Simplest answer to the '90 days' rule, is to take out Turkish residency permits: the "Bodrum Bulletin" (link below) has the details.

Turkish Tourist Visa changes

In Italy (and any other EU country) you have the added complication of VAT payment: although I think that Italy allows private yachts owned or used by non-EU residents to enter VAT free on a temporary import permit for up to 18 months. Whether or not you can take out Italian residency permits (as in Turkey), I don't know.

Hope you are enjoying Marmaris - is the "Drunken Crab" restaurant still in business?

[Hummingbird]

well, yes I do have turkish residency but our wish is to sail and stay longer in the med (EU), spending a winter in Italy. I wonder how others manage this

By the way, Marmaris is nice as always . where is that restaurant?

Cheers

[ianhouston]

Sorry Hummingbird, the restaurant's business card is on board and I'm not; but its in one of the back streets of the old port, running parallel with the docks.

Longest I spent in Italy (Sardinia and Sicily) was in Cagliari: an enforced stop of five months. In the Marina del Sole I met many long-stayers and full-time residents - but they were all EU nationals so I don't know whether their experience would be relevant to you? Some of them had taken out Italian residence, as you have in Turkey. Others simply kept their heads down and none of them were ever visited by officialdom. However have a look at the JimBSail web site - JimB Sail | Helping Skippers plan European Cruises - for some information.

Cheers

[Hummingbird]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We cannot ask for residency there because we will be inmediately subject to pay the boat VAT so I see that the only option left is to keep heads down. However I am afraid when checking out after overstaying...can penalties be apply?
Did you stay at MARINA DI CALA DEL SOLE? How was it? I ve seen they have good prices.
Thanks

HB

[ianhouston]

No, we stayed in Marina del Sole in Sardinia - not the Sicilian marina. MDS is a bit of an eclectic mix; it's cheaper than many Sardinian marinas, live-aboards are welcome - making it a friendly community - and you can work on your own boat. Facilities are pretty rudimentary tho', especially if you are in the yard, and if you don't like dogs it's a no no. You can generally negotiate on the rates (outside the peak months) if you are staying for some weeks, and Cagliari itself is a great city.

[Hummingbird]

Thanks for the info!

Cheers

[glenfarr]

If you take out residency in an EU country, then you MUST import your boat (€€€) and register it in that country. Once that is done, you must fly that country's flag and comply with their rules. In Spain that requires their certification for taking the boat away from the dock. To sail the Atlantic, that is four courses at €800 each, one a year. Just keep your head down, don't ask questions!