Buying a VAT-not-paid yacht

A VAT-not-paid boat costs less up front. You then pay the VAT, import it under a customs regime for a non-EU owner, or export it.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 2 min read

Key points

In Spain the standard VAT rate is 21%. On a €100,000 value that is €21,000.
Temporary admission is limited to owners resident outside the EU, for private use only.
A VAT-not-paid boat is harder to resell inside the EU.

Why the price is lower

The seller's price is lower because the buyer owes VAT or has to keep the boat out of free circulation. Compare it with a VAT paid boat after adding the VAT. In Spain the standard rate is 21%, so a VAT-not-paid boat at €100,000 costs €121,000 once regularised. The authority sets the taxable amount, and your adviser can tell you how it values a given boat.

Your options

Pay the VAT and keep the boat in the EU. The boat becomes VAT paid and resells as such. This is the normal route for an EU resident.
Temporary admission. Open to an owner resident outside the EU, with a boat registered outside the EU, for private use. The standard period is up to 18 months. See Importing a yacht into the EU and temporary admission for non-EU yachts.
Export. Take the boat outside the EU customs territory and keep it there.

Risks

Paper trail. If you cannot prove VAT was paid, the authority treats the boat as VAT not paid whatever the seller says. See Proving and verifying VAT status: which documents count, and checking before you offer.
Use by a resident. Allowing an EU resident to use a boat under temporary admission can trigger the VAT. Treat this as a hard rule.
Timing. A deadline set by customs can end while the boat is mid-passage.
Resale. An EU buyer wants VAT paid status. If you never regularise, a future buyer faces the same bill.

Buying checklist

Who is declared the importer, and which customs office?
What customs document exists today?
Does the price include the VAT or exclude it?
Who pays the VAT, and when does the payment fall due?
What is the boat's flag, and does it block Spanish registration?

When it makes sense

A VAT-not-paid boat can be a good buy for an owner who lives outside the EU, or a buyer who has priced the VAT in and finds the net result lower than a comparable VAT paid boat. It rarely suits a buyer who has not checked the numbers.

Also useful at step 3 Importing a yacht into the EU and temporary admission for non-EU yachts

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check your own case with a professional or ask us.