Countries
Any country whose waters you cruise, (as explained on the page Law of the Sea and the Coastal State) can require you to comply with their own regulations for pleasure craft. For each of the countries listed, details of the regulations we understand apply to visiting pleasure craft are provided in a restricted access pages for RYA members to view or print.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information the RYA provides relating to boating abroad, no responsibility is accepted for the results of any errors or omissions.
The information applies to UK registered boats owned by private individuals, taken abroad by them on a cruise of limited duration. Rules about residency vary from country to country but as a general rule you are likely to be regarded as resident if you stay in a country for more than 183 days (approximately 6 months). This may therefore be a good steer for people concerned about acceptable visit durations.
If you choose to base your boat abroad, have both property and your boat in a country, become resident abroad, cruise a company owned yacht or use your vessel commercially (including offering it for charter), the rules may differ considerably from those for vessels on short visits. Specialist advice should be sought from the authorities (or a lawyer) in the country concerned.
Different countries and even local areas within countries will have their own regulations. It is essential that you find out what these are, as failure to pay taxes for example can result in significant fines when the authorities become aware of your non-payment. Not knowing the regulations is no defence for non-compliance and you may find that in addition to the national regulations there are local variations or applications you need to be aware of. To do this you will need to contact the relevant national and local authorities.
It is not within the RYA’s scope of work to advise on matters relating to boats that are kept abroad, residency in foreign countries or trading matters abroad. We have no authority to lobby foreign Governments on boating matters or to intervene in their regulatory affairs. If we do receive information of this nature (which generally comes from other boaters rather than from the authorities) it is published through appropriate RYA channels.
Some regulations are more strictly applied than others and local interpretation may be more or less rigid than stated. When visiting, if you find that regulations or practices differ from those described in these pages or should you find yourself thinking "I wonder if the RYA is aware of this?" please email us your experiences. The RYA Cruising Department will be pleased to receive the information.
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