MILGAUSS
ADMIRAL MILGAUSS is a recently refitted yacht (2023/2024) built by the renowned Admiral shipyard in Italy. Featuring a modernized aesthetic, low engine hours, and upgraded
THE EYB COUNTRY GUIDES · Greece
Check the boat's registration, customs status, purchase conditions and ongoing costs.
This buying a boat Greece guide starts with the checks that determine whether a purchase can work for you: the boat's documented ownership, registration and customs status, followed by condition and intended use. A yacht lying in a Greek marina can carry documents from a different registration or customs regime. Use official evidence to identify that regime before assuming the seller's papers and berth arrangements will meet your needs.
The guide covers verified national procedures and clearly labelled practical recommendations for organising inspections, payment and handover. It is for buyers considering private use, with reminders to check any commercial or foreign-registration exceptions. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser for the actual boat and transaction. For anything this guide does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.
Key facts at a glance
For its stated registered-ship transfer procedure, Mitos lists a bill of sale with seller and buyer signatures authenticated by a public authority or through gov.gr. Mitos procedure updated 14 September 2026.
Mitos — National Registry of Administrative Procedures – Registered-ship sale transfer documents, auth ·The stated registered-ship transfer process includes ownership recording and issue of a new nationality document. Mitos procedure updated 14 September 2026.
Mitos — National Registry of Administrative Procedures – Registered-ship sale transfer documents, auth ·AADE's FAQ applies TEPAI to private sailing or motorised pleasure boats with overall length over 7 metres in Greek territorial waters, regardless of flag or small-craft registration. AADE FAQ version dated 23 January 2026.
AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Cruising-fee scope, liability and payment tim ·AADE states that customs clearance does not automatically require a Greek flag and describes an unlimited Transit Log for a cleared private boat retaining a third-country flag. Current AADE guidance referencing VAT Code Law 5144/2024 and digital Transit Log Decision 1124/2024.
AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Private-boat import VAT, temporary import and ·AADE states that permanent presence in Greek territorial waters requires customs clearance and payment of corresponding duties and taxes under the applicable provisions. Current AADE guidance referencing VAT Code Law 5144/2024 and digital Transit Log Decision 1124/2024.
AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Private-boat import VAT, temporary import and ·Section 1
Our recommendation is to start by identifying the boat you are buying and the legal position you will inherit. Obtain its current registration papers, the seller's ownership evidence and any customs documentation before concentrating on cosmetic condition. A boat lying in Greece is not necessarily Greek-registered or permanently imported. The official customs guidance expressly distinguishes temporary import from permanent presence. Ask a locally qualified lawyer and the relevant authority to identify the applicable route rather than using a marina address as proof of status.
The Greek National Registry of Administrative Procedures describes a transfer route for ships governed by the general provisions and for the stated category of smaller registered vessels. It requires a written sale agreement with authenticated seller and buyer signatures, and says ownership does not transfer without entry in the ship register. Our recommendation is to confirm that this procedure fits the vessel before planning completion. It should not be treated as an automatic instruction for every foreign-flagged boat or for every small-craft register entry.
Small-craft paperwork has its own official procedure. Mitos states that a port authority issues an ownership certificate when a small craft is entered in the Small Craft Registration Book (Βιβλίο Εγγραφής Μικρών Σκαφών, BEMS), and when the recorded ownership transfer exceeds fifty per cent. Our recommendation is to ask which register the boat belongs to and which documents demonstrate the seller's position there. Do not assume a certificate from one registration system can replace the documents needed in another, or that advertised length alone settles classification.
Broker tip: Our recommendation is to obtain the boat's actual register details before paying a deposit. Ask the competent authority to confirm the transfer route rather than choosing it from the boat's location. Readers often go on to our guide on whether you need a boat survey in Greece.
Hands on the helm of a motor yacht during a sea trial.
Written transfer agreement
Section 2
Our recommendation is to agree the purchase conditions before commissioning inspections. Write down the equipment included, access required for the survey, arrangements for any lift and sea trial, and how findings will affect the agreement. These are practical contractual recommendations, not a claim that an independent purchase survey is compulsory in every Greek sale. Ask the surveyor to define the inspection scope and exclusions. Keep a technical assessment of condition separate from ownership, customs and registration checks, because one report does not resolve every question.
For the registered-ship procedure described by Mitos, the receiving port authority checks the application and attached documents before recording the ownership change. The stated process also provides for a new nationality document. Our recommendation is to arrange the document sequence with that authority before booking collection. If papers are signed abroad, Mitos says the relevant agreement, offer or acceptance requires lawful authentication. Obtain case-specific advice on that requirement, including any translation needed, rather than assuming a scan of a foreign signature is sufficient for registration.
Our recommendation is to have a locally qualified lawyer coordinate the agreement, payment instructions and registration event. Record when funds may be released, who presents the paperwork and when keys and possession change hands. Confirm the account receiving the money independently and investigate changes to bank instructions. This guide does not establish a universally protected yacht-sale escrow scheme or a standard deposit percentage. A written arrangement should specify what happens if an essential document is unavailable, instead of leaving payment and title assumptions to the collection day.
Broker tip: Our recommendation is to put inspection, payment and registration conditions in one completion plan. Specify who supplies each document and what happens if a condition has not been met. Our guide on whether you pay VAT on a boat in Greece covers a related point.
Boat keys and documents handed over on a chart table.
Application checked first
Looking at a boat in Greece and want a second opinion before you commit? Speak to one of our brokers.
Section 3
AADE's official customs guidance says that importing private boats from third countries is subject to VAT, while a boat placed under temporary import on entry does not incur that VAT liability under the stated regime. It also addresses VAT on acquiring a qualifying new boat from another EU member state for use in Greece. Our recommendation is to have the adviser establish which transaction you are making before budgeting. Temporary import is a particular customs arrangement, not a general assurance that a local purchase has no tax consequences.
The recreational cruising fee (Τέλος Πλοίων Αναψυχής και Ημερόπλοιων, TEPAI) needs separate attention. AADE's FAQ states that private sailing or motorised pleasure boats with overall length over seven metres are within its scope in Greek territorial waters, regardless of flag or whether they are registered in the small-craft book. For private boats, the owner, holder or user is liable, with joint and several liability as described in the FAQ. Our recommendation is to obtain the vessel's current payment evidence and agree how completion affects responsibility.
The TEPAI payment timetable is tied to presence in Greek waters, rather than the asking price. AADE's January 2026 FAQ says an entering liable boat must pay before or at entry, and thereafter before the start of each month of its stay. Our recommendation is to put applicable cruising fees, marina charges, insurance, maintenance and delivery costs in separate budget lines. Obtain written quotes for services and berthing rather than inventing a national ownership budget. This guide does not quote a survey fee, insurance premium or berth tariff without an opened official source. No national survey fee, insurance premium, marina tariff, market statistic or berth availability claim verified; none stated. No universal independent purchase-survey obligation or standard yacht-sale escrow protection verified; inspection and payment arrangements are recommendations. For these, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.
Broker tip: Our recommendation is to obtain a transaction-specific tax answer and evidence of current cruising-fee payment. Keep tax, marina and service charges separate so a single quoted price does not conceal unresolved costs. A related question is answered in our guide on how to register a boat in Greece.
Yacht broker and buyer inspecting a sailing yacht on deck.
Import VAT distinction
AADE states that third-country private-boat imports are subject to VAT, but no VAT liability arises on entry where the boat is placed under the stated temporary-import regime. Current AADE guidance referencing VAT Code Law 5144/2024 and digital Transit Log Decision 1124/2024.
Source: AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Private-boat import VAT, temporary import andAADE states that VAT also applies to acquisition of a qualifying new boat from another EU member state intended for use in Greece. Current AADE guidance referencing VAT Code Law 5144/2024 and digital Transit Log Decision 1124/2024.
Source: AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Private-boat import VAT, temporary import andAADE's FAQ applies TEPAI to private sailing or motorised pleasure boats with overall length over 7 metres in Greek territorial waters, regardless of flag or small-craft registration. AADE FAQ version dated 23 January 2026.
Source: AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Cruising-fee scope, liability and payment timAADE's FAQ identifies the owner, holder or user of a private pleasure boat as liable for TEPAI and describes joint and several liability for the fee and any fine. AADE FAQ version dated 23 January 2026.
Source: AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Cruising-fee scope, liability and payment timAADE's FAQ requires an entering liable boat's TEPAI payment before or at entry and, for subsequent months of stay, before each month starts. AADE FAQ version dated 23 January 2026.
Source: AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) – Cruising-fee scope, liability and payment timSection 4
AADE states that a private pleasure boat intended to remain permanently in Greek territorial waters must clear customs and pay the corresponding duties and taxes under the applicable provisions. Its guidance also says customs clearance does not automatically require a Greek flag: the owner may retain a third-country flag and obtain an unlimited Transit Log for free movement under the stated arrangements. Our recommendation is to ask customs how the actual sale and intended use affect the existing documents before assuming they simply pass to the new owner.
Our recommendation is to confirm your berth arrangements directly with the receiving marina or public port. Ask about the specific boat's dimensions, the named contracting party, the services included and the conditions for arrival or storage. No source reviewed for this national buying guide establishes automatic transfer of a berth with a yacht, a regional availability shortage or a standard waiting time. Treat a seller's description of the berth as information to verify separately, and decide what you will do if the proposed location cannot accommodate your plans.
Before moving the boat, our recommendation is to check with the maritime authority what navigation papers, operator qualifications, insurance evidence and equipment apply to the intended voyage. This guide does not use an ownership certificate as proof that every operational requirement has been met. Keep completion and permission to navigate as separate checks. If your plan changes from private use to commercial operation, obtain a fresh confirmation of the relevant regime. An attractive purchase can still be unsuitable if its documented status does not match how you intend to use it.
Broker tip: Our recommendation is to check the intended berth and first voyage before completion. Ownership, customs status and permission to navigate should each have their own evidence in the handover file. See also our guide on what boat insurance you need in Greece. For specific areas, see our guides on buying a boat in Dodecanese, buying a boat in Athens and buying a boat in Ionian.
Boat registration at a marina office.
Permanent-presence clearance
Practical support
Peter Mattey is a yacht broker at European Yacht Brokers with a BA in Law. He is not a Greek lawyer: for Greek law and tax we refer you to a locally qualified adviser. What we can do is help you plan the purchase, put the right questions to the other side and spot gaps in the paperwork before you commit.
If you are looking for a boat in Greece, tell us the type of boat, your budget and the area through the enquiry form on this page and a broker will reply. For anything this guide does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.
The handover of a boat at the dock.
Your questions
No, location in Greece does not itself establish that a Greek flag is required. AADE's guidance says customs clearance does not automatically create an obligation to fly the Greek flag, and describes an unlimited Transit Log for a cleared private boat retaining a third-country flag. Our recommendation is to confirm the actual customs and registration route for the boat you intend to buy. (AADE)
Mitos states that ownership does not transfer without entry in the ship register for the procedure it describes. It also lists a written sale agreement with authenticated signatures. Our recommendation is to confirm that this is the boat's applicable registration route and coordinate payment with its requirements, rather than assume that receiving keys alone completes legal ownership in every case. (Mitos)
No, the official FAQ applies the stated private-boat scope regardless of flag. Private sailing or motorised pleasure boats with overall length over seven metres in Greek territorial waters are included, irrespective of small-craft registration. Our recommendation is to check the boat's measured length and current payment evidence before deciding the fee is irrelevant because the flag is foreign. (AADE)
No, the official sources describe different obligations. AADE's customs guidance addresses VAT on the stated imports and qualifying new EU acquisitions, while its TEPAI FAQ addresses the fee for qualifying boats in Greek territorial waters. Our recommendation is to obtain a transaction-specific tax assessment and keep cruising-fee evidence in a separate budget and document line. (AADE)
No automatic berth transfer has been verified in this guide. Our recommendation is to ask the marina or public port about a contract for the specific boat and intended owner before relying on the seller's arrangement. This is a practical check, separate from Mitos's registered-ship ownership process; recording ownership is not presented here as evidence of a marina's consent. (Mitos)
This guide only includes facts checked against official sources. For anything it does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information, and ask a locally qualified adviser to confirm the position for your own boat.
Ready when you are
ADMIRAL MILGAUSS is a recently refitted yacht (2023/2024) built by the renowned Admiral shipyard in Italy. Featuring a modernized aesthetic, low engine hours, and upgraded
MOONEN The 25.7m (84’4″) motor yacht Eunoia—formerly Moon Shadow—was built by Moonen in the Netherlands. Designed by Diana Yacht Design, she was originally delivered in
SANLORENZO SL 94 Overview Built in 2013 by the prestigious Sanlorenzo shipyard, LADY AB is an SL94 motor yacht that exemplifies Italian excellence in design,
Check it yourself
Registered-ship sale transfer documents, authentication and register-entry requirement.
Ownership certificate procedure for craft entered in BEMS.
Private-boat import VAT, temporary import and permanent-presence customs arrangements.
Cruising-fee scope, liability and payment timetable; FAQ dated 23 January 2026.
Keep reading
Talk to European Yacht Brokers
Looking for a boat in Greece? Tell us what you need
Tell us the type of boat, budget and area and a broker will reply.
