SPYRO
RIVA SUPER OPERA 85 About SPYRO Introducing the 25.9-meter motor yacht SPYRO, a stunning Riva 85 Opera crafted in Italy by the prestigious Riva shipyard.
THE EYB COUNTRY GUIDES · Portugal
Use the official APL berth rules and current tariff to separate the boat purchase from the permission and costs of keeping it in Lisbon.
Buying a boat Lisbon calls for a clear distinction between acquiring the craft and securing the place where you intend to keep it. APL's directly managed recreational docks have documented rules for applications, boat-specific occupation and ownership changes. Its published tariff also shows why beam matters alongside length. This guide draws practical purchase checks from those official sources, without assuming that a seller's berth transfers or claiming a current city-wide shortage.
Ask which operator manages the proposed berth and request its terms before commitment. The APL rules described here apply to its directly managed docks, not every facility around Lisbon or Cascais. Keep condition inspection, the purchase agreement and the DGRM ownership-transfer application visible as separate parts of the decision. For anything this guide does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.
Key facts at a glance
Article 4 makes entry and stay subject to an application and authorisation by the port administration. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Diário da República ·Article 12 limits berth use to the authorised holder and boat; use by a different boat requires permission. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Diário da República ·The 2026 tariff lists class IV, 10.01–12 metres with beam up to 3.30 metres, at €25.55 daily and €2,791.91 annually before applicable VAT. (Official Marina de Lisboa 2026 tariff; no separate effective date printed in the brochure.)
APL – Porto de Lisboa ·The tariff states that exceeding either the length or beam limit changes the applicable class. (Official Marina de Lisboa 2026 tariff; no separate effective date printed in the brochure.)
APL – Porto de Lisboa ·Article 13 subjects new permanent-berth requests to the waiting-list procedure, rather than guaranteeing immediate allocation. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Diário da República ·Section 1
APL's rules apply to the recreational docks that it manages directly. Entry and stay require an application and authorisation, and occupation is limited to the named holder and boat. As a practical recommendation, identify the operator and obtain its position on your intended ownership before treating the existing berth as part of the purchase. If the boat is advertised with an arrangement at another facility, ask that operator for its own rules; the APL regulation cannot establish rights across the whole Lisbon area.
Article 7 requires the administration to be notified of ownership changes, including a sale. Article 12 requires permission to use a different boat under the occupation arrangement. These provisions make the operator's involvement relevant to completion rather than a task to leave unexplained. As a practical recommendation, agree who will notify the administration and ask what application or replacement documents the buyer must provide. Keep the answer in the purchase file alongside the boat records and proposed physical handover arrangements.
Ask what happens if your proposed stay cannot be authorised when the purchase completes. This is a practical recommendation, not a forecast of berth scarcity. Identify a permitted destination, who will command the move and how departure will be arranged if the boat must leave. Do not accept an informal assurance about keeping the existing place as a substitute for the operator's written position. A confirmed acquisition agreement and a confirmed berth arrangement answer different questions and should both be recorded clearly.
Broker tip: Identify the operator and ask for its written position on occupation after the sale. Confirm who notifies the ownership change, and record an alternative permitted destination if occupation cannot continue. Our guide on how to buy a boat in Portugal covers a related point.
Boat on a marina berth being prepared for sale.
APL managed scope
Section 2
The APL tariff supplies a useful comparison for the same length with different beam. Class IV covers 10.01–12 metres with beam up to 3.30 metres and lists €25.55 daily or €2,791.91 annually. Class IVA covers the same length with beam up to four metres and lists €29.81 daily or €3,448.81 annually. These are published 2026 examples before applicable VAT, not a promise that an annual berth is available. As a practical recommendation, give the operator the boat's actual dimensions when requesting a quotation.
The tariff states that exceeding either the length or beam limit changes the class. It also distinguishes visiting prices from monthly, half-yearly and annual prices for allocated permanent berths. As a practical recommendation, ask which occupation arrangement you are eligible for, which dimensions the operator will use and whether the quoted period suits your plans. Do not select an annual figure merely because it appears in the brochure; establish permission and the applicable class before adding it to your ownership budget.
Pontoon water and electricity are included in the occupation charge under the tariff, but that does not make every marina service part of the berth price. As a practical recommendation, obtain separate written quotations for lifting, repairs, professional attendance and other work needed before acceptance. Ask which charges include applicable tax and whether a planned operation requires advance booking. Keep the berth quotation apart from the purchase price and condition-work allowance, so that the total reflects your actual plan rather than a general marina-cost assumption.
Broker tip: Provide both length and beam when requesting the berth quotation. Confirm the permitted occupation arrangement, applicable tax and included services before comparing a published tariff example with your ownership budget. A related question is answered in our guide on whether you need a boat survey in Portugal.
Mooring line and fenders on a marina berth.
Standard class example
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Section 3
Article 10 requires boat documentation, valid inspection evidence and liability insurance with the applicable minimum cover. The regulation also provides for charging occupation at the daily rate while required supporting records are missing. As a practical recommendation, ask the operator to confirm the exact documents for your proposed stay before completion. Compare that list with the purchase file and allocate responsibility for anything still required. A missing document can affect the local occupation arrangement independently of your assessment of the boat's physical condition.
New permanent-berth requests follow the waiting-list procedure under Article 13. That establishes a process, not the current length of a queue or a guaranteed allocation date. Temporary extensions must be requested at least 24 hours before expiry under Article 14, subject to space and payment. As a practical recommendation, align the permitted stay with the planned inspection and completion sequence. If work or paperwork slips, contact the operator promptly rather than assuming the original occupation permission simply continues without further action.
Article 8 requires express authorisation for repair or maintenance work capable of creating noise or pollution. As a practical recommendation, discuss the proposed condition inspection and any remedial work with the operator before appointing attendance. Ask which activities are permitted afloat and which must occur elsewhere. Define the professional inspection's access, exclusions and reporting in writing, then decide how significant findings affect acceptance. Local permission to work and an official inspection record should not be treated as a complete guarantee about every system's condition. No live APL vacancy, waiting-list length or allocation time was verified. APL rules and tariff examples do not establish terms at all Lisbon or Cascais facilities. For these, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.
Broker tip: Check the operator's document list and arrange permission for relevant work before booking professionals. Confirm the stay covers inspection and completion, with an extension requested promptly if the timetable changes. See also our guide on whether you pay VAT on a boat in Portugal.
Boat keys and documents handed over on a chart table.
Application evidence
Article 10 requires boat documentation, valid inspection evidence and liability insurance with the applicable minimum cover. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Source: Diário da RepúblicaArticle 10 states that occupation is charged at the daily rate while required supporting documentation is missing. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Source: Diário da RepúblicaArticle 13 subjects new permanent-berth requests to the waiting-list procedure, rather than guaranteeing immediate allocation. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Source: Diário da RepúblicaArticle 14 requires a temporary extension to be requested at least 24 hours before expiry, subject to space and payment. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Source: Diário da RepúblicaArticle 8 requires express authorisation for repair or maintenance work capable of causing noise or pollution. (Regulation 1122/2025, published 3 October 2025, stated effective 1 October 2025.)
Source: Diário da RepúblicaSection 4
DGRM's transfer service names the future owner or legal representative as applicant. It requires acquisition evidence and a copy of the booklet or equivalent still showing the seller. As a practical recommendation, compare the owner and boat identification across the records before signing. Ask for explanations of a mismatch while the seller is available to resolve it. Keep registration evidence separate from questions about outstanding finance, contractual authority or tax history, because a transfer application does not by itself answer every purchase risk.
DGRM states that its own ownership-transfer service is free while warning that additional local maritime-authority costs may apply. As a practical recommendation, confirm the complete route and current authority charges for this boat before setting the administrative budget. Decide who supplies documents, who submits them and who retains the receipt. If a different registry or an alteration to the boat's particulars is involved, seek the relevant authority's requirements rather than assuming that the ordinary ownership-transfer checklist covers the whole transaction.
Use a written completion sequence as a practical recommendation: identify the signed documents, agreed payment conditions, equipment inventory and physical handover arrangements. Verify bank instructions independently before making a transfer and obtain the actual terms if an intermediary proposes holding funds. Do not rely on a brokerage label as evidence of protected client money. Ask a locally qualified lawyer to review uncertain release conditions or title issues, and retain the signed agreement, payment record and submission evidence in one purchase file.
Broker tip: Agree the evidence, payment and handover sequence before completion. Confirm the transfer applicant and complete authority costs, then retain the signed agreement and application receipt with the boat's records. Readers often go on to our guide on how to register a boat in Portugal.
Boat registration at a marina office.
Transfer applicant
Practical support
Peter Mattey is a yacht broker at European Yacht Brokers with a BA in Law. He is not a Portuguese lawyer: for Portuguese 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 Portugal, 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: Regulation 1122/2025 applies to recreational docks managed directly by APL. Another operator's terms must be checked for a berth elsewhere around Lisbon or Cascais. As a practical recommendation, identify who manages the exact facility, obtain permission for your boat and ownership, and keep that evidence separate from the acquisition agreement and national registration documents. (Diário da República)
No: the tariff describes prices for allocated permanent berths, while the regulation places new permanent-berth requests in its waiting-list procedure. Neither source establishes current vacancies or an individual allocation date. As a practical recommendation, obtain the operator's answer for your actual boat before using an annual price in a firm ownership plan or treating continued occupation as agreed. (APL – Porto de Lisboa)
The APL tariff uses beam as well as length, and exceeding either limit changes the applicable class. Its published examples distinguish a narrower and wider class at the same length. As a practical recommendation, submit the actual dimensions and ask the operator which class applies. Confirm the authorised stay and applicable tax before treating a brochure figure as the complete quotation. (APL – Porto de Lisboa)
Repair or maintenance work capable of causing noise or pollution needs express authorisation under Article 8. As a practical recommendation, describe the proposed activity to the operator before booking attendance and ask whether work must take place elsewhere. Agree the separate professional inspection scope and access arrangements in writing so that local work permission is not confused with acceptance of the boat's condition. (Diário da República)
DGRM requires acquisition evidence and a copy of the booklet or equivalent still identifying the seller; the future owner or legal representative applies. As a practical recommendation, compare boat and owner details before signing and retain submission evidence. This national transfer application should be organised separately from notifying the berth operator and obtaining permission for occupation after the sale. (DGRM)
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
RIVA SUPER OPERA 85 About SPYRO Introducing the 25.9-meter motor yacht SPYRO, a stunning Riva 85 Opera crafted in Italy by the prestigious Riva shipyard.
Check it yourself
APL directly managed recreational docks: berth applications, holder and boat scope, charges and occupancy requirements.
2026 berth classes, temporary and allocated-berth prices, utilities and supplementary services.
Ownership-transfer service: applicant, online submission, supporting documents and service-specific costs.
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