Canary Islands - Customs

Canaries Customs Procedures for Yachts

Arriving By Yacht

There are no customs formalities on arrival (other than completing a customs declaration form).

Length of Stay

EU vessels may stay as long as they like in Spain and the Canaries.

Non-EU vessels may only remain for up to 183 days in any 365 day period in Spanish waters.

If wishing to stay longer in a fixed place, it is possible to apply for a precinto voluntario using a Customs agent, which allows the boat to be 'sealed' and not moved, but can be accessed for service work.

Although the Islands are in the EU, they are outside the EU Customs territory, so VAT is not applied here. Instead, there is a specific Sales Tax (IGIC) which has a general rate of 7%. This tax is payable on non-EU boats which remain in use, in the country for more than 18 months.

British cruisers who recently imported their boat into Spain (in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) with the new improved Spanish system, reported the process to be simple. All paperwork is done at Trafico and 12% of the purchase cost (not current value) of the boat needs to be paid.

Other Customs Rules

• There are no restrictions on firearms.
• Customs is concerned about drug trafficking, especially from North Africa, and although they appear to be easy-going, they do keep a close eye on yacht movement.

Importing Spares

Importing spares can unfortunately still be very complicated due to the Canaries’ status as an outermost region, outside the EU VAT area. It is recommended to use an agent if bringing in items of value, since this way the item can both be sent as cargo from airport to airport (each of the islands has at least one!) and arrangements can also be made for the item to be imported to the boat as a vessel in transit, thus avoiding importation taxes.

Courier companies (DHL, FedEx, UPS and TNT) can be rather difficult to work with as they either have in-house customs departments or send off packages to third parties, upon which point, especially recently in the case of FedEx, they can be very difficult to trace. If this route cannot be avoided, be sure to add a contact telephone number on the packaging to avoid the package being held in limbo.

If ordering spares and parts through a chandlery or marine service company, be sure to check the shipping charges as these can sometimes more than double the cost of your order.

Last updated:  September 2024