ANEN cooperates with the Public Administration in order to minimize the negative effects of Brexit on the Spanish pleasure boat industry

ANEN, as the representative of the nautical companies, is immersed in negotiations with the public sector administrations with an aim to minimize the negative effects of Brexit on pleasure boating. The nautical sector faces a huge challenge both when it comes to the changing economic impact of the British tourists and residents on the nautical activity in Spain, as well as for the importance of the British nautical industry in our country.

At a time when the nautical companies face significant changes in their business dealings with the UK, ANEN has prepared a guide explaining the principal consequences of Brexit for the nautical business activity in Spain.

Nautical qualifications

Since the 1st of January 2021, according to the current Spanish normative, the British citizens are allowed to run British-registered vessels, but their qualifications are no longer valid to control leisure craft with a Spanish flag, since UK is no longer part of EU. The same goes for charter boats.

ANEN is already working with DGMM in order to get the British nautical qualifications recognized in Spain.

Nautical charter

The Spanish normative allows charter yachts to have Spanish or any other EU flag, but since 1st of January 2021 the boats smaller than 14 meters with a UK flag are not allowed to charter in Spanish waters. To do this, the boats will have to change the flag and register the vessel in any of the EU countries.

ANEN is working with the maritime authorities on this point too in order to find solutions and to foster an activity that is becoming more and more important in the nautical sector.

Fiscal situation

The departure of UK from the European Union means, among other things, that the movements of boats between Spain and UK will no longer be considered intra-community operations, but will be subject to customs formalities.

With regard to Matriculation Tax, if a user of a UK-registered vessel is also a UK resident, Matriculation Tax will not be due, as long as the limitations established in the tax regulations are complied with.