An update on ports opening around Europe

With various European countries beginning to relax restrictions and some ports reopening for business, yachts are starting to move again within European waters. With changes happening quickly and each country adopting its own guidelines it can be difficult to keep up. Here are the headline updates for key European locations. This information was correct at the time of publishing.

ITALY

- No EU free movement presently

- The latest Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers was 26 April

- Prohibits navigation for recreational and tourist activities to any naval unit registered for private use or exclusive or occasional rental (with or without crew)

- Allows the navigation of all boats to reach their Italian home port, or the transfer of any boat (private or commercial with Italian or foreign flag) between Italian ports or from foreign ports to Italian ports for repair / maintenance, refit work to be carried out on the boat

- Next review expected around 17 May

- Further information from the Italian Government

CROATIA

- From 5 May, yachts over 24 meters are expected to be able to arrive and berth in Croatia – we are yet to see the guidelines for this and await further details

- Further information from the Republic of Croatia Ministry of Tourism

FRANCE

- Decree issued on 20 March allowing movement of private vessels under certain conditions in the Mediterranean, valid from 11 May, subject to further notice on 2 June

- Navigation limited to 54 nautical miles from a vessel’s home port

- Port calls and anchoring of pleasure vessels are authorised at a maximum distance of 54 nautical miles from a vessel’s home port

- Disembarkation on land must adhere to the same land measures

- Pleasure vessels must not carry more than 10 passengers

- Vessels arriving from a foreign port must declare their health status

- Entry into French territorial waters of a vessel with a foreign flag from a port outside the Schengen area remains prohibited if the final destination is a port along the French coast

- Continuous passage remains unaffected

- Further French Foreign Policy information can be read here

SPAIN

Taking a four stage approach:

- Stage 0 (first week of May) - no charter or pleasure yachting can be done

- Stage 1 (from 11 May) - pleasure and commercial yachting can be fulfilled under active natural tourism, but with limited groups and must reside in the same

- Stage 2 (from 25 May) - recreational yachting can be done only with limited groups of people, but these can come from the same province; owners can now freely visit their vessels independently where they are located (always in the same province) to control for security or maintenance reasons

- Stage 3 (from 8 June) - no restrictions apply, however to be given to the local and international Marine Authority restrictions

MALTA

- No free EU movement at present nor on the horizon (ports closed)

- We suspect this will be within the last phase but hoping at some point in June

- Announced on 3 April that they are to defer the due payment date of the relevant Registration Fee and Annual Tonnage Tax of merchant ships (Merchant Shipping Act – First Schedule) for which the anniversary date falls on or after 1 April, by a period of three months from the anniversary

- More information from Transport Malta

MONACO

- Opened up on 4 May and private vessels are allowed to leave the port and return between 9am and 8pm

- More information from Ports de Monaco

GREECE

- Cruise ships are banned from landing in Greek ports. Private sailboat (and yacht) travel between two points within Greece is forbidden, except for private sailboats of less than seven metres

- Sailboats of metres or less may be used (including for open sea swimming), but should not approach islands; nor should you stay overnight on any sailboat

- From 18 March to 23.00 on 15 May, citizens of non-EU countries may not enter Greece

- Upon instructions of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, Greek and EU citizens may enter the country, but a 14-day quarantine starting from the moment of entry to the country applies; persons who violate this obligation will face administrative fines

- The 14-day quarantine is still imposed to any new arrival, until Greece’s return to normalcy

- Departure and docking of private and professional yachts is prohibited at all ports of the country

- Possible suspension of travel restrictions after 18 May; depending on progression of the epidemic

- Further info from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visit Greece and Plan for the gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictive measures

- Further information and news can be found here: UK Government foreign travel advice, 

This update has been carefully prepared and was correct at the time of publication. It has been written in general terms and should be seen as broad guidance only. The article cannot be relied upon to cover specific situations and you should not act, or refrain from acting, upon the information contained therein without obtaining specific professional advice. Please contact Equiom to discuss these matters in the context of your particular circumstance. Equiom Group, its partners, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability or duty of care for any loss arising from any action taken or not taken by anyone in reliance on the information in this article or for any decision based on it.

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