Act of francization of a pleasure boat: procedures, obligations and
cases of exemption

The maritime equivalent of a vehicle's registration document, the acte de francisation (certificate of registration under the French flag) is a navigation title, much like a vehicle registration certificate, essential for legal navigation.
However, this administrative document is only mandatory in certain cases, depending on the type of vessel, hull length, and engine power.

For which pleasure boats and personal watercraft is the acte de francisation mandatory? Who is concerned by this administrative document? How can it be obtained? Regarding the annual tax for French-flagged boats, what exemptions are possible?

Our service dedicated to pleasure boaters and nautical professionals assists you in your procedures for obtaining the acte de francisation.

The francization certificate is an authorization to fly the French flag issued by the Customs Services. Not to be confused with boat registration!

When a pleasure craft is francized, it is subject to French law. Its owner must then apply the regulations in force in France, both legislatively and fiscally, and pay the Annual Tax on Maritime Personal Use Vehicles (TAEMUP, formerly Annual Francization and Navigation Duty – DAFN), often called Francization Tax.

The francization certificate, valid for the entire life of the boat as long as it flies the French flag, is attached to the boat and its owner. Any change (change of ownership, change of administrative situation, engine replacement, modification of hull length, etc.) must be brought to the attention of the Customs Office.
A new francization certificate is then issued, replacing the previous one.

The navigator, owner or lessee, must always be in possession of the administrative document: when the boat is on the water as well as during land transport, during towing! The francization certificate must be able to be presented at any time to the authorized control agent, upon request.

• All sailboats and motorboats with a hull length of 7 meters or more, and/or with an administrative power equal to or greater than 22 CV (tax horsepower) must be
  registered under the French flag.
• All PWCs (Personal Watercrafts such as jet skis or sea scooters) with a real power exceeding 90 kW are also subject to this procedure.

In both cases, this applies to new and used vessels – regardless of the vessel's age.

If your vessel does not meet these criteria (hull length less than 7 meters, power less than...), you must nevertheless possess a navigation permit and have registered your boat with the maritime affairs department, the DDTM (Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer).

Registration under the French flag is also essential if your pleasure boat previously flew a foreign flag, or if you intend to navigate in foreign territorial waters.

The French registration of a pleasure boat, new or second-hand, concerns:

• Boats built in one of the European Union countries
• Boats and PWCs whose current owners have paid taxes and import duties.

The boat must also have successfully passed all safety checks. The DEC (Written Declaration of Conformity) validates the boat's conformity for its placement on the European market.

The vessel must also be owned, at least half:

• Either by a national (natural person) of an EU Member State (France or other) or of a State in agreement with the EEA (European Economic Area), whose main residence is established in France or who has chosen domicile there
• Or by a company (legal person) whose registered office is established in France, in a European Union Member State, or in an EEA State.

If this is not your case, we offer a domicile election service in French territory, allowing us to register your boat and become your contact with the administrations.

1. Gather the required documents
2. File an application with the customs office
3. Have the deed validated by the DDTM
4. Pay the DAFN, now TAEMUP

• Proof of ownership or bill of sale
• Proof of CE conformity
• Registration certificate
• Proof of identity and address
• Proof of payment of import duties if outside the EU

New address, engine or flag change, change of ownership… You can report an administrative change to the francisation certificate at any time. It is even a mandatory step!

Short on time? We offer full support for your administrative procedures in the event of:

The annual French Registration and Navigation Duty (Droit annuel de francisation et de navigation or DAFN), now known as TAEMUP, is a compulsory annual tax for navigation. It applies to all registered vessels and pleasure craft and is often referred to as the French Registration Tax.

The tax is calculated based on the hull length of the sailboat or motorboat, and the administrative power (expressed in administrative horsepower) of the onboard engine(s).

Note: For yachts, a specific tax applies. Please do not hesitate to contact us to find out the amount.

In the months following your purchase, during the first year of boat ownership, you will pay the annual tax pro-rata for the months you have owned the boat.

→ If you only own your boat or PWC from 01/04, you will only pay your francisation tax for 9 months, at the time of purchase, for the period from early April to late December.

Thereafter, you will pay your TAEMUP in full, receiving an annual payment notice by post, at the address indicated during registration, at the beginning of each calendar year.

The TAEMUP allowance may be granted, depending on the age of the boat, if the engine power is less than 100 administrative horsepower. If the annual tax payable is less than €76, you may be exempt from payment.

Finally, it may happen that a change of engine with lower power, when the ownership changes, exempts you from francisation. This is the case, with an engine of less than 22 administrative horsepower for motorboats of 7 meters and more, and less than 90 kW for PWCs.

If you find yourself in this situation, please let us know: our teams will request the deregistration of your vessel in the registry, even if the former owner of the vessel had provided you with the francisation certificate!

Navigation in international waters

Navigation in international waters is permitted for French-flagged vessels, but only if the design category, safety equipment, and the owner's or charterer's qualifications (international waters navigation license) allow it.

The act of francisation for used boats

If the request for francisation applies to a pleasure boat purchased in France or in the EU, the owner has one month from the signing of the bill of sale for pleasure boat to report the administrative change and make the request for francisation of the boat.

For boats purchased in other foreign countries outside the EU, a prior import declaration is necessary to obtain the act of francisation. Customs may also require a conformity assessment of the vessel to justify its placement on the European market.

The act of francisation for foreign boats

Francisation is an essential step for pleasure boats previously under a foreign flag.

However, it is possible for a European or French national, domiciled in France, to keep the previous flag: this is provided that they pay the same annual TAEMUP tax. A few years ago, in this specific case, the tax was called DAP, or Passport Duty.

The general information on the cover of the logbook includes: the French registration number and the vessel's identification number, the original name of the boat, the date of French registration and the place where it was validated, and the stamp and signature of the Customs Office.

Boat characteristics:

• Type of boat (yacht, sailboat, motorboat, PWC, etc.)
• Previous names of the vessel
• Series and serial number (unique identifier)
• Name and address of the manufacturer
• Country and year of construction
• Construction materials
• Previous flag and import from a foreign country
• Mode of propulsion (manual, sail, or motor)
• Distinguishing marks
• Tonnage and measurements (hull length, tonnage, etc.).

Engine characteristics:

• Engine brand
• Engine type
• Engine power expressed in actual HP and administrative HP
• Type of fuel used (LPG, diesel, gasoline).

Insurance:

• Company (name and address of the chosen insurance company)
• Insurance contract number.

Information about the owner or co-owners:

• Last name
• First name
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality
• Address
• Occupation.

If the boat belongs to a legal entity rather than a physical person, the company name and address in French territory are required.

If there are two or more co-owners, a section is provided to record their contact details (last name, first name, and address) and the distribution of ownership shares (in %).

Finally, the name of the previous owner, if applicable, must also appear.

Since January 1, 2013, the act of francization for pleasure boats has been a secure digital document presented in this format:

Vessel Identification:

• Vessel name
• Francization number, issued by Customs upon request
• Boat registration number, issued by the DDTM (the first two letters correspond to the registration district and are followed by 6 digits and a key letter. If there is a change of owner AND home port, only the first two letters will be modified when declaring the transfer of ownership)
• Name and location of the Customs Office where the boat was registered.

Vessel Characteristics:

• Type of boat (sailboat, motorboat, yacht, catamaran, jet ski, etc.)
• Model (model name given by the manufacturer)
• Manufacturer (if it is an amateur construction, the potential sale date must appear)
• Modified vessel (yes / no, modifications carried out by an individual or not, and if so, potential sale date)
• Year of boat construction
• WIN number (Watercraft Identification Number): identification number of the boat's hull, which replaces the old HIN and CIN numbers
• Design category: boat's ability to withstand certain navigation conditions (A for ocean, B for offshore, C for coastal, and D for protected waters)
• Hull length in meters
• Hull width in meters
• Total number of engines
• Engine(s) characteristics: brand, model, serial number (unique identifier), actual power expressed in kW, administrative horsepower (CV), fuel used (gasoline, diesel, LPG).

Owner(s) Data:

• Name, first name, address of the owner(s)
• Name, first name, address, and share distribution (in %) of co-owners, if any
• Name, first name, and address of the tenant(s), if applicable.

A section is provided to enter the place and date of the boat's francization, followed by the stamps and signatures of the Departmental Prefect and the Customs Office.