Francisation (French registration) of pleasure boats flying a foreign flag

While sailing under a foreign flag once meant many privileges and simplified administrative formalities for French nationals, this is no longer the case today. French or foreign boaters with their tax residence in France are now obliged to comply with French regulations or to have their pleasure boat registered under the French flag (francisé). To support you in your repatriation under the French flag, we decode for you the various procedures and the legislation currently in force.

The end of privileges for foreign boats: the 2016 Act

More flexible in terms of safety and administrative documents, other European countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands attracted French boaters for many years when it came to registering a boat. To name but a few, the Belgian flag allows offshore sailing without a boating licence, the Dutch flag allows sailing with reduced and simplified safety equipment...

European nationals could register their pleasure boat in the State of their choice and only had to comply with the regulations of that flag, regardless of the navigation zone and their country of origin.

In order to encourage the boating sector, Act No. 2016-816 for the blue economy, published on 20 June 2016, changed things for French nationals, as stipulated in Article L. 5241-1-1:

"Whatever their flag, pleasure vessels and personal watercraft belonging to natural or legal persons having their main residence or registered office in France, as well as pleasure vessels and personal watercraft of which such persons have the use, are subject, in French territorial waters, to all the rules relating to boat operator certificates and to the equipment and safety gear applicable on board pleasure vessels and personal watercraft flying the French flag."

In other words, the privileges of flying a foreign flag no longer apply to French residents sailing in French territorial waters. In addition, the French tax (DAFN) is now compulsory, regardless of the boat's country of registration. It is paid in the form of a passport duty. The amount is equal to the DAFN paid by a boater with a boat flying the French flag.

Finally, you should be aware that, in order to clarify registration registers at European level, Belgium (and other foreign governments) sends French owners a deregistration notice if they do not reside mainly on its territory.

What to do to sail legally in France?

• Keep the foreign flag while applying French regulations: take and obtain the boating licence appropriate to the type of sailing desired, fit your boat or PWC (Personal Watercraft: Jet Ski) with the compulsory safety equipment, etc.
• Have your craft registered under the French flag (francisé/immatriculé)

What is francisation?

The acte de francisation is an administrative document that was issued by the Customs Service and which authorised flying the French flag. This meant submitting to French law, both legislative and fiscal (payment of VAT and of the DAFN (which became the TAEMUP in 2025). However, the term "francisation" or "franciser" has remained in French nautical language. The acte de francisation was replaced by the pleasure boat registration certificate on 1 January 2022. Customs are now only involved in the import of a pleasure boat from a non-European country.

Francisation concerns:

• sailing boats and motor boats with a hull length of at least 7 metres and/or with an administrative power of 22 CV or more
• PWC (jet skis, sea scooters, etc.) with an actual power above 90 kW.

This navigation title is valid indefinitely as long as the craft remains under the French flag.

The francisation procedure

Repatriating a pleasure vessel under the French flag is a long and potentially tedious administrative process, but the specialised advisers at Bateau-immatriculation.com are here to help you.

The special case of pleasure boats with no francisation obligation

If your boat is less than 7 metres long and/or has an administrative power of less than 22 CV, or if your PWC is fitted with an engine with an actual power of 90 kW or less, then francisation is not compulsory. It is nevertheless possible to have it repatriated under the French flag. Here too, the procedure is long and potentially complicated. You can entrust your file to us; we will take charge of all these administrative formalities with Customs or Maritime Affairs in order to register the boat and obtain the registration number.