Guide to buying a boat in Italy
Are you looking to purchase a motorboat or a sailboat? Buying a boat abroad is an idea that might tempt you. In a neighboring or bordering country, such as Italy, you may have the opportunity to find the vessel that suits you: a boat in better condition, a unit with fewer engine hours, or simply a different model.
Caution, however: while purchasing a pleasure craft registered in Italy is generally not more complicated, it requires completing a few formalities. Let’s walk through the important elements to know together in this guide to buying a boat in Italy.
Two scenarios should be distinguished: one where you purchase a new unit, which was put into service for the first time less than 3 months ago or has sailed for less than 100 hours in total, and one where you purchase a used boat.
Depending on your situation and the hull length of your boat, under or over 7.50 meters, the administrative procedures to be carried out will not be the same.
Buying a new boat in Italy
In the case of buying a new boat and delivery or registration in France, VAT must be paid to the French tax authorities. An invoice must therefore be issued containing the legal basis. Generally, you will find Article 138 of DIRECTIVE 2006/112/EC, regarding the VAT-exempt acquisition of intra-Community means of transport.
Buying a pleasure craft from an Italian professional involves no differences, except for the settlement of VAT, which will be done at a later stage compared to buying a new boat in France.
Special cases for buying a new or used boat in Italy
While in the majority of cases, buying a boat in Italy is similar to acquiring a vessel in a member country of the European Community, buying a boat registered in the territories of Livigno, Campione d’Italia, or in the Italian waters of Lake Lugano is not subject to the same formalities. In these specific cases, the purchase is considered an importation of a boat from a country outside the European Community. If this is your case, I invite you to contact our team before finalizing your acquisition.
Buying a used boat in Italy: two administrative situations to distinguish
When buying a boat in Italy, you may find yourself in two different situations: it could be a unit registered in Italy and already having a registration, or the vessel could be under "natanti" status, which designates a boat without registration. Let’s explore these two distinct cases together.
Is a boat bought in Italy necessarily registered?
It is all a matter of dimensions.
There are indeed two very specific statuses: on one hand, "natanti" boats, a term that designates a vessel with a hull length of 10 meters or less, which is not strictly registered. On the other hand, boats over 10 meters have a navigation title issued by the Italian authorities, which is valid internationally.
Note that it is possible to register a vessel in Italy directly with the authorities represented in the ports. Depending on the type of registration, the acquisition of the boat in Italy will be carried out in a completely different way.
The "natanti" status
With the "natanti" status, reserved for boats with a hull length of less than 10 meters, the vessel can only sail in Italian national waters, within 12 nautical miles of the coast, i.e., Italian territorial waters. The boat is effectively not registered and simply has no flag!
If the owner of a boat with "natanti" status wishes to go outside Italian waters, they must first register their vessel with the relevant department and provide proof of registration, a navigation permit, and a safety certificate. Unlike French regulations, Italian boats, even of the "natanti" type, must be insured.
Do you wish to register your boat in Italy?
Buying a boat without paperwork in Italy
Many wonder whether it is possible to buy an unregistered boat in Italian territory. What a surprise when the owner or seller of the boat tells you that there is no registration for this boat!
It is of course possible to buy a vessel without a flag in Italy, in other words, a boat under "natanti" status. And fortunately so! However, in this case, it is important to ensure you have all the documents proving ownership of the boat. It is still imperative to ensure that the vessel, according to its specifications, is indeed considered "natanti" and that it has some documents. Consult one of our experts on this subject, by email or by phone.
Dichiarazione di potenza, an important document
The *dichiarazione di potenza* is a document containing the engine's specifications. It is issued by the engine manufacturer or dealer in Italy. You will find the power in kW and horsepower, the number of pistons, the stroke and bore of the pistons, the serial number, and much other information. The Italian fiscal power of the engine is also detailed there. Note that this has no relation to the fiscal power used in the calculation of the annual tax on motorized pleasure craft (TAEMUP, formerly DAFN).
How to prove ownership of the boat when it is not registered?
Since a title of ownership does not strictly exist under "natanti" status, it will be necessary to prove that the boat is well-insured and that the engine serial number indicated on the *dichiarazione di potenza* is the same as the one on the insurance policy. Needless to say, this must be in the name of the person selling you the boat! When purchasing, obtaining a copy of the mooring contract is always welcome in addition to the previous elements…
Calculate the amount of your passport fee or DAFN (TAEMUP) here
Is there a risk in buying a boat without registration in Italy?
Let's say it all depends on the vessel and its owner. For example, if the Italian boat you are targeting is over 10 meters in hull length, navigates in Italian waters, and its owner is unable to provide a document proving that the boat is deregistered or registered in another country, you can consider this a file to be studied with care! Likewise, an Italian boat owned by an Italian citizen in French waters without registration is not compliant: once again, you will need to carefully analyze the documents made available to you by the seller.
Is it necessary to see a notary to buy a boat in Italy?
Yes, it is mandatory for a registered boat that has a registration. On the other hand, it will not be necessary under "natanti" status. You will need to use a notary if you wish to buy a vessel in Italy to make the sale official. The bill of sale must be validated by an Italian notary, and it may be useful to anticipate the costs this might entail. This is one of the constraints imposed by the Italian government!
Buying a boat registered in Italy
When the boat is registered with a port authority or one of the maritime district offices, the protocol is quite different. Italian regulations regarding the registration or deregistration of a boat are a series of steps and checks with several administrations, leading to a processing time that can span several months. The administrative steps for the deregistration of the Italian flag are specific and deserve to be carried out the right way: in case of non-compliance with the correct order of the different stages, a fine may be incurred.
Keeping the Italian flag for a boat bought in Italy
When you buy a boat already registered in Italy, you may wonder if it is worth keeping the Italian flag for your unit. If you do not reside in Italy, there is, in our opinion, little interest in registering your boat under the Italian flag: resale taxes, long and expensive registration procedures… The Italian administration is not simple, and the advantages of registering your boat in Italy are few.
Do you wish to carry out the administrative procedures to register your boat bought in Italy in France, or choose the navigation flag most suited to your project? Our team can help you!
How to deregister the Italian flag from a boat?
If you wish to deregister the Italian flag from your boat, be aware that it is a fairly complicated procedure. Indeed, only an agency approved by the Italian government is capable of carrying out the steps with the *Capitaneria* where the boat is registered, as well as on the government's online portal. Fortunately for you, we can take care of it!
Step 1 of deregistering the Italian flag: The Nulla Osta
The procedure for deregistering a boat registered under the Italian flag is done in two stages: first, an authorization to deregister the flag, called *Nulla Osta*, is issued. But the document is unfortunately not sufficient to register a boat in France or abroad, and you will need to complete the deregistration procedure to free the vessel from any commitment to the Italian flag. Here are some explanations on the procedure for deregistering from the Italian naval register.
CAUTION: at this stage, the seller is not yet administratively "authorized" to sell their boat abroad.
The *Nulla Osta* is a preliminary authorization for the deregistration of the vessel.
Brokers or sellers often tend to tell you that the *Nulla Osta* is a final deregistration or at least that it is the document proving that the boat is free of its flag, which is both true and not quite true, depending entirely on what you want to do with it afterward.
Regarding the registration of the boat in another country, the *Nulla Osta* is not sufficient.
Step 2 of deregistering the Italian flag: the final deregistration
It is in this second phase that the owner registered under the Italian flag officially obtains the authorization to sell their boat abroad. The Italian authorities then request proof of registration of the boat in the target register (chosen by the buyer) in order to deregister the boat definitively. However, in reality, this step can be avoided. In this case, many registers do not accept (including the French register) to register a boat without proof that it is formally free of its flag.
Italy is not the only European country to proceed in this way: the Portuguese authorities have a similar system requiring the target flag to provide proof of registration before deregistering the vessel in its entirety.
Project to buy a boat in Italy?