Guide to Buying a Boat in Italy

Are you looking to buy a motorboat or a sailboat? Buying a boat abroad might be an appealing idea. In a neighboring or border country, like Italy, you might have the opportunity to find the vessel you like: a boat in better condition, a unit with fewer engine hours, or simply a different model.

Be careful, however: buying a pleasure craft registered in Italy, while generally not more complicated, requires completing a few formalities. Let's go through the important things to know together in this guide to buying a boat in Italy.

Two scenarios need to be distinguished: one where you acquire a new unit that was put into service for the first time less than 3 months ago or has sailed less than 100 hours in total, and one where you buy a used boat.

Depending on your situation and the hull length of your boat, whether it is less than or greater than 7.50 meters, the administrative procedures to be completed will not be the same.

In the case of a new boat purchase and delivery or registration in France, VAT will be due to the French tax authorities. An invoice must therefore be issued including the legal basis. Generally, you will find Article 138 of DIRECTIVE 2006/112/EC, concerning the VAT-exempt acquisition of intra-Community means of transport.

The purchase of a pleasure boat from an Italian professional does not involve any differences, except for the payment of VAT, which will be settled at a later stage, compared to a new boat purchase in France.

While in most cases, buying a boat in Italy is similar to acquiring a vessel in a European Union member country, purchasing a boat registered in 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 import of a boat from a country outside the European Union. If this applies to you, I invite you to contact our team before finalizing your acquisition.

When buying a boat in Italy, you may find yourself in two different situations: it may be a unit registered in Italy and already have a registration, or the vessel may be under "natanti" status, which refers to a boat without registration. Let's explore these two distinct cases together.

It's all about size.

Indeed, there are two very specific statuses: on the one hand, "natanti" boats, a term designating a vessel with a hull length of 10 meters or less, which is not formally registered. On the other hand, boats over 10 meters that have a navigation certificate issued by the Italian authorities, valid internationally.
It is worth noting 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.

With "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 not actually registered and simply has no flag!

If the owner of a boat with "natanti" status wishes to travel 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 those with "natanti" status, are mandatory insured.

Many people wonder whether or not it is possible to buy an unregistered boat in Italy. 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 thankfully so! However, in this case, it is important to ensure that you have all the documents to prove ownership of the boat. It is still essential to make sure 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.

The power statement is a document detailing the engine's specifications. It is issued by the engine's manufacturer or dealer in Italy. You will find the power in kW and horsepower, the number of pistons, the piston stroke and bore, the serial number, and many other pieces of information. The engine's Italian fiscal horsepower is also detailed. Please note that this has no relation to the fiscal horsepower used in the calculation of the annual tax on pleasure craft (TAEMP, formerly DAFN).

Since a proper ownership title does not exist for "natanti" (boats not registered in the nautical registry), it will be necessary to prove that the boat is insured and that the engine's serial number, indicated on the dichiarazione di potenza (power declaration), 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 a welcome addition to the aforementioned documents…

Let's say it all depends on the vessel and its owner. For example, if the Italian boat you are looking at is more than 10 meters in hull length, sails 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 case to be studied carefully! Similarly, an Italian boat, owned by an Italian citizen in French waters without registration, is not compliant: once again, you will need to precisely analyze the documents provided by the seller.

Yes, it is mandatory for a registered and licensed boat. However, 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 formalize the sale. The bill of sale will have to be validated by an Italian notary, and it may be useful for you to anticipate the costs this could incur. This is one of the constraints imposed by the Italian government!

When the boat is registered with a port authority or one of the maritime district offices, the protocol is completely different. Italian regulations for boat registration or deregistration involve a series of procedures and checks with several administrations, leading to a processing time that can extend over several months. The administrative procedures for deregistering the Italian flag are particular and should be carried out correctly: failure to follow the proper order of the various steps can result in a fine.

When buying a boat already registered in Italy, one might wonder whether to keep the Italian flag for their vessel or not. If you do not reside in Italy, there is, in our opinion, little point in registering your boat under the Italian flag: taxes on resale, lengthy and costly registration procedures... The Italian administration is not simple, and there are few advantages to registering your boat in Italy.

Do you want to carry out the administrative procedures to register your boat purchased in Italy in France, or choose the most suitable flag for your project? Our team can help you!

If you wish to de-register your boat from the Italian flag, please be aware that this is a rather complicated procedure. Indeed, only an agency approved by the Italian government is able to carry out the procedures 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!

The procedure for deregistering a boat registered under the Italian flag involves two steps: first, authorization to deregister the flag, called a Nulla Osta, is issued. Unfortunately, this document is 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 about the deregistration procedure 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 definitive deregistration or at least that it is the document proving that the boat is flag-free, which is both true and not entirely true, depending on what you want to do with it afterwards.

As far as registering the boat in another country is concerned, the Nulla Osta is not sufficient.

It is in this second phase that the owner registered with the Italian flag officially obtains authorization to sell their boat abroad. The Italian authorities then request proof of the boat's registration in the target registry (chosen by the buyer) in order to permanently deregister the boat. However, in reality, this step can be avoided. In this case, many registries do not accept (the French registry included) to register a boat without proof that it is formally free of 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 completely deregistering the vessel.