1. Commercial yachts with EU and Croatian flags will be allowed to perform charter in Croatia, but only through charter companies or registered ship agents. Before coming to Croatia, however, a specific procedure will be required. For more details please email us to info@yachtwelfare.it.

2. Regarding commercial yachts with non EU flags, only those over 40mt in length will be allowed to perform charters in Croatia, but will be required to obtain a charter license. The cost of charter licenses will be approx. 300/400euros. The procedure of issuing the license might take up to several months. The license will be valid for 1 year. Also, the number of licenses issued will be limited and issued on a “first come, first serve” basis. So far for 2014, the total number of licenses stands at approx. 300.
Please note that based on the above info commercial yachts under 40m in length with a non-EU flag will NOT be able to start charters any longer in Croatia. Those yachts will be allowed only to disembark their guests in Croatia. Yachts with non EU flag over 40m in length will be able to embark guests in Croatia only if they obtain a charter license!

3. Private yachts will be able to embark and disembark their guests in Croatia regardless of flag. In cases where the owner and family members are not onboard, the Captain will have to have an authorized list of people with 1) names of guests and 2) length of time that these guests will spend on the yacht. This list of people will have to be authorized by the Captain’s signature and yacht’s stamp.

4. At this point VAT for charter activities in Croatia is 13%, but we are still waiting from the Croatian Tax Revenue Office for all the complete info regarding total VAT % and procedures as well as on how tax collection will be performed.

According to Article 11(1) of the Law Decree No. 76/2013 from 28th June (published in the Official Gazette No. 150), the planned one percentage point increase in the main rate of VAT (value-added tax) from 21% to 22% has become effective on 1st October 2013 (more info here).
Despite of this all EU/non-EU fiscal represented subjects with commercially registered charter yachts won’t be much affected by the increase as the VAT rate is still at a very reasonable level (new rate 6.6% only, in any case lower than in France where VAT rate is at 9.8%) and this should encourage anybody to pick-up charters in Italy!
See here the new up-to-date VAT Application Table here

Some examples of VAT application:


1. Motor Yacht (M/Y) with a length of 65 meters. Charter Fees: 200.000,00 euros.
VAT to be paid in Italy = 13.200,00 euros (VAT at 6.6% rate = 22% on 30% of Charter Fees)

2. Sailing Yacht (S/Y) with a length of 40 meters. Charter Fees: 120.000,00 euros.
VAT to be paid in Italy = 7.920,00 euros (VAT at 6.6% rate = 22% on 30% of Charter Fees)

3. Motor Yacht (M/Y) with a length of 23 meters. Charter Fees: 40.000,00 euros.
VAT to be paid in Italy = 3.520,00 euros (VAT at 8.8% rate = 22% on 40% of Charter Fees)

General Principles: here some indications on how VAT is to be applied for EU charters:
– Charter starts and finishes in Italy and remains within 12 miles of the Italian Coast, VAT at the full rate of 22% will apply.
– Charter starts and finishes in Italy but, at some point, cruises 12 miles offshore into non-Italian Territorial Waters, VAT at a reduced rate of 6.6% will apply.
– Charter starts in another EU state before entering Italian waters, it is the VAT applicable in that state that will apply.
– Charter starts outside the EU (e.g. Montenegro, Turkey) and then enters Italian Waters, then VAT at the reduced rate of 6.6% will apply only to the portion of the charter taking place in Italy, providing it is demonstrable.
– Charter starts in an Italian port but then cruises to a non-EU state, VAT at the reduced rate of 6.6% will only apply to the portion of the charter taking place in Italian Waters.

It’s an excellent news! There is finally clarity about the VAT in Italy and commercially registered charter yachts will actually benefit from it !
By appointing a fiscal representative commercial yachts can now discharge all VAT on purchases made in Italy, like fuel, provisioning, spare-parts, repairs, etc.
The VAT rate is at a very reasonable level and that should encourage all charterers ”