Please be aware that according to information we have received from Spanish health authorities, any clinic or clinician in Spain administering vaccines privately, is not authorised. If you were to consider going for private vaccination, you must ask: who is administering it? is it legal? will I receive a recognised vaccination certificate? which vaccine is it? Please note that if it is ‘Sputnik V’ being offered, this is not recognised by either the EMA or the WHO, so it’s not valid for travel purposes. The Netherlands and Belgium are about to roll out vaccines to seafarers, while Spain has committed to do the same, though there is, as yet, no timeline. While ESTELA is in no position to offer medical advice, we would urge anyone considering private vaccination to consult a doctor.
Our Palma Superyacht Show Breakfast Seminars are now available to watch online. On three consecutive mornings, a panel of experts discussed wide-ranging topics, from chartering and VAT, to all things Brexit and property investing for seafarers. Day One: Chartering in Spain, VAT, Temporary Admission and TPA: https://youtu.be/x1sPqhHcBbo?t=1215 Day Two: Brexit effect on tax, licensing, certification: https://youtu.be/zGIaLrKWN4M?t=958 Day Three: Personal finance for seafarers; banking, investing, property, and tax planning: https://youtu.be/xpL7XJiwwLM?t=1278 If you have any questions, contact us or put them in the comments and we will ask the panelists to answer.
The EU’s Digital Green Certificate, or ‘COVID passport’ will become available for all EU citizens and residents, as well as for specific categories of travellers from third countries, by July 1st. A number of countries, as well as some regions in Spain, have begun the roll-out, with the rest of the EU Member States expected to implement the system in the coming weeks. Intended to eliminate travel restrictions, the ‘passport’ is designed to facilitate travel throughout Europe for vaccinated persons, as well as for people recovered from COVID or tested negative. The single DGC document can be issued in both paper and digital format, comprising either proof of completed COVID vaccination, a NAAT or antigen test certificate, or recovery certificate. Eligible third-country citizens may apply for the certificate through their destination Member State participating in the scheme. Member States are obliged to cover the costs of DGCs, making them free of charge for travellers. The Balearics will make the DGC available from Thursday, 10-Jun.
On the occasion of the Palma Superyacht Show, ESTELA is hosting the first “Captains’ Dinner at the Museum”. This exclusive invitation-only event is for captains and senior officers only. Invitations have gone out, but if we have missed you, we may not have up-to-date contact details for you, so please get in touch! Call us on +34 638 81 68 03 or email dinner@estelayachting.com
On the occasion of the Palma Superyacht Show, ESTELA is pleased to invite you to aseries of free breakfast seminars on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. Come and join us for a pre-Show breakfast and listen to panel discussions on topics that we are regularly asked about by captains and crew. Not only are these events designed as a great way to start the day and meet up with friends and colleagues, but hopefully the conversation will be informative too! These seminars are invitation-only and guests must register* via the dedicated Eventbrite page for each event. Programme Captains’ Breakfast SeminarFriday, 4th June, 09:00-10:30h Chartering in Spain, VAT, Temporary Admission and TPAMiguel Angel Serra, Partner, Albors Galiano Portales SLPAlex Chumillas Amat, Director, Tax Marine & Aviation Spain SLLuis Ayala Navarro, Director, Autoridad Portuaria de MelillaCristina Martinez, Yacht Projects SL Book your place here: http://bit.ly/estelacaptainsbreakfast1 Captains’ Breakfast SeminarSaturday 5th June, 09:00-10:30hBrexit effect on tax, licensing, certification, importation and immigration Miguel Angel Serra, Albors Galiano Portales SLPAlex Chumillas Amat, Tax Marine & Aviation Spain SLJaime Moranta, Agencia Moranta SAKristy Hollingsworth, Estela Shipping Palma SA Book your place here: http://bit.ly/estelacaptainsbreakfast2 Yacht Crew Breakfast SeminarSunday 6th June, 09:00-10:30h Personal finance for seafarers; opportunities in banking, insurance, […]
On the occasion of the Palma Superyacht Show, ESTELA will be hosting two free, invitation-only breakfast seminars at a neighbouring venue. Aside from an agreeable way to start the day and meet up with friends and colleagues, we will host brief presentations and Q&A on topical issues affecting the superyacht industry. Suggested topics of interest include: Chartering in Spain (licensing, VAT and regulations); Brexit effects on yachting (VAT, RYA, employment, travel, taxation, goods importation, flag state issues); COVID challenges and best practice on board. If you have a suggestion for a topic you would like to learn more about from a relevant expert, please tell us at palma@estelashipping.net If your organisation is interested in sponsoring the event and any other of our activities around the Palma Superyacht Show, please contact francesco.gennai@estelashipping.net or telephone +34 638 81 68 03.
First announced last October, in the Balearics an On-Board Health Control Certificate (SSC) is now a requirement for all yachts over 400GT, private or commercial. Previously, the threshold stood at 500GT.Yachts below 400GT are exempt, though it may be advisable — particularly for charter yachts — to certify that the vessel complies with WHO sanitary standards.The SSC covers items such as air, water, aircon, oil and waste systems, medical facilities, food sanitation and bathing facilities. Vessels over 400GT must be able to present a valid SSC to Sanidad, logged on the SHIPSAN platform. For any queries or to arrange your inspection, please contact us onpalma@estelashipping.net
Creams, lotions and other toiletries are considered pharmaceutical products in Spain and can only be imported from outside the EU by licensed medical agencies. If you have previously ordered dermatological or toiletry products directly from UK suppliers, please note that these will now be intercepted and returned by customs, or destroyed. To avoid problems with importation of pharmaceuticals from the UK, please order via the likes of Amazon.co.uk (not third parties on the platform), as these still appear to arrive unhindered. However, please check shipment terms before ordering. Better still; if your products are available from eg. Amazon.de/.es/.fr, order from there instead, to ensure smooth delivery. A handy tool is https://euzon.eu/, which enables you to search all of Amazon’s European sites in one go. If we can help you source anything, please contact us: palma@estelashipping.net
Travelling to or from the UK and need to obtain a PCR test? Courtesy of ESTELA SHIPPING, yacht crew can now get 50% off home test kits from the UK’s largest test provider, RANDOX. The full price of the kit is £120, but apply code ‘estela’ to reduce the price to only £60! For more information and to order your kit, visit https://www.randoxhealth.com/covid-19-home-testing-kit/. At checkout, simply enter the code estela to receive the discounted price. Please feel free to share this post with any friends, family or colleagues in need of a test.
As the ESTELA Shipping name suggests, we provide worldwide freight forwarding services. But did you know we also do airfreight? Whether it is delivering spare parts to berthed or anchored vessels, or the return of spare parts, we can arrange for transportation and documentation. We also offer global end-to-end large cargo services, from Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL) to Airfreight, completing all import/export formalities along the way. ESTELA handles special customs operations, including bonded and free warehouse storage and distribution, as well as temporary imports. Contact us for freight forwarding at: ESTELA Barcelona forwarding.bcn@estelashipping.net ESTELA Palma forwarding.pmi@estelashipping.net
Global travel eligibility checker: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/#(note that all airlines’ policy is guided by IATA)Travel to Spain, general:For general travel to Spain: https://reopen.europa.eu/en/map/ESP/7001Spain health declaration: https://www.spth.gob.es/Balearic health declaration: https://viajarabaleares.ibsalut.es/formulario/Travel to Spain from the UK (any nationality):Spain/UK travel ban (in force until 31-Mar): https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/01/01/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-1.pdf(note that crew joining vessels are exempt, subject to requisite docs)UK government COVID travel guidance for Spain: https://www.gov.uk/foreign…/spain/entry-requirementsBREXIT: NOTICE FOR BRITISH CREW IN SPAINPlease note the following stamping requirements, issued by Spanish immigration police today:Active British crew members already appearing on a crew list DO NOT need to visit immigration to stamp on board and out of Spain. Only when they leave the vessel either temporarily or permanently, must the crew list be updated with the authorities and passports stamped.Non-active crew members currently in Spain, not appearing on any crew list, ARE NOT required to have their passports stamped, until they join a vessel.In summary, any change in crew list involving British crew, requires a stamp*. A representative can visit immigration on crew’s behalf; they are not required to attend in person.*Except official residents of SpainSpain’s UK Travel Ban Excludes SeafarersA new BOE was issued on 1st Jan by the Spanish government, stating that crew are now exempt from the […]
Brexit: UK-flagged yachts and VAT Having left the EU customs territory from the start of 2021, the UK is now considered a ‘third country’, affecting the VAT treatment of UK-flagged yachts in EU waters. Likewise, the treatment of EU-flagged yachts entering British waters is also affected. The change means UK-flagged vessels are now treated by the EU like any other non-EU flagged pleasure craft. A UK resident buying a new boat from a UK dealer for export A resident of the UK can buy a new yacht from a dealer in the UK ex-VAT, as long as the boat is delivered to the buyer outside of British waters. If bringing the boat into the EU, it can be imported under the Temporary Admission (TA) regime without paying VAT for up to 18 months. The boat can not charter or change ownership while in the EU under TA. Taking a UK VAT-paid yacht into EU waters The yacht is entitled to enter EU waters under TA, provided that the owner and/or captain are UK residents and the owner is on board upon entry. (Vice versa, EU residents may enter British waters under TA VAT-free for up to 18 months). Where a […]
As official ‘consignatario’ port agents, ESTELA is authorised to offer Cast-to-Master service. Owners and managers can send money to us by bank transfer, enabling captains to withdraw cash on demand, as and when they need it. CTM is available in all ESTELA locations. For more details about our CTM service, please contact us. palma@estelashipping.net
With national lockdowns and border closures on the increase, international travel is again becoming more complicated. While seafarers are generally exempt from restrictions designed to curtail tourism, carrying a travel letter from a licensed ‘consignatario’, setting out your reason for travel, can be helpful when boarding flights and crossing borders. For more information or to request your travel letter, please get in touch. Equally, when stamping off your boat and re-entering the Schengen zone, we can assist with the documentation required by Spain’s immigration police. palma@superyachts.agency
So confident of the Canaries’ potential as a superyacht destination are we, that ESTELA Shipping have now opened an office in Lanzarote! In partnership with Calero Marinas, we have appointed Monica Iren Lungard as our local representative, to support our superyacht clients and provide the same high standard of service that ESTELA already offers in Palma, Gibraltar, Barcelona and Panama. Monica joined Calero as an administrator two years ago and has been living in the Canary Islands for eight years, the past six of which in Lanzarote. She has also lived in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, giving her great insight into what the islands have to offer. A Norwegian national, Monica speaks fluent English and Spanish. She can be reached by telephone/WhatsApp on: +34 660 54 89 74 or by email at: monica.iren@estelashipping.net
For yachts planning on spending the winter in Europe, consider berthing in Melilla. The Spanish city on the North African Med coast offers a multitude of benefits to visiting yachts, for short or long stays. Just 95 nautical miles from Almería, Melilla’s airport is only 2.5 kilometers from the city with direct flights to Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Seville and Almería. The port enjoys state-of-the-art security, with 400 berths, 12m draft and a dock of 240m, suitable for yachts of any length. There are fifteen moorings to accommodate yachts of up to 50 meters. For yachts up to 50m LOA and 10m beam, a 30-day stay costs just €2,263. The 90-day rate falls to €6,790, or €21,969 for a full year. For smaller yachts up to 30m LOA and 7m beam, these rates are respectively €978, €2,933 and €9,491, inclusive of taxes. Melilla is part of the EU, but not of the Customs Territory of the Union (TAU) or the Territory of VAT application (TAIVA), making it a useful point in the exit of TAU, for the purpose of finalising ‘Temporary Admission’ (RIT) and the Inward Processing Regime (RPA). Neither is Melilla part of the Territory of Application of […]
Any non-European crew requiring a visa in order to fly in and join a yacht will know that Spain has not been the optimal Schengen zone country to arrive in first. Spanish authorities have in the past offered only Transit Visas with two-day validity to travel through the zone. However, this changed earlier this year… While there was no fanfare at the time, the introduction of a new Schengen Visa Code in February meant that Spain joined other Schengen members in issuing 90-day, multi-entry Schengen visas! No longer must you plan to arrive first in France, Germany or elsewhere for your 90-day ‘golden’ visa, to enjoy the freedom to move freely around Europe or leave and re-enter in your time off. Another change the new code brought in is that you can now apply SIX MONTHS in advance of your intended arrival, compared with three months previously. This means that you can start planning your 2021 season already and get your visa in place. (The latest you can apply for it is 15 calendar days before your trip) For assistance with your 90-day Schengen visa application and to obtain the required invitation letter, please contact us at palma@estelashipping.net
September is looming into view already, signalling the final weeks of the usual Mediterranean season. But this season has been anything but ‘usual’, with many trips curtailed or cancelled altogether, due to the wretched coronavirus. So, here’s a suggestion for owners and charterers to spend some bonus time on board this year, in a safe destination and with warm weather. Without crossing the Atlantic. The Canary Islands have much to offer cruising yachts and their guests. Long established as a stop-off for passing transatlantic traffic, this archipelago boasts enormous biodiversity and natural beauty, as well as cultural and architectural variety. The icing on the cake is a year-round warm climate and more Michelin-starred restaurants per square inch than you’ll find in many yachting hotspots. Click here to read the Canary Islands chapter of the latest edition of ‘The Y Yachting Itineraries’. Hard copies of the guide are now available, so please contact us for your copy.
Looking beyond the imminent Mediterranean cruising and charter season, you may need to complete your TA and exit EU waters later this year. Consider doing this by visiting Melilla. Melilla is part of Spain, but is not in the Customs Territory of the EU (TAU) or the Territory of VAT application (TAIVA). This makes it a useful point in finalising Temporary Admission, as part of the Inward Processing Regime (RPA). Why not spare yourself the usual ‘cost of doing business’ in Algeria, with the associated inconvenience, and instead enjoy Melilla’s renowned hospitality and professionalism! And, in the event that coronavirus is still a cross-border problem to contend with, you will also avoid the need to quarantine upon your return to Spain. Oh, and as Melilla is part of the Territory of Application of Special Taxes (TAIIEE), you’ll find it very advantageous for tax-free refuelling and provisioning too! Contact us for assistance or information.