Following last week’s Mindbender answer on the Schengen Agreement, the reply we published had some errors in it, for which we apologize. See the note below from my friend, Steve McInnis, with whom I sailed transatlantic. He and his wife Nancy cruise aboard their Hanse 50 Maverick in Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe and the UK every summer and definitely know what the Schengen Agreement is all about. GD
Hi George. Just to be my normal lawyer-stickler, I do not think the Quiz answer in your recent Cruising Compass was entirely correct. Identified as the correct answer to What is the Schengen Agreement is:
The Schengen agreement created a visa-free zone in most of Western Europe, the Baltic states and Scandinavia. It also set regulations for yachts visiting from non-Schengen countries, for visitor visas, time restrictions and how long a boat can be in the Schengen area before the VAT becomes due.
I do not believe the last part of that answer, about VAT and setting regulations for boats, is correct. The Schengen agreement has to do only with people, not things. So it has nothing to do with the 18-month temporary importations rules, which are contained in other EU legislation. It has nothing to do with yachts, unlike what the correspondent says….just sayin’.
Here are some useful resources to learn more about Schengen and travel to Europe:
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/who-needs-schengen-visa/
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/schengen-area_en
https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2018-04/rules_for_private_boats-faq_en.pdf
