My post about sailing to New Caledonia generated a bunch of follow-up posts about exporting your vessel when sailing overseas (and importing upon your return).
Here is the process that I underwent. Your mileage may vary!
blog.arribasail.com/2023/05/exporting-when-sailing-from-australia.html
PS If anyone has successfully managed to sail overseas from Australia the past few years and done so without exporting or importing, then please chime in. Note that it is possible that your yacht is technically still under customs control (which was my case until I re-imported).
Thanks for that, but what a bureaucratic bunfight. Tough on borders has turned into a governmental stupidstorm. Maybe the guys at Utopia will do an episode on it.
I went through this system last year - export and import. what a waste of over $1000. for literally just box ticking by an agent.No real way around it from what i read and learned from talking too people.
Select to expand quoteSo why does the ABF website state
"Masters of Australian or imported vessels including pleasure craft may be required to 'enter' the vessel for export if the craft is to be sold or positioned overseas."
It says "may" be required not must be required.
I know of Australian registered vessels that are positioned or kept in other countries around the world so I agree that if an Australian registered vessel was to be sold or repositioned in another country it should be exported on departure as the website says.
If you receive advice from an ABF officer whose opinion or direction says you must export your vessel, I believe they are acting outside the advice their website is still stating on the matter of exporting your vessel if you are not intending on selling or basing your vessel in another country. If you intend to live aboard and keep cruising or return your vessel home when your cruise is finished you shouldn't have to burden the ABF with this unnecessary paper work.
The ABF officer I spoke to today in Coffs Harbour is also of the opinion that we need to export our vessel and stated it has always been the case as with taking goods out of the country but was not inforced. It was pointless to carry on any discussion with this officer as he was quite definite and even said the website advice has changed.
It clearly has not changed to advise that every departing vessel must have export documentation lodged.
This is far too much unnecessary red tape so I suggest that anyone intending to depart in the near future, should get clarity further up the food chain from the ABF officer if their opinion involves exporting as part of your clearance procedure.
Contacting your federal local member over this issue could also action better clarity on the ABF website and knowledge by their officers of what is required. Acting this way usually works top down in a government department and I find generally has better outcomes.
A friend departed Adelaide last year to sail solo non stop around the world and didn't face this issue. The only issue he did have was that he couldn't take the ships cat with him. He was told by quarantine he wasn't allowed to bring his cat back into Australia unless he had the necessary clearance papers for his cat issued by another country! But that's a different bureaucracy anyway.
When I go to one ABF page it was last updated on 11 February 2021, maybe things are not current but who knows?
On a second look the most recent page with "Masters of Australian or imported vessels including pleasure craft may be required to 'enter' the vessel for export if the craft is to be sold or positioned overseas." was Last updated: 8 June 2023
So the one that seems as though the note saying exporting is only required for selling oveseas is very recent. Maybe they have woken up to the idicoy of the whole rigmarole. I hope so, I want to sail offshore next year.
On a third look - the link that Arriba had on his blog
www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/entering-and-leaving-by-sea/yachts-and-pleasure-craft
does now NOT have the following text that he quotes
"When a small craft departs Australia for a place overseas, the vessel is exported and an export declaration is required. You should lodge the export declaration, and present the export declaration number (EDN) to the ABF, before requesting ABF clearance."
Now the only thing I can find about yachts is "may be required to 'enter' the vessel for export if the craft is to be sold or positioned overseas."I certainly don't doubt Arriba (and I thank him for his blog) but maybe the powers that be watched Utopia or Yes Minister and actually fixed the system. As I stated above, the page was amended only this month so things could be moving in the right direction (or I could be wrong).
i pinned this article years ago, yep its old but i think the reasoning is relevant:
www.mysailing.com.au/exporting-and-importing-what-are-the-rules/
i always assumed you could go from AUS and come back in without too much hassle.?
The Go East rally have that you must export your yacht when leaving. Their link takes you straight to a customs broker, no explanation. The rally left (May) before the new page was uploaded (June)
www.downunderrally.com/frequently-asked-questions-east
the form they say they fill in for you is a B957
www.abf.gov.au/form-listing/forms/b957.pdf
Thanks Scruzin for all you effort on this. I tried two of your links
Yachts and pleasure craft
Export Advice - Factsheet - Small craft
on your blog post. They don't work for me.
I think the issue is in consulting individual ABF officers and their opinions on whether a vessel itself is considered a goods item that requires export but the website recognises the vessel as a mode of transport rather than an exportable goods item itself.
I think we need clarification on why every other vessel ie Australian flagged aircraft and ships departing daily for overseas destinations aren't exported (and imported) so why are we being targeted. On the ABF website there is a link to contact the 3 federal ministers that are responsible for the ABF. If enough of us write to the ministers and visit their local federal rep then we should get this resolved and reinstate the way its always been with our vessels.
Select to expand quoteKankama said..
Thanks Scruzin for all you effort on this. I tried two of your links
Yachts and pleasure craft
Export Advice - Factsheet - Small craft
on your blog post. They don't work for me.
Oops. Here are the links.
www.arribasail.com/static/dl/2022-ABF-Yachts-and-pleasure-craft.pdf
www.arribasail.com/static/dl/2022-EXPORT-ADVICE-FACTSHEET-SMALLCRAFT.pdf
These are copies of ABF documents that were in effect in 2022.
An excerpt from the first document:
When a small craft departs Australia for a place overseas, the vessel is exported and an export declaration is required. You should lodge the export declaration, and present the export declaration number (EDN) to the ABF, before requesting ABF clearance.
Select to expand quoteAmbler said..
I think the issue is in consulting individual ABF officers and their opinions on whether a vessel itself is considered a goods item that requires export but the website recognises the vessel as a mode of transport rather than an exportable goods item itself.
I think we need clarification on why every other vessel ie Australian flagged aircraft and ships departing daily for overseas destinations aren't exported (and imported) so why are we being targeted. On the ABF website there is a link to contact the 3 federal ministers that are responsible for the ABF. If enough of us write to the ministers and visit their local federal rep then we should get this resolved and reinstate the way its always been with our vessels.
A quick survey at what other Anglo countries require (or don't require), shows that Australia is an outlier for the treatment of "small craft" as import/export commodities:
US
Summary: Notify Customs and Border Protection (CBP). No mention of importing/exporting.
URL: www.cbp.gov/travel/pleasure-boats-private-flyers/pleasure-boat-overview
UK
Summary: Submit a Pleasure Craft Report (sPCR). No mention of importing/exporting.
URL: www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/entry-exit-formalities
NZ
Summary: Vessel must be registered as a New Zealand ship with the Registrar of Ships at Maritime NZ and have had a safety inspection. Must then notify Maritime NZ. No mention of importing/exporting.
URL: www.maritimenz.govt.nz/recreational/boating-basics/taking-your-boat-overseas
