Importing a Used Boat from the UK or Europe to the US

Find the boat and get it surveyed where it sits

Most of the legwork happens before you own anything. A sensible place to start is Jack & Anchor, a UK and European marketplace listing boats for sale across Britain and the Mediterranean, with categories for sailing boats, motorboats, motor yachts, catamarans and RIBs. It also offers a paid BoatCheck report (£49 at the time of writing) that runs hull identity, stolen and outstanding finance checks, which is worth having before you send a deposit to a seller you have never met.

A history check is not a survey, though. Book an independent marine surveyor local to the boat, ask for a written report in English, and have them photograph the builder's plate, the hull identification number and every engine label. You will need those pictures later for the Coast Guard and the EPA, so it is far cheaper to get them now than to fly back.

VAT on the purchase: plan it before delivery

Boats bought from a UK VAT registered seller normally carry VAT, but HMRC lets the sale be zero rated if the boat leaves the country. Under the Sailaway boats notice (703/2), a new or used boat delivered in the UK to an overseas visitor for private use can be zero rated if it is exported under its own power within six months. The seller has to send part 2 of form VAT 436 to HMRC at least two weeks before handing it over, and you get the form certified at your last UK point of departure. The scheme does not cover a boat that leaves on a trailer.

If the boat is going by ship instead, the seller can still zero rate it as a direct export they arrange themselves under VAT Notice 703. Do not assume you can pay VAT now and claim it back from the US later. Sort out the paperwork with the broker before money changes hands, and expect some sellers to ask for a security deposit equal to the VAT until proof of export comes back, which Notice 703/2 specifically allows. I could not confirm the EU side to my own standard, so if you are buying in France, Spain or Italy, ask the broker how they handle export.

Getting it across: shipping or sailing

For trailerable boats the usual choice is roll on, roll off. Kingstown Shipping, a UK forwarder, notes that boats have to travel on a trailer or cradle and that trailer rates tend to be better because cradles often need extra lifting booked at both ports. Bigger boats go lift on, lift off as deck cargo, and mid size powerboats can ride on a flat rack container. Yacht Shipping lists sailings from Southampton and northern European ports to Newport, Baltimore, Jacksonville and Palm Beach, plus Mediterranean loadings from Genoa and Palma.

I have not quoted freight prices here because I could not find a dated, published rate I trust. Ask at least two carriers for a quote with your exact length, beam, weight and keel type. While you are at it, check the insurance terms. Ship Overseas, for example, publishes cover at 1.75% of vessel value with a $1,500 deductible, and transit of 25 to 30 days on the East Coast to Europe run.

Customs entry and duty

A boat arriving as cargo is imported like other goods. CBP's Importing into the United States guide lists the entry papers as CBP Form 7533 or 3461, evidence of your right to make entry, a commercial invoice and a packing list, backed by a customs bond. The entry summary and estimated duty are then due within 10 working days. Most private buyers hand this to a licensed customs broker, and I would too.

Duty comes from Chapter 89 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. In the 2026 schedule the general rates are:

• Sailboats, any length (8903.21 to 8903.23): 1.5%
• Inboard and sterndrive motorboats (8903.31 to 8903.33): 1.5%
• Outboard motorboats: 1%
• Inflatables with a motor (8903.11): 2.4%
• Other small craft not covered above: 2.7%

Those are base rates only. Ask your broker whether any Chapter 99 additional duties apply to the country of origin on your entry date, since those change far more often than the base schedule. If you sail the boat in yourself, CBP's pleasure boat rules require you to report your arrival straight away under 19 CFR 4.2, either through the CBP ROAM app or by phone, The Chapter 89 relief from formal entry covers nonresidents cruising for pleasure, not a US resident bringing a boat home to keep.

Engines: EPA Form 3520-21

This is where European boats most often get stuck. Under 19 CFR 12.74, anyone importing a nonroad engine, including one fitted in a vessel, files EPA Form 3520-21 with the entry. The easy case is an engine carrying an English language EPA label. A European engine without one may qualify as identical to a certified US version, but that route needs an EPA approval letter and at least six months of ownership. Older engines built before the standards applied (1998 for outboards, 2010 for sterndrives and gas inboards) can be exempt, though generally only if they are already in service. The form itself warns that additional requirements may apply in California, so check with CARB before you ship to the West Coast.

Coast Guard: HIN, plates and documentation

A buyer importing for their own use, not for resale, has to get a hull identification number from the state issuing authority and fix it to the boat, per 33 CFR 181. US HINs are 12 characters. The rule lets importers use a foreign HIN system the Coast Guard has accepted, but a private buyer should confirm with the state office before assuming the existing number will do.

Power monohulls under 20 feet also fall under the capacity plate rules in 33 CFR 183, and boats with gasoline inboard or sterndrive engines must meet its electrical and fuel system standards. A European boat built to the CE rules will not automatically meet these, and its shore power system will be built for 230 V at 50 Hz, according to Electrical Safety First, against 120 V at 60 Hz in the United States. Budget for an inlet, charger or isolation transformer before you plug into a US dock.

If you want federal documentation, a foreign built boat can get a recreational endorsement under 46 USC 12114, which limits it to pleasure use. A coastwise endorsement, which you need to carry paying passengers or cargo between US ports, generally requires a US built vessel under 46 USC 12112. That alone rules out a European boat for most charter plans.

Is it worth it?

For a cruising sailboat or a European built motor yacht that rarely turns up here, often yes. For a small outboard boat that sells everywhere, the duty, freight, broker and refit bills usually wipe out the saving. Price the same model on our Beneteau, Oyster and Prestige pages, or browse sailboats and cabin cruisers, before you commit. Jack & Anchor's listings are the quickest way to see what the UK side of the comparison looks like.