Traveling around the world in a yacht is a luxury for a lucky few. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you will need to go through a series of legal procedures to import your vessel if you decide to dock at a U.S. port. Whether you are importing the yacht to sell it, or you want to keep the yacht in the United States for your personal use, you will need to complete legal paperwork and pay a duty fee to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer upon your arrival.
Submit proof of ownership of the yacht, such as a Bill of Sale, and a completed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Engine Declaration Form 3520-21, to the CBP officer at the Port of Entry immediately upon making port.
Pay an import duty equal to 1.5 percent of the total value of the yacht to the CBP officer at the Port of Entry. If you have an inflatable vessel on your yacht, pay an additional duty equal to 2.4 percent of the total value of the inflatable vessel to the CBP officer.
If you are importing a yacht larger than 79 feet long for the purpose of reselling it at a boat show, certify to the CBP that you are reselling the yacht at a boat show in a signed statement. Ask the CBP officer to defer duty payment. Post a six-month bond equal to twice the amount of duty you would have paid. When the yacht is sold, pay the CBP the duty owed on the actual value of the vessel and cancel the bond. If you do not sell the yacht within six months when the bond expires, pay the CBP the duty owed on the actual value of the vessel and cancel the bond.
