Greece Yacht Charter Law 2026: The Post-2025 License Changes

Q: What is the TEPAH tax in Greece?

TEPAH (Cruising Tax on Pleasure and Recreational Vessels) is the Greek tax on yacht cruising in Greek waters. It applies to yachts above 7 meters and is scaled by LOA, with a per-meter daily rate during the months of operation. For a 40m yacht the monthly TEPAH runs roughly €4,800 to €6,400 in 2026 [VERIFY against the 2026 Greek tax authority TEPAH schedule]. The tax is paid by the yacht owner or operator, not directly by the charter client.

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The 2025 update to the Greek charter license framework was published in August 2025 and took effect for the 2026 charter season, with three operationally relevant changes: a tightening of the documentation required for non-Greek-flag yacht charters, a clarification of the TEPAH cruising tax for vessels above 24 meters, and a procedural change at the harbor master offices for the charter license endorsement on arrival. The 2026 Greek charter at 40m carries roughly 24 percent VAT on the base fee, €4,800 to €6,400 per month of TEPAH cruising tax payable by the yacht operator, and a charter license framework that, for the 2026 season, looks more like the French framework than the more permissive Croatian one. This piece is the operational read for a 2026 charter party considering the Greek route and for the broker quoting it.

Data here is from the published 2025 Greek charter framework update, the 2026 tax authority TEPAH schedule [VERIFY against current schedule], 2025 charter invoices from Greek charter operators, and direct conversations with two Greek-based brokers and a charter operator running the Athens and Mykonos bases. Where 2026 final values are subject to revision we mark inline.

What the 2025 update actually changed

Three substantive changes plus a series of procedural clarifications. The headline three:

Documentation requirements for non-Greek-flag charter. The 2025 update tightened the paperwork required for a foreign-flag yacht operating a charter in Greek waters. The yacht must present at the first port of call: the charter license, the yacht registration, the crew documents, the guest manifest, the MYBA charter contract, and the proof of charter VAT registration. For yachts operating under a Greek-flag charter structure the requirement is procedurally simpler. For yachts operating under a non-Greek-flag bareboat-plus-skipper structure the requirement is more demanding. The intent is to limit the use of bareboat-plus-skipper as a workaround for the commercial charter license.

TEPAH clarification for yachts above 24m. The Cruising Tax on Pleasure and Recreational Vessels (TEPAH) was clarified for the larger LOA brackets. The 2025 update specified the monthly rate for yachts in the 24m to 50m and above 50m brackets and clarified the basis on which the tax applies during charter operation (the operator pays, not the charter client, but the cost flows through the charter pricing).

Harbor master endorsement. The 2025 update standardized the harbor master endorsement procedure at the embarkation port. Previously the procedure varied between Athens (Zea Marina, Flisvos), Mykonos, Rhodes, and Corfu. The 2025 standardization simplified the broker's preparation work but added a half-day clearance requirement at the embarkation port that yachts running tight transition schedules between charters need to account for.

The TEPAH cruising tax in detail

TEPAH is the Greek vessel cruising tax. It applies to all yachts above 7 meters operating in Greek waters during the months of operation. The tax is paid monthly by the yacht owner or operator and the cost flows through to the charter pricing.

The 2026 schedule [VERIFY against the Greek tax authority published rate]:

Yachts 7m to 12m: roughly €16 to €24 per meter per month. Yachts 12m to 24m: roughly €30 to €40 per meter per month. Yachts 24m to 50m: roughly €100 to €130 per meter per month. Yachts above 50m: roughly €160 to €220 per meter per month.

For a 40m yacht operating in Greek waters in August: roughly 40m x €120 = €4,800 per month. For a 60m yacht: roughly 60m x €200 = €12,000 per month.

The tax does not appear on the charter invoice as a line item because it is paid by the operator, not the client. The cost is in the charter pricing. A Greek-based 40m yacht with a €350K weekly summer rate carries roughly €1,200 of TEPAH cost in the rate for the operating week. The broker who explains this is doing the job.

The TEPAH applies whether the yacht is chartering or not, as long as it is in Greek waters during the operating month. The tax is a fixed monthly cost for the operator regardless of the number of charter weeks booked.

The 24 percent charter VAT

Greek charter VAT is 24 percent on the full charter fee where the charter starts in Greek waters. The rate is materially higher than the Croatian 13 percent and the Italian variable rate (roughly 6.6 to 22 percent depending on time spent in non-EU waters and the territorial waters allocation).

The pro-rated reduction. A charter that spends part of the week in non-EU waters (typically Turkey via the Dodecanese, less commonly Albania via Corfu) is taxable on a pro-rated basis. The pro-rating is based on the time in Greek waters versus non-EU waters, calculated per the place-of-supply rules. The structure makes Dodecanese-to-Turkey weeks materially more tax-efficient than pure-Greek-waters weeks. The Turkish extension is the primary VAT-optimization tactic in Greek charter operations.

The Greek 24 percent rate compares unfavorably with Croatia (13 percent) and with the Italian variable rate. The compensating factors: the Greek archipelago offers more anchorages on a single week than any other Mediterranean destination, the Cyclades and the Ionian routes have no Croatian or Italian equivalent, and the Greek operating infrastructure (Athens-Zea, Mykonos, Rhodes) is the most extensive in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Greek-flag versus foreign-flag structure

The Greek charter framework distinguishes between two operating structures:

Greek-flag yacht operating under a Greek charter license. The standard structure for yachts based in Greece. The yacht operator holds a Greek shipping company structure, the yacht is registered under Greek flag, and the charter license is issued by the Greek Maritime Ministry. The procedural complexity is on the operator side. For the charter client the experience is the standard Mediterranean charter contract.

Non-Greek-flag yacht operating under a permitted structure. EU-flag yachts (Malta, Italy, Spain) and certain non-EU-flag yachts may charter in Greek waters subject to the specific framework conditions. The 2025 update tightened the documentation requirements but did not close the route. Maltese-flag yachts running charters out of Athens and Mykonos are the most common non-Greek-flag charter structure in Greece.

The 2025 update emphasis on documentation is the practical change. A non-Greek-flag yacht charter for 2026 should have the documentation pack assembled in May or June for an August charter, not the day before clearance.

The Greek bases

Athens (Zea Marina, Flisvos Marina, Alimos Marina). The mainland charter base for the Saronic and Cycladic routes. Zea sits in central Piraeus, Flisvos sits 6 km south of Piraeus, Alimos sits further south near the airport. Zea handles yachts to 80m on the outside positions. Flisvos handles yachts to 50m. Alimos is the volume charter base for sailing yachts and smaller motor yachts.

Mykonos (Tourlos). The primary Cycladic charter base. Tourlos marina at Mykonos handles yachts to 100m on assignment by the port authority. Charter activity in August is dense. The harbor master has been more selective about overnight assignment since 2024 because of the volume.

Rhodes. The Dodecanese charter base. Rhodes Marina (the new marina at Mandraki) and the commercial port handle yachts to 80m. The base for charters running the Dodecanese and pairing with Turkey.

Corfu. The Ionian charter base. Gouvia Marina handles yachts to 70m. The base for Ionian weeks (Paxos, Antipaxos, Lefkada) and for pairs with Albania.

For 2026 the operational change worth noting: the Mykonos and Athens summer port assignments are being managed more actively by the harbor masters. A charter party arriving without confirmed berthing should expect to anchor offshore or relocate. The broker should confirm the marina assignment in writing before the contract signs.

What a 2026 Cyclades week looks like in cost terms

A 40m motor yacht, 7-day round-trip from Mykonos, 10 guests, August 2026 [VERIFY 2026 40m motor yacht weekly rate Greek charter, low season / shoulder / peak]:

Base charter fee: €280K to €380K.

Charter VAT 24 percent: €67K to €91K.

APA at 30 percent: €84K to €114K. The APA covers fuel, food, port dues, and the in-week incidentals.

Greek port dues for a 7-day Cycladic week: roughly €5K to €12K across Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Naxos.

Crew gratuity at 10 to 15 percent of base: €28K to €57K.

The TEPAH cruising tax: paid by the operator, embedded in the base.

Total Greek-specific tax and fee stack: roughly 24 to 26 percent of the base on top of the base. The VAT is the bulk of it.

What we would change about the standard

We would push the broker to confirm the Greek-flag or foreign-flag operating structure on the proposal call. The procedural friction at the embarkation port depends on the structure. A charter party that wants Sunday-morning embarkation needs the documentation pack assembled the prior week, not the prior day.

We would push the broker to consider the Dodecanese-plus-Turkey week for charter parties price-sensitive to the 24 percent Greek VAT. The pro-rated reduction on the Turkish-waters portion makes the week meaningfully more efficient than the pure-Greek alternative.

We would push the captain to manage the Mykonos marina assignment proactively, including a backup anchorage plan at Ornos or Platis Gialos for the night the harbor master cannot confirm a Tourlos position.

What we passed on

We would pass on the bareboat-plus-skipper structure as a workaround for the commercial charter license. The 2025 update made this more procedurally difficult and the patrol activity at the major bases (Athens, Mykonos) increased through 2025. The structural cost saving (avoiding the 24 percent VAT) is real but the risk of clearance refusal at arrival is also real. The MYBA charter contract with the proper Greek-flag operator is the operational default.

We would pass on a Greek charter week that aims to spend a single night in Turkey to claim the VAT pro-rating. The pro-rating is based on actual time and the documentation must support the claim. A token Turkish overnight is not the right structure; a 3 to 5 day Turkish segment is the legitimate version.

We would pass on the broker who quotes Greek charter pricing without explaining the 24 percent VAT and the TEPAH structure. The proposal that shows only the base and the APA and leaves the VAT for the final settlement is the proposal that produces a surprised client.

The bottom line

The 2025 update tightened the framework but did not change the structural Greek charter math. The 2026 Greek charter is the highest-VAT, most-documentation-heavy of the major Mediterranean options. The compensating factors are the Cycladic and Ionian archipelagos, the operating base at Athens-Mykonos-Rhodes, and the Turkish pro-rating route for tax-sensitive weeks. The Greek charter is the right pick for charter parties who want the Aegean specifically. It is the wrong pick for charter parties picking on price.

FAQ

Can a non-Greek-flag yacht charter in Greek waters in 2026? Yes, EU-flag yachts may charter in Greek waters subject to the charter license framework. Non-EU-flag yachts may operate under specific conditions and typically charter under a Greek-flag operating structure or a third-country bilateral arrangement.

What is the TEPAH tax in Greece? TEPAH is the Greek cruising tax on yachts above 7 meters, scaled by LOA. For a 40m yacht the monthly TEPAH runs roughly €4,800 to €6,400 in 2026 [VERIFY against the Greek tax authority schedule]. The tax is paid by the yacht owner or operator and flows through the charter pricing.

What VAT applies to a Greek yacht charter in 2026? Greek charter VAT is 24 percent on the full charter fee where the charter starts in Greek waters. Pro-rated reductions apply to charters spending part of the week in non-EU waters (e.g., Turkey).

Are Greek charter rates higher than Croatian rates? The base rates are broadly comparable for the equivalent yacht in the equivalent week. The Greek 24 percent VAT versus the Croatian 13 percent VAT produces a meaningful all-in cost difference: roughly €40K on a €350K base. The compensating factors are the Greek archipelago coverage and the Turkish pro-rating option.

Can the Greek charter pair with Turkey? Yes, the Dodecanese-to-Turkey pairing is the standard tax-efficient structure. Rhodes is the operational base for the pair. The Turkish segment is taxed at the Turkish rate (lower) and the Greek portion is subject to the Greek 24 percent on the pro-rated basis.