Foreign Yacht Tourism

In the current era, foreign yacht tourism in most coastal countries of the world is receiving increasing attention for what it represents in terms of economic income from hard currencies, and good cultural, historical and touristic publicity for those countries. In this context, Egypt has taken good steps towards activating foreign yacht tourism in Egypt, based on a good foundation of various capabilities represented in the appropriate moderate weather, the length of the coastal borders on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, the presence of a large number of tourist islands, and the availability of touristic depths necessary for diving and filled with coral reefs and beautiful marine creatures.

Dr. madbouly's Decree No. 2721 for the year 2022 concerning the organization of Yacht Tourism:

In terms of activating and organizing yacht tourism in Egypt, the necessary measures have been taken to simplify and facilitate customs procedures in support of this tourism, and in this way the Decree No. 2721 of 2022 was recently issued by Mr. Dr. the Prime Minister to issue regulations regulating tourist yacht procedures in Egypt, which contained many provisions mentioning the nature of the work of customs to organize yacht tourism.

The aforementioned decree stipulated the establishment of an electronic platform called the “single window for Tourist Yachts,” and its activation and operation was entrusted to the Maritime Transport Sector at the Ministry of Transport. This window includes all government agencies concerned with completing the procedures for tourist yachts.

The window provides the possibility for the foreign yacht official to register his desire to visit Egypt - while he is still abroad - specifying the yacht's data and documents, the itinerary of the trip in Egyptian seas and the approximate period he intends to spend and in return, all relevant government agencies are obligated to express their approval of the visit and the financial cost required for each agency and the documents that must be submitted on the same window, so that the tourist is aware of the financial cost and the required procedures before arriving in Egypt, and there is no doubt that this provides good advertising, transparency and re-assurance for the yacht official.

Single window link for yachts:

https://egyptyacht-sw.mts.gov.eg:8181/EMDB-web/ 

Simplifying customs procedures:

With regard to customs procedures on tourist yachts, they were characterized by many facilities, represented in:

- sufficiency in submitting a personal pledge from the person responsible for the yacht to pay the taxes and duties due in the case of regional tourism due, as an exception to the general rule in the guarantees granted to customs.  

- Instructions were issued to deal well with the yacht officials and complete the procedures with the appropriate speed, noting that there are instructions at the level of the senior management in the country that all the procedures be completed by all concerned parties within only thirty minutes. 

- Once the visit request is submitted to the “Yacht Window” by the yacht’s person or agent, and the required documents are uploaded, and the expected visit date, duration, and yacht route are specified, the customs will immediately submit its initial approval for the visit to the window and specify “in return for suspending the payment of taxes and duties due.” 

- The various customs duties “in return for suspending taxes and duties” are reduced and simple as yachts are divided into three types according to the length of the yacht:

- Yachts with a length not exceeding 50m, the duty is 250 EGP per month.

- Yachts with a length ranging from 50 to 80m, the duty is 750 EGP per month or part thereof.

- Yachts with a length exceeding 80m, the duty is 1500 EGP per month or part thereof.

The equivalent may be paid in US dollars. “Decree of the Minister of Finance No. 642 of 2022 amending Article (179) of the Executive Regulations of the Customs Law issued by Decree of the Minister of Finance No. 430 of 2021.

- A special “free and simplified” form was issued for the temporary release of tourist yachts and this form is issued upon the yacht’s arrival and completion of customs procedures, and it is written on the yacht immediately and given to the yacht to move within Egyptian coastal territorial seas as the yacht’s official wishes. 

- The yacht has the right to depart from any post, whether the one it entered or another, and then procedures consist of matching the copy of the temporary release granted to the yacht with the reality of the yacht and its components, reviewing the period and duties due, then the release form is withdrawn from the yacht official to indicate the departure, and the customs approval is immediately submitted to the window for the yacht’s departure.

 - The yacht is exempt from “shift” duties and nothing is collected from it in return for performing work on official holidays and after official working hours.

 A letter of thanks and appreciation from the Lieutenant General / Minister of Transport to the customs officers in charge of yacht procedures.

Work is still in full swing to solve any problem facing any yacht in any Egyptian post, from all levels of customs administrations, which led to the arrival of the letter of Lieutenant General / Minister of Transport No. 6183 dated 4/28/2024 to Dr. / Minister of Finance, ending with Lieutenant General / Minister of Transport thanking the representatives of the Customs Authority who are prsented at the "seaports" as well as those specialized in working on the "single window for tourist yachts" for their constant distinction in adhering to the implementation of all directives and decisions, and His Excellency's praise for the efforts made to implement the tasks and missions assigned to them with the highest levels of efficiency since the launch of the electronic platform as of 1/9/2022.