Key takeaways
- ✓Non-EU crew may stay a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180-day period in the Schengen Area, with or without a visa.
- ✓The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: entries and exits are recorded digitally, not stamped in your passport.
- ✓When you join a yacht in a Schengen port, go to the local immigration office to be "stamped out" (now: recorded as exiting) so your days stop counting — and the reverse when you leave the yacht.
- ✓You get no visible proof under EES, so keep your own record: boarding passes, crew lists and entry/exit dates.
- ✓Overstaying can lead to fines, a refused exit from the yacht, a note on your record and entry bans. Ireland and Cyprus are not part of EES.
How the 90/180 rule works
The allowance is a rolling window: on any day you are checked, count back 180 days and add up every day you spent inside the Schengen Area. That total may not exceed 90. Days of arrival and departure both count.
It applies to visa-exempt nationals (for example UK, US, Australian, South African, Canadian and New Zealand crew) and to holders of a short-stay Schengen visa. Visa-required nationals still need a valid visa, and their passport must be valid for at least three months after the planned end of the stay.
Use the European Commission's official short-stay calculator before you accept a job that keeps you in Europe — especially for a Mediterranean season, a refit in a Schengen yard or a delivery that may be delayed by weather.
What changed with the EES
The EU Entry/Exit System replaces manual passport stamps for non-EU travellers. It was introduced gradually from 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. At the external border your passport is scanned and your face and fingerprints may be registered; the system then counts your days automatically.
According to the Professional Yachting Association, nothing has changed in principle for crew: you are recorded as entering when you cross a Schengen border, and recorded as exiting when you sign on to your yacht — and vice versa when you leave the yacht to fly home. The difference is that only immigration and border police can see the record, so you have no stamp to show anyone.
Joining or leaving a yacht in a Schengen port
- •Arriving by air to join a yacht: you are recorded on entry at the airport. Go with the captain's crew list to the immigration office (police aux frontières, Polizia di Frontiera, Guardia Civil, etc.) near the yacht to be recorded as exiting.
- •Leaving the yacht to fly home: be recorded back in at the port immigration office, then out again at the airport.
- •Keep copies of the crew list, sign-on/sign-off letters, boarding passes and any immigration paperwork — they are your only proof under EES.
- •Practice varies by country and port. Italy has asked some yachts to leave Italian waters within days so crew can be recorded out; other officials say this is not in line with the Schengen Borders Code. Ask the agent or captain how the port handles it.
Typical situations for delivery crew
| Situation | Do your days count? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting ashore in Palma or Antibes for a delivery to start | Yes | Count every day; keep the start date realistic |
| Living on board, yacht moored in a Schengen marina, not stamped out | Yes in practice | Get recorded out when you sign on |
| Signed on and recorded out, yacht cruising between Schengen ports | Usually not (check locally) | Keep the crew list and records with you |
| Delivery Gibraltar → Canaries → Caribbean | Gibraltar is outside Schengen; the Canaries are inside | Plan entry and exit points with the skipper |
| Refit in a Schengen yard for 4 months | Likely yes — you will exceed 90 days | Ask about a national long-stay visa or a non-Schengen yard |
If you are close to 90 days
- •Tell the captain early — they may disembark you in a non-Schengen port (e.g. Gibraltar, Montenegro, Albania, Turkey, the UK).
- •Do not try to leave through an airport after overstaying: the overstay is recorded and can lead to a fine and a refused re-entry.
- •Ask whether a national long-stay visa or work permit is possible in the yacht's home country.
- •From late 2026 visa-exempt travellers will also need an ETIAS travel authorisation before entering — check the official EU travel site before you fly.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and local practice change; confirm with the immigration authority of the country you are entering.
Keep your own Schengen log
Write down every entry and exit date, the port or airport and how you were recorded. Many crew keep it in the notes of their sea-time logbook. On Maritime Delivery you can also mark the dates you are available in your availability calendar, so clients only offer you deliveries you can legally do.
Frequently asked questions
Do yacht crew have to follow the Schengen 90/180 rule?+
Yes, if you are not an EU/Schengen national. Days ashore in the Schengen Area count, and so do days on a yacht in a Schengen port unless you have been recorded as exiting by immigration when you signed on.
What is the EES and does it change the 90 days?+
The Entry/Exit System records non-EU travellers digitally instead of stamping passports. It has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. The 90/180 rule itself is unchanged; the EES only makes counting and enforcement automatic.
How do I get "stamped out" when I join a yacht?+
Go to the immigration office of the port with your passport and the yacht's crew list (the captain or agent usually arranges this). Under the EES you are recorded as exiting; there is no stamp in your passport.
What happens if I overstay as crew?+
You may be refused when you try to leave the yacht, fined, have the overstay noted on your record and be refused entry next time. Some countries impose entry bans.
Is Gibraltar in the Schengen Area?+
No. Gibraltar is outside Schengen, while mainland Spain, the Balearics and the Canary Islands are inside. Ireland and Cyprus are EU members but do not use the EES.
Sources
- European Commission — Entry/Exit System (EES)
- European Commission — Short-stay visa calculator
- Dockwalk — What the new Schengen EES system means for crew (PYA update)
- Nautilus Federation — Yacht crew: remember your Schengen allowance
- Nautilus — Be aware of Schengen rules when visiting Italy
- Yacht delivery crew paperwork and borders (Maritime Delivery guide)
- B1/B2 visa for yacht crew (Maritime Delivery guide)
Put it to work