Spanish matriculation tax
A 12 percent registration tax levied by Spain on yachts above 8 metres used for private leisure by Spanish-resident owners. Charter use is exempt under qualifying conditions.
The Impuesto Especial sobre Determinados Medios de Transporte applies at 12 percent of the yacht's value when registered in Spain for private leisure use by a Spanish-resident owner or used in Spanish waters by a Spanish resident for more than 183 days. Yachts engaged in qualifying commercial charter activity, with documented charter contracts and a Spanish charter licence, are exempt. The tax is one of the structural reasons that VAT-paid yachts owned by Spanish residents are commonly held through non-Spanish SPVs operating commercially.