Buying a yacht in Monaco
How a yacht purchase works in Monaco: the MOA and deposit, who pays the broker, 20% VAT, the Monaco flag, Port Hercule berths and what a yacht costs to run.
In short
MonacoTop sells no yachts; the brokers listed below have an office in Monaco and do. A purchase runs from a Memorandum of Agreement and a deposit, usually 10%, through the sea trial and survey to the Bill of Sale, and the seller pays the broker. Monaco charges VAT as France does, 20% as standard. A berth never comes with the yacht, and crew, maintenance, fuel and insurance cost about 10–15% of its value a year.
How a purchase goes
Buyer and seller sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and the buyer pays a deposit, usually 10% of the price (the 2021 MYBA form leaves the amount to the parties), held by the broker or a lawyer as stakeholder or in escrow. Then come the sea trial and the survey (the buyer pays for the survey and the haul-out), and the buyer accepts or rejects the yacht. At closing the parties sign the Bill of Sale and the Protocol of Delivery and Acceptance, and the yacht is deleted from its previous flag.
Who pays the broker
The seller: under a MYBA central agency agreement the central agent's commission is owed by the seller. Market guides quote about 10% of the price, but there is no statutory tariff and large sales are negotiated lower.
VAT
Monaco and France form one VAT territory: Monaco charges VAT on the same basis and at the same rates as France, 20% as standard. A “VAT-paid” yacht has, in most cases, the customs status of Union goods. A yacht registered outside the EU to a person established outside it, and used privately by such a person, can stay up to 18 months under temporary admission without import VAT.
The Monaco flag
Monegasque nationals and residents can register a yacht under the Monaco flag with the Direction des Affaires Maritimes. The yacht must have been built in France or Monaco, or have had its import duties and taxes paid. Under this flag a yacht may be chartered out for at most three months a year in total, and only once the Direction has granted it “plaisance locative” status.
A berth doesn't come with the yacht
SEPM runs Port Hercule and Fontvieille under a state concession. Port Hercule has 760 berths, but at the end of 2023 SEPM counted about 40 places for yachts over 35 m, shared in rotation by 160 residents' yachts, with no annual contracts for large yachts; waiting lists exist only for boats under 20 m, and it accepts one yacht per household. A mooring does not pass to the new owner of a yacht already moored in Monaco.
Running costs
Camper & Nicholsons and Fraser both put the yearly cost of crew, maintenance, fuel and insurance at 10–15% of the yacht's value.
The Monaco Yacht Show
Each September the show fills Port Hercule with superyachts. The 2026 edition, the 35th, ran 23–26 September with about 120 yachts expected; the next is 22–25 September 2027.
Brokers with an office in Monaco
- Arcon YachtsYacht sales, charter and new build from FontvieilleTheir yachts for sale
- BurgessSuperyacht sales, charter and management since 1975Their yachts for sale
- Camper & NicholsonsYacht sales, charter and management from FontvieilleTheir yachts for sale
- EdmistonSuperyacht sales, charter and management in Monte-CarloTheir yachts for sale
- FraserYacht brokerage since 1947, Monaco office on Port HerculeTheir yachts for sale
- IYCYacht sales, charter and management on Boulevard Albert 1erTheir yachts for sale
- Moravia YachtingYacht sales and charter in Monaco since 1962Their yachts for sale
- Northrop & JohnsonYacht brokerage since 1949, Monaco office at Le PanoramaTheir yachts for sale
- Ocean IndependenceYacht sales, charter and management, Monaco office at Le PanoramaTheir yachts for sale
- SuperYachtsMonacoYacht charter & brokerageTheir yachts for sale
- Worth Avenue YachtsYacht sales, charter and new builds from Port HerculeTheir yachts for sale
- Y.COYacht charter & brokerageTheir yachts for sale
- YACHTZOOYacht charter & brokerageTheir yachts for sale
Buying a yacht in Monaco: questions
How much is the deposit when you buy a yacht?
Usually 10% of the price, paid when buyer and seller sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The broker or a lawyer holds it as stakeholder, or it goes into escrow. The 2021 MYBA form leaves the amount to the parties.
Who pays the broker's commission on a yacht sale?
The seller. Under a MYBA central agency agreement the central agent's commission is owed by the seller. Market guides quote about 10% of the price; there is no statutory tariff, and large sales are negotiated lower.
Do you pay VAT on a yacht bought in Monaco?
Monaco charges VAT on the same basis and at the same rates as France, 20% as standard. A yacht registered outside the EU to a person established outside it, and used privately by that person, can stay up to 18 months under temporary admission without import VAT.
Does a berth in Port Hercule come with the yacht?
No. A mooring does not pass to the new owner of a yacht already berthed in Monaco. At the end of 2023 SEPM counted about 40 places for yachts over 35 m in Port Hercule, shared in rotation by 160 residents' yachts, with no annual contracts for large yachts.
How much does a yacht cost to run each year?
About 10–15% of its value for crew, maintenance, fuel and insurance, according to Camper & Nicholsons and Fraser.
Try a yacht for a week
A week's charter is a way to try a size and layout before you buy. Each yacht in MonacoTop's charter fleet shows its weekly rate and the all-in week with VAT, APA and tip.
Sources (16)
- Monaco Yacht Show: 2026 superyacht list
- Monaco Yacht Show: next edition
- Ocean Independence: Contract negotiation
- Berthon: Yacht purchase through Berthon (PDF)
- Stephenson Harwood: commission under a MYBA central agency (24 Sept 2026)
- Hill Dickinson: The MYBA E-MOA 2021 (2 May 2023)
- SuperyachtNews: Brokers' crossfire
- Monaco Government (MonEntreprise): VAT
- European Commission: Guidance on VAT and customs for pleasure craft (30 Apr 2026)
- European Commission: temporary admission of means of transport
- MonServicePublic: How to register a boat under the Monegasque flag
- Direction des Affaires Maritimes: Monaco flag registration form (PDF)
- Ports de Monaco: Port Hercule
- L'Observateur de Monaco: SEPM on berth demand (21 Dec 2023)
- Camper & Nicholsons: Buying a yacht: FAQ
- Fraser: Hidden costs in yacht ownership
Facts checked on 22 October 2026. Deposit, commission and running costs are market practice, not law; VAT, flag and port rules change. This page is not legal or tax advice.