Anchoring is free on both sides of the Aegean, so the real difference between Turkey and Greece is paperwork and the bill at the dock. Turkey asks every foreign-flagged yacht for a transit log, cleared through an agent at an authorised port; Greece asks far less of EU-flagged boats but collects the TEPAI fee and enforces strict anchoring zones. On money, Turkish marinas, quays, restaurants and provisioning are consistently cheaper, and charter rates run 10–20% below Greek equivalents. Here is exactly what each border asks of you in 2026, and what a week on a 40-footer costs on each coast.
One document divides the two coasts
The workload split is easier to remember by flag than by country:
| Item | Turkey | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Cruising permit | Transit log (yacht registration form) — mandatory for all foreign-flagged vessels; Turkish-flagged boats are exempt | Transit log only for non-EU flags over 7 m; EU-flagged private yachts carry the DEKPA cruising log instead |
| Where it is issued | First authorised port of entry, via customs, police, health and the harbour master; handled online through the SİBS system since July 2024 | Digital application to customs for non-EU boats; DEKPA from the port police at the port of arrival |
| National cruising fee | Included in the transit log fee schedule (length-based) | TEPAI, about €8 per metre per month for boats up to 12 m, higher above the 12-metre line — paid online before arrival, monthly even for a few days |
| Who runs the paperwork | A yacht agent, typically €150–400 by port and size | You, or your charter base; self-service is normal |
| Time to clear in | Half a day to a full day at peak season | An hour or so at the port authority, longer for non-EU flags |
One structural point matters for planning: Turkey sits outside the EU customs union, so even an EU-flagged boat crossing from a Greek island is leaving the customs territory of the Union. The transit log is what keeps that crossing legal and, under the temporary admission regime, keeps Turkish VAT off your back while you cruise.
Clearing into Turkey, step by step
Foreign yachts may only enter and leave through ports with entry-exit authority. On the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts the working list is Kuşadası, Çeşme, Bodrum, Marmaris, Datça, Fethiye, Kaş, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya. The sequence at any of them:
- Fly the yellow quarantine flag on approach and keep it up until clearance is complete — nobody goes ashore before then.
- Hand your document folder to the agent or harbour master: registration certificate, insurance valid for Turkish waters, skipper's licence, crew and passenger list, and passports for everyone aboard.
- The transit log is issued through SİBS and records the vessel, crew, guests and route. The 2026 fee schedule lists roughly TRY 1,540 for 5–10 m, TRY 3,080 for 10–15 m, TRY 5,140 for 15–20 m and TRY 15,400 for 20–25 m, with Turkish-flagged craft paying about a third; the schedule rose by about 19% on 1 January 2026. Confirm current figures with your agent — the published amounts pre-date the year and Turkish fees adjust annually.
- Cruise freely and record your route. After entry you move around Turkish waters without further port formalities; anchoring overnight in bays outside military and security zones is allowed.
- Report crew or guest changes at the nearest harbour master's office — anyone aboard who is not on the log is the most common finding in inspections.
- Close the log when you leave. Depart through an authorised port and have the document closed; an unclosed log causes delays and a penalty the next time you enter.
On staying longer: a transit log is typically issued for the season while the boat remains in Turkey. Wintering inside a certified Turkish marina can stretch to five years under the wintering regime without further permission, while the customs temporary-admission ceiling for a foreign-flagged private yacht is normally about two years cumulative — the two regimes are quoted differently by agents, so get the answer in writing before planning a multi-year lay-up. And if you plan to charter commercially, a transit log alone is not enough: Turkish waters require a separate charter permit.
Clearing into Greece: your flag decides the workload
For an EU-flagged private yacht, Greece is the lighter border: clear in at the port of arrival, clear out when you leave Greek waters, and carry the DEKPA cruising log issued by the port police. There is no customs transit log to arrange, no agent needed, and the TEPAI fee is paid online through the AADE's eTEPAI platform — some marinas want to see the payment before allocating a berth, so pay before you arrive.
For a non-EU-flagged boat over 7 m, Greece effectively mirrors Turkey: a customs transit log, obtained digitally after declaring arrival at the first port. A qualifying private vessel owned or held by someone habitually resident outside the EU receives a limited transit log tied to the 18-month temporary admission period, extendable by six months to a maximum of 24. Outside those conditions — EU residence, corporate ownership, charter use — the customs analysis changes, and this is the one case where a written answer from Greek customs before departure is worth more than any forum thread.
Two Greek specifics catch visitors every season: a mandatory liability endorsement to your insurance (Law 4926/22) checked at clearance, and anchoring fines of roughly €190–1,100 for boats found on protected Posidonia meadows — check the official anchoring maps in the Ionian and Cyclades before you swim.
What a night in each country actually costs
Per-night marina rates overlap more than the stereotype suggests. The gap opens at the bottom of the market — town quays and free bays — which is where most cruising weeks are actually spent:
| Mooring type (40 ft, summer) | Turkey | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service marina | €60–120 (Göcek, Marmaris, Bodrum) | €25–65 mid-range (Preveza, Gouvia, Lefkas); €80–150 at Alimos, Athens |
| Town quay / municipal dock | €20–50 | €0–15 Ionian and small islands; €15–30 at popular spots like Hydra and Poros |
| Anchoring | Free — countless sheltered bays | Free — outside Posidonia and restricted zones |
A realistic week on each coast, mixing three nights at anchor, two on a quay and two in a marina, lands in the same order of magnitude — roughly €150–350 in berth fees. The Turkish advantage is that the bays are deeper and closer together on the southwest coast: the Gulfs of Fethiye and Gökova can carry a two-week itinerary without a single marina night, which the Cyclades' exposed anchorages rarely allow.
Where the rest of the weekly budget goes
Berth fees are the smallest line of the comparison. Provisioning in Turkish coastal towns runs noticeably cheaper than Greek island shops, where nearly everything arrives by ferry — a taverna dinner for two is €40–60 in Greece against €25–40 for a comparable Turkish meze. Charter rates compound the gap: comparable bareboat yachts in Turkey run 10–20% below Greek prices, and VAT treatment differs too — Greece charges 24% on charter fees while foreign-flagged charters in Turkey are taxed at 10%. Fuel prices track each country's road prices, so there is little between them for a sailing yacht that motors a few hours a day.
The honest summary for 2026: a like-for-like bareboat week costs a family roughly 15–25% less on the Turkish coast once food, berths and the base rate are added up. Greece claws back value where it counts for many crews — shorter flights, more varied island routes, and none of the agent-and-transit-log overhead for EU-flagged private boats.
So which coast for your season?
Pick Turkey if your crew values sheltered bay-hopping, lower weekly spend and a boat that can winter there affordably — and accept half a day of formalities at each end of the season, handled by an agent. Pick Greece if you are EU-flagged and want minimum paperwork, island variety and short flights, and you will pay for it in marina prices and ferry-inflated provisioning. Crews with time do both: clear out of Turkey at Bodrum or Kuşadası, spend two weeks in the Dodecanese barely 15 nm away, then re-enter Turkey with a fresh transit log. The formalities on that loop are exactly the ones above, just run twice.
For the basin-wide picture — taxes, berth prices and the wind calendar — start with the Mediterranean destinations guide. Croatia runs the cheapest mile-for-mile cruising in the Adriatic, with its own tax and entry walkthrough in the Croatia taxes and entry procedures guide. Once you have picked a coast, the marinas guide compares 2026 berth rates facility by facility, the winter cruising guide explains why off-season changes the fee math on both coasts, and the charter guide covers what a charter package already includes in its paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a transit log for Greece if my boat is EU-flagged? No — the customs transit log applies to non-EU flags over 7 m. EU-flagged private yachts carry the DEKPA cruising log from the port police and pay TEPAI online before arrival. Qualifying non-EU private boats get a limited transit log tied to the 18-month temporary admission period, extendable to 24 months.
How much is the Turkish transit log in 2026? The published schedule lists about TRY 1,540 (5–10 m) to TRY 15,400 (20–25 m), with Turkish-flagged craft paying roughly a third, and the schedule rose about 19% on 1 January 2026. Add an agent at €150–400 to run the clearance — that line is usually the bigger one.
Is anchoring free in both countries? Yes, outside marinas, quays and restricted zones. Turkey's southwest coast offers the deepest supply of sheltered bays; in Greece, check Posidonia protections first, because anchoring on protected meadows draws fines of roughly €190–1,100.
Which country is cheaper for a week on a 40 footer? Turkey, by roughly 15–25% on the total bill once provisioning and restaurants are counted — though berth-for-berth the marina prices are closer than the reputation suggests, and Greece's advantage is variety and lighter paperwork for EU flags.