Which Sailing Licence Do You Need for a Bareboat Charter in the Mediterranean?

Charter advisors are often asked which sailing licence is needed for a bareboat charter in the Mediterranean. The requirements depend on your destination, the boat and the local charter company. You may need to provide:

• A recognised sailing licence or qualification appropriate for the boat you intend to charter.
• A VHF radio qualification, depending on the destination and applicable requirements.
• A sailing CV outlining your previous experience.

For a broader overview, read our guide to boating licence requirements abroad.

Some countries, including Croatia and Spain, publish lists of recognised qualifications. Before booking, check whether your licence is accepted:

• Croatia: Consult the list of recognised licences and read our guide to boating licence requirements in Croatia.
• Spain: Consult the list of recognised licences.
• Greece: Read our guide to sailing licence requirements in Greece to find out which qualifications and documents to prepare.

If you have previously chartered in the Caribbean, you may be familiar with providing a sailing CV as evidence of your experience. For a bareboat charter in the Mediterranean, you may also need a formal qualification that clearly demonstrates your competence to skipper a sailboat.

Certificates such as the ICC, IPC and SLC can help provide evidence of your sailing competence. However, acceptance depends on the destination and the local operator, so always send your documents to your GlobeSailor advisor for confirmation before booking.

What is the ICC?

An International Certificate of Competence (ICC) is a certificate, which may be issued to anyone who has successfully completed certain national boating licenses or has passed an examination to prove the necessary competence for pleasure craft operation. The most common ICC's is issued by the The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and is intended to provide evidence of competence when requested by officials in a country you are visiting (i.e. a country you are not a citizen or a resident of).

It’s an assurance from one government to another that the certificate holder is sufficiently competent to be operating a pleasure craft, despite not holding the visited country’s sailing certificate.

To acquire an ICC, you must complete an ICC application. You can obtain the application form from the website provided above (RYA) or request one from The Royal Yachting Association's (RYA) Certification Department. If you already possess one of the RYA certifications such as the RYA Day Skipper, you are eligible for an ICC.

If you lack an RYA certification such as the RYA day Skipper, you'll need to undergo a brief assessment at an Approved RYA Training Center.

What is the SLC?

The International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is a recreational sailing license accepted by yacht charter companies worldwide. To obtain an SLC, you must already hold a boating license issued by a national government.

Holding a government license means the holder already meets the technical legal requirement that many hosting countries require.

You will have to pass an online suite of theoretical knowledge courses and tests appropriate for bareboat chartering, log previous sufficient sailing experience and demonstrate sailing skills according to internationally established sailing standards.

What is the IPC?

International Proficiency Certificate (IPC) is mandatory when chartering in most European / Mediterranean waters. The American Sailing Association (ASA) is also proud to offer the possibility to obtain the International Proficiency Certificate (IPC) for sailors available in the United States. It serves as proof of bareboat charter competency for Mediterranean chartering companies, many of whom require the proficiency information displayed in a different format than the ASA Log Book.

IPC Requirements:

You must be an ASA Certified sailor

• You need to be certified in at least ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing, ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising, and ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising.
• You must have a current ASA Membership or Instructor Membership

The information provided is informative only, we always ask you to send a copy of your existing license to your GlobeSailor advisor who will check with the local operator about their own requirements and will let you know if your license is valid or needs an upgrade. For any additional questions about your license and certifications, please do not hesitate to check with our GlobeSailor Charter Experts.

Sources

• RYA – ICC information and applications: rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/icc-apply

• NauticEd – SLC information: nauticed.org/SLC

• American Sailing Association – IPC applications: americansailing.com/international-proficiency-certificate/ipc-application/