{
  "what_it_is": "Do you need a licence to rent a boat, per destination: the same answer as https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/ . Accepted certificates, VHF, second crew, licence-free boats, gaps and sources: api_url.",
  "checked": "2026-10-28",
  "status_legend": {
    "official": "Read in an official text (government, ministry, maritime authority or official gazette).",
    "secondary": "From a charter company, marketplace or sailing body; not official and not the law.",
    "not_verified": "We could not confirm it. We leave it open rather than guess."
  },
  "destinations": [
    {
      "destination": "croatia",
      "name": "Croatia",
      "answer": "Yes: to skipper a bareboat in Croatia you need a certificate the Croatian ministry recognises, and its May 2026 table accepts any ICC marked valid for \"Coastal waters\", RYA Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster certificates, the ASA Bareboat Chartering certificate and the NauticEd SLC, each within set limits on boat size and distance from the coast. If the boat has a VHF radio, the table also requires the holder to have a national or foreign radio-operator certificate (the table is for Croatian-flag boats, which most charter boats are).",
      "regime": "required",
      "rests_on": "official",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Yes: a recognised certificate (ICC, RYA, ASA…)",
        "vhf": "Radio certificate if the boat has a VHF (official); Anchor says Short Range Certificate (secondary)",
        "second_crew": "Not verified",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/croatia/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/croatia.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=croatia&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "greece",
      "name": "Greece",
      "answer": "Yes in practice: charter companies and the RYA say the skipper of a bareboat in Greece needs a recognised sailing licence and recommend the ICC, but we could not find the Greek legal text, so this rests on secondary sources. Anchor lists the ICC, RYA Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster (practical), ASA 104, SLC and IPC as accepted and says Greek port police no longer accept the RYA Day Skipper, although its own summary still lists Day Skipper, so confirm with your operator.",
      "regime": "required",
      "rests_on": "secondary",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Yes in practice; ICC safest (secondary sources only)",
        "vhf": "Not verified",
        "second_crew": "Competent co-skipper over 18 (secondary)",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/greece/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/greece.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=greece&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "italy",
      "name": "Italy",
      "answer": "Yes for a charter yacht or catamaran: Italian law requires a nautical licence for craft up to 24 m that go more than 6 nautical miles from the coast, or that stay within 6 nm but have an engine above set cylinder capacities and more than 30 kW (40.8 hp), and a typical charter boat will exceed that (our reading). A foreigner may command an Italian-registered boat with a title their own state recognises as equivalent, and the RYA recommends the ICC for coastal Italy.",
      "regime": "required",
      "rests_on": "mixed",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Yes for charter-size boats; licence-free only for small engines",
        "vhf": "Short Range Certificate on board (secondary); official rule not verified",
        "second_crew": "Not verified",
        "licence_free": "Within 6 nm with a small engine (official)"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/italy/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/italy.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=italy&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "balearics",
      "name": "Balearic Islands",
      "answer": "Yes for a normal charter yacht or catamaran in Mallorca, Ibiza or the Balearics: Spanish law exempts only small craft (motor boats up to 5 m with at most 11.26 kW, sailboats up to 6 m) used by day within 2 nautical miles of a port, marina or shelter, and Spanish-flag boats can be rented to anyone holding a title from an EEA country or one listed in annex IX. For UK certificates the sources conflict: annex IX lists the RYA Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster and ICC, but the RYA says UK certificates stopped being accepted for Spanish-flagged pleasure boats from 1 January 2021, so confirm with your operator.",
      "regime": "required",
      "rests_on": "mixed",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Yes; UK certificates disputed",
        "vhf": "Not verified for visitors",
        "second_crew": "Not verified",
        "licence_free": "Motor boats up to 5 m, sail up to 6 m, within 2 nm (official)"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/balearics/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/balearics.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=balearics&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "turkey",
      "name": "Turkey",
      "answer": "Yes: Turkey's Maritime Tourism Regulation says a Turkish-flag yacht in a licensed charter business, with no more than 12 passengers, can be chartered without crew only if at least one renter holds a licence of sufficient standard, but the regulation does not say which foreign certificates count. The RYA lists evidence of competence as required in Turkey and recommends the ICC, so ask the operator what it accepts.",
      "regime": "required",
      "rests_on": "mixed",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Yes: one renter needs a sufficient licence",
        "vhf": "Not verified",
        "second_crew": "Not verified; 12-passenger limit",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/turkey/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/turkey.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=turkey&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "french-polynesia",
      "name": "French Polynesia",
      "answer": "No licence is required by law for a sailing boat in French Polynesia: the territory's official pleasure-craft rules say sailing pleasure craft, even with an auxiliary engine, need no title, which covers a sailing catamaran (our reading; the text concerns French-flag craft). Charter companies can still ask for experience: Anchor says they ask for a sailing résumé, while The Moorings lists Tahiti among regions needing formal certification, so check with your operator.",
      "regime": "none",
      "rests_on": "mixed",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "No legal title for sailing craft; operators may ask",
        "vhf": "Not verified",
        "second_crew": "Not verified",
        "licence_free": "Sailing craft need no title (official)"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/french-polynesia/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/french-polynesia.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=french-polynesia&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "bvi",
      "name": "British Virgin Islands",
      "answer": "Usually not: no BVI government text we found requires a skipper's licence, and Anchor and 12 Knots say Caribbean charter companies ask for a sailing résumé instead (the base manager checks it). This rests on secondary sources, and The Moorings rates the BVI as its Level 1 (résumé-based) destination.",
      "regime": "resume",
      "rests_on": "secondary",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "No legal licence found; sailing résumé",
        "vhf": "Usually not, for Caribbean rentals (secondary)",
        "second_crew": "At least one competent crew member (secondary)",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/bvi/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/bvi.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=bvi&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "bahamas",
      "name": "Bahamas",
      "answer": "It depends on the operator: we found no Bahamian government text requiring a skipper's licence, Anchor says none is required by law and a sailing résumé is enough, but 12 Knots says some Bahamas charter companies require a valid sailing certificate as company policy. The Moorings lists the Bahamas among regions requiring formal certification, so bring your certificate and résumé and ask before you book.",
      "regime": "resume",
      "rests_on": "secondary",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Résumé by law (secondary); some operators want a certificate",
        "vhf": "Usually not, for Caribbean rentals (secondary)",
        "second_crew": "At least one competent crew member (secondary)",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/bahamas/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/bahamas.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=bahamas&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "thailand",
      "name": "Thailand",
      "answer": "Probably not by law, but we could not find an official Thai source: Anchor says no licence is required by law in Thailand and that charter companies ask for a sailing résumé showing you have been in charge of a boat of similar size. The Moorings rates Phuket as a Level 2 destination.",
      "regime": "resume",
      "rests_on": "secondary",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Résumé; no official text found",
        "vhf": "Not verified",
        "second_crew": "Not verified",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/thailand/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/thailand.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=thailand&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "destination": "belize",
      "name": "Belize",
      "answer": "We could not confirm what visitors need: the Belize Port Authority says every master operating a vessel in Belizean waters must hold a Certificate of Competency, but its page does not say how that applies to bareboat guests. The Moorings lists Belize among destinations where the skipper must show proof of qualifications, so ask your operator what to bring.",
      "regime": "unclear",
      "rests_on": "mixed",
      "summary": {
        "licence_needed": "Master's certificate rule; visitors not verified",
        "vhf": "Not verified",
        "second_crew": "Not verified",
        "licence_free": "Not verified"
      },
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/belize/",
      "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/belize.json",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=belize&pos=api"
    }
  ],
  "attribution": "Cite \"Catamaran Index\" with a link to the canonical_url of the page the figure comes from, and name the original source listed with it.",
  "affiliate_note": "book_url links go through /go/samboat, an affiliate link: Catamaran Index may earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to the traveller. It never changes the data."
}