Do I need a licence to rent a boat in the Balearics (Mallorca, Ibiza)?

• Spanish-flag recreational boats may be rented to any individual who holds a valid title or certificate issued by their country of nationality or residence, if that country is in the European Economic Area or listed in annex IX of Royal Decree 875/2014; the holder may command within the limits of that title. Boats may also be rented without crew to holders of a professional title from an STCW country. (BOE (Spanish Official State Gazette))
• Anyone commanding a foreign-flagged recreational boat in waters under Spanish jurisdiction must hold a title that qualifies them for that voyage; where the skipper and the boat share a nationality, the title required is the one of the skipper's country, and otherwise the one required in the skipper's country of residence (or, failing that, of nationality). (BOE (Spanish Official State Gazette))

This is the sailing (skipper) licence for a rented boat. Fishing from the boat needs a different licence: fishing rules in the Balearic Islands.

[Secondary source] The ICC (International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft, UNECE Resolution 40) is described by the RYA as "a certificate which is intended to provide evidence of competence when requested by officials in foreign countries"; whether it is needed and in what form is set by the boat's flag state and, if different, the coastal state, and the onus is on the holder to check. (RYA)

• Spain's own skippers' titles include a compulsory short-range radio-operator course (art. 18). The decree text we read does not say what a foreign skipper of a rented boat must hold for the radio. (BOE (Spanish Official State Gazette))

• [Not verified] We found no Spanish official text on a second crew member for a bareboat charter.
• [Secondary source] Anchor, a charter-industry guide, says you "might need to have at least one other able adult crew member, preferably with a competent crew certificate". This is general advice, not a rule it ties to any country. (Anchor (formerly Helm))

• Hire a skipper. [Secondary source] Island Sailing, a charter operator, says on its Greece qualifications page that skippered or crewed yacht charters "are ideal for those with little or no sailing experience". With a professional skipper in command, the licence question is the skipper's, not yours (our reading; confirm the booking is skippered, not bareboat). (Island Sailing) A skipper costs €150–300 per day (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026), so seven days adds €1,050–2,100 (our arithmetic: 7 × the listed daily rate, before the skipper's meals). For comparison, 12 Knots' average weekly asking price for a catamaran in Balearic Islands runs between €4,170 and €9,602 across the year (a mix of bareboat and crewed listings) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). More: bareboat vs skippered.
• Licence-free boats. No title is needed for motor boats up to 5 m with at most 11.26 kW, sailboats up to 6 m, and floating or beach devices (not jet skis), if they stay within 2 nautical miles of a port, marina or shelter and sail by day; the operator must be 18. A charter yacht or catamaran is far larger (our reading). (BOE (Spanish Official State Gazette))
• What operators ask. [Secondary source] The RYA marks a qualification as "Required" in Spain and recommends the ICC; it says revised legislation has come into force and points to its Spain page. The Moorings does not list the Balearics separately. (RYA)

See catamarans for rent in Mallorca on SamBoat

Check the licence rules above and the operator's own conditions before you book; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure).

• Whether UK certificates are accepted today for Spanish-flag charter boats (annex IX and the RYA disagree).
• The radio certificate foreign skippers must hold.
• Whether a second crew member is required.
• Whether the annex IX text we read is the latest consolidated version.

• [Secondary source]: 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.
• No label: Read in an official text (government, ministry, maritime authority or official gazette).

"Accepted within limits" means the official table accepts the certificate only for a boat size, area or radio condition stated in it. "Not defined" means the official text does not list certificates by name. Rules change and charter companies can be stricter than the law: always confirm with your operator before you travel.

• BOE (Spanish Official State Gazette): Real Decreto 875/2014 on nautical licences for recreational craft, consolidated text (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
• RYA: Evidence of competence abroad (ICC) (national sailing body (reference)), checked 28 Oct 2026.
• Anchor (formerly Helm): What qualifications do I need to charter a yacht? (secondary, not official), checked 27 Oct 2026.

Method: methodology. Data: JSON.

• Licence rules for every destination compared
• Balearic Islands yacht and catamaran charter: prices, season and licence
• Best time to charter in the Balearic Islands
• Fishing rules in the Balearic Islands
• True cost of a week in the Balearic Islands: per person, all extras
• Snorkelling and diving in the Balearic Islands
• Sailing licence requirements: what the ICC and other certificates are