# Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Turkey? > Turkey bareboat licence: one renter must hold a sufficient licence (12-passenger limit); ICC recommended; accepted certificates not defined. Official text. URL: https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/turkey/ Last updated: 2026-10-28 Author: Catamaran Index editorial team 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. *Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 1 official and 1 secondary or reference source; the answer rests on official and secondary sources ([sources](#sources)). Anything we could not confirm is labelled ([how to read the labels](#labels)). Rules change: check with your charter company before you travel.* ## What the rules say in Turkey - Turkey's Maritime Tourism Regulation (art. 34) says a Turkish-flag yacht in a licensed charter business, with no more than 12 passengers, may be rented without crew only if at least one of the renters holds a licence of sufficient standard ("yeterli nitelikte ehliyet"). The regulation does not say which certificates count. Rules for foreign-flag charter yachts (art. 35) were repealed in October 2022. ([Turkish Official Legislation Information System (mevzuat.gov.tr)](https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/21.5.200915212.pdf)) This is the sailing (skipper) licence for a rented boat. Fishing from the boat needs a different licence: [fishing rules in Turkey](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/turkey/). ## Which certificates are accepted in Turkey? | Certificate | Accepted? | What the source says | Status | |---|---|---|---| | ICC | Not defined | The regulation does not name certificates. The RYA marks evidence of competence "Required" in Turkey and the ICC "recommended". ([Turkish Official Legislation Information System (mevzuat.gov.tr)](https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/21.5.200915212.pdf); [RYA](https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/evidence-of-competence-abroad)) | secondary | | RYA / ASA certificates | Not defined | Not named in the regulation text we read; ask the operator which it accepts. ([Turkish Official Legislation Information System (mevzuat.gov.tr)](https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/21.5.200915212.pdf)) | official | **[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](https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/evidence-of-competence-abroad)) ## Do I need a VHF radio certificate in Turkey? - **[Not verified]** We could not confirm a VHF certificate rule for Turkey. ## Do I need a second crew member in Turkey? - **[Not verified]** We found no Turkish official text on a second crew member. The regulation caps a bareboat-charter yacht at 12 passengers. - **[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)](https://www.anchor.yt/article/bareboat-licences)) ## No licence? Your options in Turkey - **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](https://www.island-sailing.com/yacht-charter-greece/yacht-charter-qualifications/)) A skipper costs €150–300 per day ([The Globe Sailor](https://www.theglobesailor.com/blog/what-it-really-costs-to-charter-a-yacht), 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 Turkey runs between €5,044 and €8,075 across the year (a mix of bareboat and crewed listings) ([12 Knots](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/mediterranean-sea/turkey/catamaran-charter/), checked 28 Oct 2026). More: [bareboat vs skippered](https://catamaranindex.com/compare/bareboat-vs-skippered/). - **Licence-free boats.** **[Not verified]** We could not confirm an official Turkish rule for licence-free boats. - **What operators ask.** **[Secondary source]** The RYA lists evidence of competence as "Required. ICC recommended" for Turkey. ([RYA](https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/evidence-of-competence-abroad)) ## See boats in Turkey **[See boats for rent in Turkey on SamBoat](https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=turkey&pos=licence)** Or book with a professional skipper: **[See boats for rent with a skipper in Turkey on SamBoat](https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=turkey&pos=skippered-licence)**. 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](https://catamaranindex.com/affiliate-disclosure/)). ## What we could not verify - Which certificates (including foreign ones) the Turkish authorities count as "sufficient". - A VHF certificate rule. - Whether a second crew member is required. - Licence-free boats. ## How to read the labels - **[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. ## Sources - [Turkish Official Legislation Information System (mevzuat.gov.tr): Deniz Turizmi Yönetmeliği (Maritime Tourism Regulation), art. 34, consolidated text](https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/21.5.200915212.pdf) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [RYA: Evidence of competence abroad (ICC)](https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/evidence-of-competence-abroad) (national sailing body (reference)), checked 28 Oct 2026. Method: [methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#licences). Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/licences/turkey.json). ## More on Turkey - [Licence rules for every destination compared](https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/) - [Turkey yacht and catamaran charter: prices, season and licence](https://catamaranindex.com/turkey/) - [Best time to charter in Turkey](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/turkey/) - [Fishing rules in Turkey](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/turkey/) - [True cost of a week in Turkey: per person, all extras](https://catamaranindex.com/true-cost/turkey/) - [Snorkelling and diving in Turkey](https://catamaranindex.com/snorkel-dive/turkey/) - [Sailing licence requirements: what the ICC and other certificates are](https://catamaranindex.com/guides/sailing-licence-requirements/) ## FAQ ### Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Turkey? 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. ### Is the ICC accepted in Turkey? The regulation does not name certificates. The RYA marks evidence of competence "Required" in Turkey and the ICC "recommended". (secondary source). The RYA says the ICC is not accepted everywhere and the holder must check. ### Do I need a VHF radio certificate to charter a boat in Turkey? Not verified: We could not confirm a VHF certificate rule for Turkey. ### Do I need a second crew member to charter a boat in Turkey? Not verified: We found no Turkish official text on a second crew member. The regulation caps a bareboat-charter yacht at 12 passengers. ### Can I rent a boat in Turkey without a licence? Not verified: We could not confirm an official Turkish rule for licence-free boats. Otherwise hire a skipper: 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". --- Affiliate disclosure: some links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See /affiliate-disclosure/.