On this page:

1. The Exact Charter Requirements for Croatia
2. Valid Nautical Certificate of Competence
3. VHF Radio Certificate
4. Some Good Charter Companies to Get Started
5. List of Accepted Boat Licenses per Country
6. Extra Resources

The Exact Charter Requirements for Croatia

• Valid nautical certificate of competence (ICC)
• VHF radio certificate
• Valid ID document

Certificates

The only things you'll definitely need are a valid nautical license and a VHF license. This goes for any type of boat.

Important: without these licenses, no charter company in Croatia will give you the boat without a crew - even if you have a lot of experience. The Croatian law is very strict on this. Anyone from your charter group can have the license, as long as both licenses are there.

Below I'll explain the different licenses in more detail.

Travel Documents

Of course, you'll need valid travel documents for staying in Croatia.

• If you're an EU-citizen, you'll generally only need an ID card.
• If you're from the U.S., Canada or Australia, you'll most likely only need a passport.

You can stay up to 90 days with just these documents, no visas required. Make sure your travel documents are at least 3 months valid.

Some countries do require a visa. To learn more, visit The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Other Tips

The companies also suggested sending my documents and the name of the boat I want to rent before making any plans. This way, they can check if I'm eligible to charter the boat or not.

I found they are more than happy to assist you and help you pick the right boat for you.

Valid Nautical Certificate of Competence

This is also known as the ICC (International Certificate of Competence) or International Certificate for Operator of Pleasure Craft. You'll want to get this if you're planning on sailing international or coastal waters or chartering boats in Europe.

The ICC is accepted in nearly all Mediterranean waters. There are some exceptions, but in practice, even in these countries, most charter companies will accept the ICC as sufficient proof of sailing experience.

In most countries, you can get an ICC by getting the right national boating licenses. After that, you can simply apply for an ICC with the right authorities.

For example, in The Netherlands, you simply obtain Boat License I + II.

In the U.K., however, you need to successfully complete an official ICC training with one of the approved ICC test centers.

In most countries, there are basically two tiers of boat license:

1. Boat license 1 - Inland
2. Boat license 2 - Coastal

Some countries also issue a third tier, specifically for international waters.

Most countries will only issue an ICC after obtaining both (or all three) national boat licenses.

In the U.K. you need to get the International Certificate for Operator of Pleasure Craft from the RYA (Royal Yacht Association).

VHF Radio Certificate

Besides an International Certificate of Competence, you also need a VHF Radio Certificate. This certificate simply means that you know how to use a VHF radio. Croatia accepts foreign certificates for most countries.

You can get one by successfully completing a VHF radio course. Every country issues its own courses, and you'll have to check with your national marine authorities which course to take.

In some countries, you can take this course online. For example in the UK, where it takes between 4 - 8 hours to costs about £65.

Some Good Charter Companies to Get Started

If you're ready to check out prices, I recommend BoatSetter - it's the Airbnb among boat rental websites. Which means you'll get a great sailboat at a great price. Check out BoatSetter here.

If you like a more all-in approach, I recommend BoatJump. I love their service. You simply fill out their form and they'll give you a call. Check out BoatJump here.

You can check both of these websites without committing to anything.

List of Accepted Boat Licenses per Country

Below I'll list the ICC or equivalent licenses per country (U.K., Netherlands, Canada, United States, Germany, and Sweden).
For each country, I'll mention the issuing organization and the exact name of the license there.
If you want a full list with all national boat licenses, scroll down to the bottom.

United Kingdom

Organization: Royal Yachting Association (RYA)
License: International Certificate for Operator of Pleasure Craft (Coastal Waters, Power up to 10m)

With this license, you may sail:

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 30 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 30 GT,
• in internal waters and territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia and waters accessible from the sea.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands issues two licenses (I and II). In some cases, Boat License I will suffice.

Organization: VAMEX
Licenses: Vaarbewijs I / Internationaal Certificaat van Competentie (ICC Inland Waters) or Vaarbewijs II / Internationaal Certificaat van Competentie (ICC Inland + Coastal Waters)

Vaarbewijs I / Internationaal Certificaat van Competentie (ICC Inland Waters)

• boats used for private purposes
• bareboat chartered boats
• at a distance up to 1 nm from mainland and island coast in internal waters and territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia and waters accessible from the sea.

Vaarbewijs II / Internationaal Certificaat van Competentie (ICC Inland + Coastal Waters)

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 30 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 30 GT,
• in international voyage in the Adriatic Sea

Canada

Organization: International Yacht Tranining (IYT)
Licenses: International Certificate of Competency (ICC) or International Bareboat Skipper

International Certificate of Competency (ICC)

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 30 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 30 GT,
• in internal waters and territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia and waters accessible from the sea.

International Bareboat Skipper

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 100 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 100 GT,
• in international voyage in the Adriatic Sea

United States

Organization: US Sailing Association (USSA) or American Sailing Association (ASA)
Licenses: Bareboat Chartering (ASA), Basic Cruising (USSA) or Bareboat Cruising (USSA)

With one of these licenses, you may sail:

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 30 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 30 GT,
• in internal waters and territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia and waters accessible from the sea.

Germany

Organization: Deutscher SegelVerband
Licenses: Internationales zertifikat für führer von sport und freizeitfahrzeugen auf den seeschifffahrtsstrassen (Sportboot-Führerschein See)

With this license, you may sail:

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 30 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 30 GT,
• in internal waters and territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia and waters accessible from the sea.

Sweden

Organization: Nämnden för Båtlivsutbildning (NFB)
Licenses: Kustskeppar-Intyg

With this license, you may sail:

• boats used for private purposes,
• bareboat chartered boats,
• yachts used for private purposes up to 100 GT,
• bareboat chartered yachts up to 100 GT,
• in international voyage in the Adriatic Sea

Extra Resources

• If you want to know if your national boat license will be accepted by the Croatian authorities, I've found a great resource. Here's an overview of all the boat licenses issued per country, and what you are allowed to do with them in Croatian waters.
• You can read more about the ICC on Wikipedia.