RYA Courses and the ICC in 2026: What You Need and What It Really Costs

Ask ten people at a UK marina what licence you need to skipper a yacht and you will get several different answers. The confusion is understandable. In British waters a private skipper of a normal-sized pleasure boat needs no certificate at all, yet the moment you pick up a charter yacht in Split, Lefkas or Palma you will be asked for paperwork, and the paperwork accepted differs by country, by charter company and even by the length of the boat.

This guide sets out what the rules actually say, which RYA courses lead to which certificates, and what it costs to get there in 2026. We read the RYA's own regulation, ICC and exam pages, the current ICC application form, Ofcom's radio licensing pages and the published course prices of a sample of UK sailing and powerboat schools in October 2026. We then worked the figures into budgets for four typical situations: the complete beginner who wants to charter abroad, the motorboat or RIB owner heading to Spain, the experienced sailor with no certificates, and the Day Skipper who simply needs to convert.

The short answer

• In UK waters you do not need a certificate of competence to skipper a pleasure vessel under 24m load line length (or under 80GT). If you carry a VHF radio, though, you need an Ofcom licence for the set and an operator certificate such as the SRC.
• Abroad, the usual document is the International Certificate of Competence (ICC). The RYA issues it on behalf of the MCA. It is free to RYA members and £75 to non-members. Adult RYA membership costs £62 a year, so joining is cheaper than paying for the ICC.
• You cannot apply for an ICC with Competent Crew or a theory certificate alone. You need evidence for a vessel type (power or sail) and a waters category (coastal or inland). Day Skipper Sail practical, Day Skipper Motor, Powerboat Level 2, Intermediate Powerboat and the one-day ICC assessment all qualify.
• Typical 2026 course prices in our sample: Competent Crew or Day Skipper practical £699 to £850 for five days, Day Skipper theory £285 online to £395 in the classroom, Powerboat Level 2 £290 to £400, the VHF/SRC course £76 to £130 plus a £76 RYA exam fee, and an ICC assessment day £210.
• Worked totals: a beginner to a charter-ready Day Skipper with SRC and ICC comes to roughly £1,990 to £2,350. A powerboat owner with PB2, SRC and ICC pays roughly £500 to £670. An experienced sailor taking the assessment route pays about £272 for the ICC alone.

The rest of this article shows where each figure comes from.

What UK law requires

The RYA's guidance on pleasure craft regulation is clear on the central point. Under the Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2015, the skipper of a pleasure vessel of less than 24m load line length, or less than 80GT, does not need a certificate of competence to operate in UK waters or on the high seas. The same page notes that the Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations 1998 do not apply to pleasure vessels, so there is no legal obligation to carry a radio at all.

That freedom has two important limits.

Radio. If you do fit or carry a VHF, the set must be licensed and the person using it must hold an operator certificate. Ofcom issues two kinds of licence: a Ship Radio Licence for fixed equipment on a named vessel and a Ship Portable Radio Licence for handheld equipment. Both are now "lifetime" licences, and Ofcom's fee table is short:

Source: Ofcom, ship or ship portable radio licence terms and conditions, read October 2026.

Ofcom notes that a lifetime licence is revoked if it is neither amended nor revalidated at least once every ten years, and that licences cannot be transferred when a boat is sold. If you buy a used boat with a radio, you apply for a new licence in your own name, keeping the vessel's call sign and MMSI. Using unlicensed equipment is a criminal offence; Ofcom gives the maximum penalty on conviction as a £5,000 fine and/or six months in prison. For a new owner this is the one piece of "licensing" that does apply on day one, and it costs nothing if you do it online. Our guide to buying your first boat covers the other paperwork that comes with a purchase.

Insurance and practicality. No law requires a certificate for a private UK skipper, but insurers, clubs and charter companies can set their own conditions, and many do. Sunsail, for example, asks for a sailing CV even in destinations where no licence is legally required. So "no legal requirement" is only half the answer. The practical requirement comes from whoever owns or insures the boat.

Abroad: where the ICC fits

The International Certificate of Competence exists because of UNECE Resolution No. 40, an agreement intended to let one country's boating certificates be recognised in another. The RYA is candid about how patchy that recognition is. Its evidence-of-competence page says that of the 56 UNECE member states, only a handful, the UK among them, have fully adopted Resolution 40. It also points out that Spain, Greece and Portugal have not adopted it, yet officials there are still likely to ask to see an ICC. The RYA also warns that the ICC does not work like an EU driving licence, so acceptance abroad is common but never guaranteed.

The RYA publishes a country-by-country summary for UK-flagged boats arriving by water. We have condensed the main cruising destinations below.

Source: RYA, "Evidence of competence", read October 2026. The RYA updates this page; check it before you travel.

Two points stand out. First, for the most popular Mediterranean destinations the RYA's answer is "required" or "essential", which makes the ICC the default document for a British skipper. Second, this table is about your own UK-flagged boat. A charter yacht flies a local flag, and then the host country's charter rules and the charter company's own requirements apply as well.

Charter boats: the rules can be stricter

The RYA's advice for charterers is to ask the charter company, in writing, exactly which qualifications it will accept for your cruising area, because the answer depends on local legislation and on the company's insurance. Some real examples show why.

Spain has the most precise rules. Royal Decree 339/2021 amended Annex IX of Royal Decree 875/2014, which sets out which foreign qualifications allow someone to skipper a Spanish-flagged hire boat. The RYA's Spain page reproduces the UK lines:

Source: RYA, country-specific advice for Spain, read October 2026.

The last two lines matter for anyone planning a motorboat charter in the Balearics. An ICC earned through Powerboat Level 2 is restricted to boats up to 10m, and under the Spanish table that also limits you to 5 miles offshore. To skipper a 12m motor yacht from a Spanish charter base you need an unrestricted Power category, which comes from Day Skipper Motor, Advanced Powerboat or an ICC assessment for power without the 10m limit. If you are planning that kind of trip, our Balearics cruising guide shows how far apart the main anchorages are, which helps you judge whether 5 miles is enough.

Croatia. Sunsail's current planning pages for its Agana base near Split say that a Croatian charter skipper needs an accepted sailing licence (at minimum an ICC or RYA Day Skipper) plus a VHF radio operator's licence, and the original documents are checked at the base. Sunsail also states that bases cannot approve licences themselves; the accepted list is published by the Croatian maritime ministry. The VHF requirement is easy to miss, because nothing in UK law forces a leisure skipper to take the SRC. If Croatia is on your list, budget for the radio course as well as the sailing one. Our Split to Dubrovnik itinerary gives a feel for the sort of week this paperwork lets you charter.

Greece. This is where a Day Skipper certificate on its own can let you down. Sunsail's sailing requirements page says a Day Skipper licence is not accepted for its Greek charters; the skipper needs an ICC, an equivalent international certificate or a higher RYA qualification, and must nominate an adult first mate. Because a Day Skipper Sail practical certificate converts straight into an ICC, the fix is cheap, but standard processing takes about 21 working days, roughly a month, so do it well before you fly.

Italy. Sunsail's requirements page lists RYA Day Skipper or ICC for its Italian bases, with at least one certified skipper over 18 and certificates sent to the base at least two weeks before the charter.

Charter companies differ, and each sets its own experience requirements on top of the legal minimum. Sunsail, for example, asks for five days or 100 miles as skipper on an equivalent yacht for its easiest destinations. Treat the examples above as typical and get the requirement for your specific booking in writing.

How the ICC works

The ICC is issued by the RYA on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The essentials from the RYA's ICC pages and the current application form (ICC-1, version dated 1 April 2026):

• You must be at least 16 and able to declare that you are physically fit to operate a boat.
• It is valid for five years. You can renew up to three months before it expires.
• Standard processing takes around 21 working days. A fast-track service is available.
• You apply online through MyRYA or by post, with a copy of the certificate that proves your competence and a passport-style photo.

What the ICC costs

Source: RYA ICC-1 application form, version 01/04/2026.

And the membership prices printed on the same form, valid until 31 March 2027:

Source: RYA ICC-1 application form. The form adds that first-time members paying by Direct Debit may be eligible for 15% off the first year.

The arithmetic is simple. A non-member pays £75 for an ICC. An adult who joins first pays £62 and gets the ICC free, saving £13 and getting a year of membership. With the 15% first-year Direct Debit discount the membership works out at about £52.70. An under-25 saves even more: £31 against £75. For a family where two adults both want an ICC, £94 for family membership compares with £150 for two non-member certificates.

The gap is widest if you are in a hurry. A non-member who needs a new ICC fast-tracked pays £200. A Personal member pays £60 for the same speed, so joining and fast-tracking costs £122 in total, a saving of £78.

One warning from our research: some school websites still quote older ICC fees. One powerboat school page we read in October 2026 gave the non-member ICC fee as "approximately £45", which is out of date. The RYA's form dated April 2026 says £75. Always check the current form.

What counts as evidence

This is the part that trips people up. The RYA's notes on the application (form ICC-3, linked from its ICC application page) say every ICC needs evidence for one category from List A (Power, Sail, or Personal Watercraft) and one from List B (Coastal waters or Inland waters). Without both, the RYA cannot issue the certificate.

Source: RYA ICC-3 notes, version 25/11/2025. The table on the form has further rows for older certificates and professional qualifications.

Four practical consequences follow:

1. Competent Crew does not lead to an ICC. It is a crew course and is not on the list.
2. Theory alone is not enough. Day Skipper Shorebased covers the Coastal category only. You still need a practical course or assessment to supply Power or Sail.
3. Sail ICCs include small power. Every ICC with the Sail category also gets Power up to 10m, so you can drive the tender legally.
4. Inland waters always means CEVNI. CEVNI is the European code for inland waterways, and UK courses do not teach it. Anyone wanting the Inland category must pass the ICC CEVNI test, even if the waterway they plan to use does not apply CEVNI. Planning a French canal holiday on your own boat? You will need it.

The RYA training ladder

Here are the main RYA cruising and powerboat courses that matter for the ICC, with the entry requirements the RYA publishes for each.

Sources: RYA course finder pages for Day Skipper Practical, Day Skipper Theory and Coastal Skipper Practical; RYA ICC-3; Powerboat Training UK for PB2 format; Prometheus Sailing for the ICC assessment.

The "5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours" requirement for Day Skipper Practical explains why most beginners take Competent Crew first. A five-day Competent Crew course with a night passage is the usual way to log that experience.

Higher up sit the Yachtmaster certificates of competence, which are exams rather than courses. The RYA lists these pre-exam requirements:

Sources: RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore exam pages; RYA/MCA practical exam application form notes.

The exam form adds that qualifying sea time must have been gained within the last ten years, and no more than half of it may be in non-tidal waters such as the Mediterranean or Baltic. That matters if most of your miles come from summer charters in Greece or Croatia. The Yachtmaster Offshore is the qualification the Spanish table recognises for up to 150 miles offshore. The RYA describes the Offshore skipper as competent to skipper a cruising yacht on passages up to 150 miles from harbour, by day or night.

What the courses cost in 2026

We read the published prices of a sample of RYA training centres in October 2026. These are the course-fee lines only. Prices change, peak and off-peak rates differ, and what is included varies, so the "Includes" column matters as much as the headline price.

Competent Crew and Day Skipper practical (sail, five days)

Sources: each school's course page, read October 2026. Links in the sources list below.

The sample gives a fairly tight band. Most Solent-area five-day courses sit between £745 and £825. Winter dates are cheaper, and the cheapest headline we found was Jolly Parrot's low-season Day Skipper in Gibraltar from £699, though getting there adds flights. The extras are where real differences hide. Broad Reach includes marina fees; Hamble asks you to budget about £20; First Class Sailing suggests about £40. Prometheus and Falmouth leave at least one evening meal to you. When comparing two courses £30 apart, check which one is feeding you and paying the harbour master.

Winter courses deserve a note of their own. Off-peak rates run from 1 November to 31 March at the schools that publish them. The saving is around £50 at Prometheus and £100 at Jolly Parrot. A Solent Day Skipper in February is a different experience from one in June: colder and darker, with more night hours logged but fewer daylight hours on the water. Some people find this the best preparation for skippering in the UK. Our Solent cruising guide describes the waters most of these courses use.

Day Skipper theory

Sources: school course pages, October 2026.

The RYA course finder says the theory course takes about 40 hours plus exam time and can be done in a classroom, online or by distance learning. Online is cheaper and flexible; a classroom week suits people who know they will not finish an online course on their own.

Powerboat Level 2 (two days)

Sources: provider pages and the Sussex Yacht Club 2026 training booklet, read October 2026.

Club courses are the cheapest route if you are already a member or plan to join. Commercial schools charge more but often include fuel and kit that clubs and some other schools add at the end. Powerboat Training UK points out that fuel, waterproofs and VAT are common extras elsewhere.

VHF / SRC, first aid and assessments

The SRC has a minimum age of 16, and the RYA states the £76 exam fee is payable to the RYA separately from whatever the school charges for the course.

RYA exam fees (Certificates of Competence)

Source: RYA exam fees page, read October 2026.

These are the RYA's fees only. A Yachtmaster exam is normally taken at the end of a preparation week with a training centre, and that week is priced separately.

Four worked budgets

Each budget uses only prices from the tables above. Travel to the course, the charter itself and any kit you buy are left out. Where a range is shown, the low end uses the cheapest qualifying option in our sample and the high end uses a typical Solent summer price with extras added.

1. Complete beginner who wants to charter in Croatia or Greece

You have done a bit of dinghy sailing or crewed for a friend, but you have no certificates. The goal is to skipper a bareboat charter next summer.

What this buys you: a Day Skipper Sail practical certificate, an SRC, and an ICC endorsed Sail, Coastal and Power up to 10m. That combination meets Sunsail's published requirements for Croatia (licence plus VHF) and Greece (ICC rather than Day Skipper). For a Spanish-flagged charter yacht it allows boats up to 24m within 12 miles of the coast.

Two notes. Prometheus's off-peak price applies from 1 November to 31 March, so the low column assumes winter courses. And the charter company will still want evidence of experience. Sunsail, for instance, asks for five days or 100 miles as skipper even for its easiest areas, which a single Day Skipper course may not fully cover. Many people do a flotilla or a skippered week before their first bareboat for this reason.

2. RIB or motorboat owner taking a boat to Spain

You have bought a 7m RIB or small sports boat and plan to tow it to Spain, or you want to hire a small motorboat there. You have a handheld VHF.

The club-member figure assumes you already pay that club's subscription, which is not included here. Powerboat Training UK's £370 to £380, including fuel and waterproofs, sits between the two columns.

The result is an ICC endorsed Power up to 10m and Coastal. Under the Spanish Annex IX table, that lets you skipper a Spanish-flagged hire boat up to 10m within 5 miles of the coast. If your plans include a bigger boat or open-water crossings between the islands, look at Day Skipper Motor or an ICC assessment for unrestricted power instead. Check the distances for your planned route first: the 5-mile limit is the constraint most likely to bite.

3. Experienced sailor with no certificates

You have sailed for years, perhaps on your own boat or with a club, but never took a course. You want an ICC for a charter in Italy.

The assessment route is by far the cheapest way to an ICC if you are already competent. Prometheus strongly recommends taking the RYA's online Essential Navigation course before the assessment, and lists that course or Day Skipper as recommended pre-course experience. The £210 includes a day aboard its yacht with an examiner, lunch, wet weather gear and fuel. The assessment validates only the categories you are assessed for. If you want both Sail and Coastal, make sure both are covered on the day.

4. You already have Day Skipper and need an ICC quickly

Your Day Skipper practical is from a few years ago and your Greek charter is in five weeks.

Five weeks is around 25 working days, which is cutting it fine for the standard service. If you are going to fast-track, joining first saves £78. If you can apply today, standard processing via membership at £62 is the cheapest option.

Which route suits whom?

If you mainly want to charter a yacht abroad, the Day Skipper Sail practical is the core qualification. It converts into an ICC and is accepted directly by many charter companies. Add the SRC if you are heading to Croatia, where it is required, and because it is required for any Yachtmaster exam later.

If you own or plan to own a small motorboat or RIB, Powerboat Level 2 is the quickest and cheapest step to an ICC. Be aware of the 10m restriction, and of the 5-mile limit on Spanish hire boats.

If you already sail competently, an ICC assessment day costs a fraction of a five-day course. It will not teach you much, though, and it does not give you a Day Skipper certificate, which some charter companies prefer.

If you are buying a cruising yacht to keep in the UK, no certificate is legally required, but the training is still worth considering for safety and insurance reasons. The radio licence is the one document you must sort out, and it is free online. If you are at that stage, the sailing boats for sale on Jack & Anchor are listed with specifications and asking prices, so you can see what different budgets buy.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to skipper a boat in the UK?

Not for a private pleasure boat under 24m load line length or under 80GT, according to the RYA's summary of the STCW Regulations 2015. If you carry a VHF, the set needs an Ofcom licence and the user needs an operator certificate such as the SRC. Charter companies and insurers can also set their own requirements.

How much does an ICC cost in 2026?

£75 for non-members and free for RYA members. Adult membership is £62 until 31 March 2027, so joining is usually cheaper. Replacements cost non-members £40, and fast-track adds £125 for non-members.

Can I get an ICC with Competent Crew?

No. The RYA's ICC notes do not list Competent Crew as evidence for any category. Day Skipper practical, Powerboat Level 2 or an ICC assessment are the usual routes.

How long does an ICC last?

Five years. You can renew up to three months before it expires.

Is Day Skipper accepted abroad without an ICC?

Sometimes. Sunsail accepts it in Croatia (with a VHF licence) and Italy, but not in Greece. The Spanish Annex IX table recognises Day Skipper for Spanish-flagged hire boats up to 24m within 12 miles. Because conversion to an ICC is free for RYA members, many skippers hold both.

Do I need an SRC to charter?

In Croatia, yes, according to Sunsail's published requirements. For Yachtmaster exams it is mandatory. Elsewhere it depends on the charter company.

What is CEVNI and do I need it?

CEVNI is the European code for inland waterways. Anyone who wants the Inland category on their ICC must pass the RYA's ICC CEVNI test, because UK courses do not cover it. You need it for canals and rivers on the Continent, but not for coastal cruising.

Can Mediterranean sea time count towards Yachtmaster?

Yes, but no more than half of your qualifying sea time can be in non-tidal waters such as the Mediterranean or Baltic, according to the RYA/MCA exam application notes.

Sources

All pages read in October 2026.

• RYA, Pleasure craft regulations
• RYA, International Certificate of Competence
• RYA, ICC application
• RYA, Evidence of competence (country table)
• RYA, Spain country-specific advice
• RYA ICC-1 application form (version 01/04/2026) and ICC-3 notes (version 25/11/2025), linked from the RYA ICC application page
• RYA, Exam fees
• RYA, Yachtmaster Coastal exam
• RYA, Yachtmaster Offshore exam
• RYA/MCA practical exam application form
• RYA course finder, Day Skipper Practical Sailing
• RYA course finder, Day Skipper Theory
• RYA course finder, Coastal Skipper Practical Sailing
• RYA, SRC exam
• Ofcom, Ship radio and ship portable radio
• Ofcom, Ship radio licence terms and fees
• Sunsail, Sailing levels and requirements
• Sunsail, Agana (Croatia) base information
• Sunsail, What qualifications do I need to charter a yacht?
• Prometheus Sailing, Day Skipper
• Prometheus Sailing, ICC assessment
• Prometheus Sailing, Day Skipper Theory
• Hamble School of Yachting, Day Skipper
• Hamble School of Yachting, Day Skipper Theory
• Hamble School of Yachting, VHF radio course
• Hamble School of Yachting, First Aid
• Broad Reach, Competent Crew
• Hamilton Sailing, Day Skipper
• Falmouth School of Sailing, Day Skipper
• Nomad Sailing, Competent Crew
• First Class Sailing, Competent Crew
• Jolly Parrot, Day Skipper
• Powerboat Training UK, Powerboat Level 2
• Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, Powerboat Level 2
• Thames Active, Powerboat courses
• Sussex Yacht Club, 2026 training booklet

Prices and rules change. Check the current RYA form and your charter company's written requirements before you book or travel.