Greece does not have a single, straightforward answer to this question — and that is precisely why so many people get confused before booking a charter. The short version: you almost certainly need to demonstrate competence to a charter company before they hand you the keys, and in practice that means holding either a recognised sailing qualification, an International Certificate of Competence, or both. What you need depends on where you are sailing, what size boat you want, and which charter company you are dealing with.
Here is a clear breakdown of how it actually works.
Does Greece Legally Require a Licence to Charter a Yacht?
Greece has not formally adopted UNECE Resolution No. 40 — the international framework that governs the ICC — which means the ICC is not a legal requirement under Greek maritime law in the way it is in, say, Croatia or Germany. However, this does not mean you can charter freely without any paperwork.
In practice, every reputable charter company in Greece will require you to demonstrate skipper competence before releasing a bareboat yacht to you. They do this partly for liability reasons and partly because Greek port authorities can ask for proof of competence during inspections. The specific documents they accept vary by company and by yacht size, but the baseline is consistent: you need evidence that you can actually sail the boat.
The two documents that satisfy this requirement almost universally are a recognised RYA certificate and/or an International Certificate of Competence (ICC).
What RYA Certificate Do You Need to Charter in Greece?
For most bareboat charter in Greece — a monohull or catamaran up to around 12 metres in the Saronic Gulf, Ionian, or Dodecanese — the standard minimum accepted by charter companies is the RYA Day Skipper practical certificate.
The Day Skipper qualifies you to skipper a yacht on short coastal passages in familiar waters. It is the most widely recognised entry-level skipper qualification in the Mediterranean and the one most Greek charter companies list as their minimum requirement for bareboat hire.
For larger yachts, less familiar sailing areas, or charter companies operating at a higher level of the market, the RYA Coastal Skipper may be required. If you are planning to take a larger yacht or more into exposed or offshore waters, Coastal Skipper level is the practical minimum — both for the charter company’s comfort and, frankly, your own.
Do You Also Need an ICC?
This is where it gets paradoxical. Greece has not formally adopted Resolution No. 40, so the ICC is not a legal requirement under Greek maritime law. In the vast majority of cases, an RYA certificate alone is sufficient — charter companies know the qualification, and port authorities are familiar with it.
However, Greek port police are not a monolith. In certain ports — particularly smaller or more remote harbours, or during periods of stricter enforcement — a port officer may ask for an ICC specifically, regardless of what other certificates you carry. It does not happen often, but it does happen. The ICC is the one document that removes any ambiguity in that conversation.
The practical advice: get the ICC alongside your RYA certificate. For Day Skipper holders the application is simple and requires no additional assessment — and having it means no port authority encounter, however unlikely, can spoil your week on the water.
How to Get an ICC If You Already Hold an RYA Certificate
This is the good news. If you hold an RYA Day Skipper practical (sail) or higher, you can apply directly to the RYA for an ICC with a Sail coastal waters endorsement up to 24m — no separate assessment required. Your existing certificate is accepted as proof of competence.
The application goes directly to the RYA online or by post. You will need a copy of your passport or national ID, proof of residential address, your RYA certificate, a passport photo, and the application fee (currently £59 for non-RYA members). The ICC is posted to your residential address and is valid for five years.
It is worth noting: the ICC issued by the RYA is intended for UK nationals and UK residents, and for nationals of countries that have not formally adopted Resolution No. 40. If you are a national of a country that has adopted the resolution — such as Germany, Croatia, or the Netherlands — you would need to apply through your own national governing body rather than the RYA. We can advise on this if it applies to you.
What If You Don’t Hold an RYA Certificate Yet?
If you do not yet hold an RYA certificate, you have two routes:
Route 1 — Complete the RYA Day Skipper course
This is the route we recommend for anyone planning to sail regularly in Greece or the wider Mediterranean. The RYA Day Skipper practical is a seven-day liveaboard course in the Aegean. It qualifies you to skipper a yacht on coastal passages, satisfies charter company requirements, and entitles you to apply directly to the RYA for an ICC — no additional assessment needed. You come away with both documents from a single week of training.
If you have no prior sailing experience, start with the RYA Competent Crew course first. The two can be done back-to-back: Competent Crew one week, Day Skipper the next.
Route 2 — Sit a standalone ICC assessment
If you have sailing experience but no formal RYA qualification, you can sit a dedicated ICC assessment at Seven Seas without completing a full course. The assessment covers theory (navigation, buoyage, collision regulations, safety) and practical boat handling (leaving and returning to berth, mooring, buoy work, man overboard, anchoring, sail handling). It takes a minimum of four hours and costs €450 per person, including use of the tuition boat, assessor fees, fuel, and safety equipment.
On successful completion, you receive an assessment completion report which you include in your RYA ICC application. The ICC is then issued by the RYA directly to you.
The standalone assessment is the faster option if you are an experienced sailor who simply needs the paper. The Day Skipper course is the better investment if you want a qualification that opens more doors — both for charter and for your ongoing development as a skipper.
A Practical Summary
| Your situation | What you need | Fastest route |
|---|---|---|
| Chartering in Greece only, experienced sailor | RYA Day Skipper (minimum) | 7-day Day Skipper course in Athens |
| Chartering in Greece, want to cover all port police scenarios | RYA Day Skipper + ICC | Day Skipper course → apply to RYA for ICC directly |
| Have RYA Day Skipper, need ICC | ICC application only | Apply online to RYA — no assessment needed |
| Experienced sailor, no RYA cert, need ICC quickly | ICC assessment + application | 4-hour ICC assessment at Seven Seas → apply to RYA |
| Complete beginner wanting to charter within 1–2 years | Competent Crew + Day Skipper + ICC | Two back-to-back liveaboard weeks, then ICC application |
We Can Help You Work Out Exactly What You Need
The combination of RYA certificates, ICC requirements, and charter company policies is genuinely confusing — and it varies depending on your nationality, where you want to sail, and what you already hold. A short call with one of our instructors will give you a clear picture with no ambiguity.
