Boating Licence in Germany and Abroad

When you need a boating licence in Germany

The German rules are set out in the Sportbootführerscheinverordnung (SpFV), the recreational boat licence regulation. On inland waterways it covers boats under 20 m; on maritime waterways there is no length limit.[1]

A licence is required once the engine delivers more than 11.03 kW (15 hp) for a combustion engine, or more than 7.5 kW continuous output (duty type S1) for an electric motor. Up to those limits you may drive without a licence. The electric boat calculator works out the range.[2][3][4]

Under sail, no licence is needed at sea. On inland waterways, sailing requires one only on the Berlin waters listed in Annex 8, such as Tegeler See, Großer Wannsee and Müggelsee. Rowing boats and craft with no more than 6 m² of sail are outside the regulation altogether.[3][4][5][6]

Even without a licence there is an age limit: on inland waterways, whoever steers a moving boat with an engine must be at least 16.[7]

Since 1 April 2023 the same 11.03 kW limit applies on the Rhine. A Rhine sport patent is now only needed for recreational craft from 20 m to under 25 m.[8][9][10]

Lake Constance has its own law: a category A skipper's licence for motorboats above 4.4 kW and category D for sailing boats with more than 12 m² of sail. The minimum age is 18 for category A and 14 for category D.[11]

Renting without a licence is possible only with a charter certificate issued by the hire company after a briefing. It applies to boats under 15 m limited to 12 km/h and 12 people, and only on the waters listed in Annex 5, such as the Havel, Müritz, Spree, Dahme, Peene, Saale, Saar and Lahn. The Rhine is not among them.[12][13][14]

Which certificates exist in Germany

Mandatory are the inland and maritime boat licences (SBF Binnen and SBF See), the radio certificates once a radio is on board, and on their waters the Rhine sport patent and the Lake Constance licence. The coastal, offshore and ocean skipper certificates (SKS, SSS, SHS) are voluntary for private skippers and required only on commercially used recreational boats.[15][16]

Certificate	For	Minimum age	When required
SBF Binnen, engine	inland waterways, boats under 20 m	16	engine above 11.03 kW, electric above 7.5 kW[1][2][17]
SBF Binnen, sail	inland waterways	14	only on the Berlin waters of Annex 8[17][5]
SBF See	maritime waterways, no length limit	16	engine above 11.03 kW, electric above 7.5 kW[3][17]
SKS, coastal skipper	coastal waters up to 12 nm	16	voluntary, required commercially; needs SBF See and 300 nm[15][16][18]
SSS, offshore skipper	up to 30 nm, plus Baltic, North Sea, Channel, Mediterranean	16	voluntary, required commercially; needs 700 nm after SKS[15][16][19]
SHS, ocean skipper	worldwide	18	voluntary, required commercially; needs SSS and 1,000 nm[15][16]
SRC, short range certificate	VHF marine radio and VHF GMDSS	15	once VHF marine radio is on board[15][20]
LRC, long range certificate	marine radio on MF, HF and satellite as well	not stated	once such equipment is on board[15]
UBI, inland VHF certificate	VHF radio on inland waters	15	once inland radio is on board[21]
FKN, distress flares	pyrotechnic distress signals	16	proof of competence under explosives law[22][23]
Rhine sport patent	Rhine, recreational craft under 25 m	18	only for boats from 20 m to under 25 m[10][8]
Lake Constance licence	Lake Constance	18 (A), 14 (D)	engine above 4.4 kW, sail above 12 m²[11]

German boat licences do not expire. Since 2018 the card format has also been issued as an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) under UNECE Resolution No. 40; the recognised issuers are the DMYV and the DSV.[24][25][26]

How the German exam works

Exams are not run by an authority but by two associations on behalf of the federal government: the German Motor Yacht Association (DMYV) and the German Sailing Association (DSV). They admit candidates, examine them and grant the licence.[27]

The application must reach the examination board at least one week before the exam. It needs a 35 x 45 mm passport photo, a medical certificate on the official form and a copy of your driving licence. Without one, the board may ask for a certificate of good conduct. What the doctor checks is explained on the medical certificate page.[28]

The exam has a theory part and a practical part. In theory each question has four answers, exactly one of them correct. For the SBF See there is also a chart navigation task. The exam is held in German. Practise the official questions in the licence academy.[29][5]

In the practical part you sail or drive manoeuvres with two attempts each and tie knots: six of the seven asked must be right. The candidate usually provides the exam boat.[5][29]

All parts must be passed within one year of the first part. A failed part cannot be retaken on the same day. Holders of a foreign ICC are exempt from the practical part.[29]

What the German boating licence costs

Official fees are set in the German fee regulation for waterways and shipping. Including VAT, the associations quote 148.38 euros for the SBF See, 130.78 euros for the SBF Binnen with engine, 127.84 euros under sail and 178.61 euros for See and Binnen with engine together.[30][31]

Official fee	Amount before VAT
Admission to the exam	€21.85
Theory, maritime	€44.45
Theory, inland with engine	€34.85
Theory, inland under sail	€32.10
Practical exam, maritime	€44.50
Practical exam, inland	€37.65
Issue of the licence	€28.20
Replacement card	€40.20[30]

Course, training hours and the medical come on top, priced by each school. Schools are listed in the boating school directory.

Driving without the required licence is an administrative offence in Germany, and so is letting someone else do it or not carrying the licence on board. Standard fines are listed under boating fines in Germany.[32]

Licence and boat insurance

Many boat policies tie cover to the person at the helm holding the licence that the boat and the waters require. Look for that clause in your own hull and liability wording, and check it again before lending the boat to friends or sailing abroad.

What counts is the licence the waters ask for, not the one that is enough at home. The next section shows what other countries require.

Boating licences around the world

Abroad, the rules of the country you are boating in apply. For boats under a foreign flag some countries look to the flag state, Spain for example. The table shows when each country asks for a licence; click a country for all rules for your trip.[33]

Country	What applies
Australia	Set by each state: in New South Wales from 10 knots and for jet skis, in Queensland above 4.5 kW.[34][35]
Austria	Skipper's licence from 4.4 kW engine power, electric included; foreign recreational skippers may use a matching licence from their country or the ICC.[36][37]
Canada	Proof of competency for every motorised boat, electric included. Visitors with their own boat need it after 45 days; a card from the home country is enough.[38][39]
Croatia boating rules in full	According to ADAC and ÖAMTC a licence for every motorboat, even under 15 hp, and for sailing boats over 3 m; a radio certificate if a radio is fitted.[40][41][42]
Denmark boating rules in full	Speedbådsbevis for planing boats under 4 m from 19 kW and, depending on power, for boats of 4 to 15 m; otherwise no licence under 15 m.[43][44]
France boating rules in full	Licence for motorboats from 4.5 kW (6 hp); pure sailing boats without an engine need none.[45]
Germany	Licence above 11.03 kW (15 hp) or 7.5 kW electric; SBF See at sea, SBF Binnen inland; Lake Constance from 4.4 kW.[4][11]
Greece boating rules in full	According to the ADAC a licence for motorboats from 30 hp and inflatables from 15 hp, minimum age 18. The German Foreign Office says the ICC is not recognised.[46][47]
Ireland	Personal watercraft and fast power craft only from age 16, boats above 5 hp from age 12.[48]
Italy boating rules in full	According to the ÖAMTC a licence from 30 kW (40.8 hp), above certain engine capacities or beyond 6 nm from the coast.[49]
Malta boating rules in full	Nautical Licence from Transport Malta for small motor craft, from age 18; foreign licences can get an Equivalency Letter.[50][51]
Montenegro boating rules in full	Skipper and crew prove their competence when buying the vignette, issued by the flag state or recognised.[52]
Netherlands boating rules in full	Vaarbewijs for boats over 15 m and for motorboats under 20 m able to go faster than 20 km/h.[53]
New Zealand	No licence for pleasure boats; local rules still apply.[54]
Norway boating rules in full	Båtførerbevis on Norwegian boats over 8 m or above 25 hp; people born before 1980 are exempt.[55]
Poland boating rules in full	Licence for sailing yachts over 7.5 m hull length and motor yachts above 10 kW.[56]
Portugal boating rules in full	A certificate of competence is required; licences issued in EU states are recognised automatically.[57]
Slovenia boating rules in full	A foreign certificate covers the boat it was issued for; without any certificate only rowing and sailing boats up to 7 m.[58]
Spain boating rules in full	Without a Spanish licence only motorboats up to 5 m and 15 hp and sailing boats up to 6 m, by day and within 2 nm; rental boats need a licence since 1 October 2026.[33][59]
Sweden boating rules in full	No licence for boats under 12 m long and 4 m wide; required for personal watercraft, from age 15.[60][61]
Switzerland boating rules in full	Licence from 6 kW engine or 15 m² sail; on Lake Constance from 4.4 kW or 12 m² sail.[62][63]
Turkey boating rules in full	Foreign licences apply within their scope; Turkish boats need the ADB 10 up to 10 m and the ADB 24 up to 24 m.[64]
USA	Each state decides. Florida: anyone born from 1988 needs a Boating Safety ID Card from 10 hp, and the ICC is accepted. California: Boater Card for all motorised boats since 2025.[65][66]
United Kingdom	No licence is required for pleasure vessels, including hire boats. The ICC is issued by bodies such as the Royal Yachting Association.[67][68]

Before the trip and before booking a charter, check what the harbour authority and the charter company require. Rules change; the sources are listed below.

Frequently asked questions

How much horsepower can I drive in Germany without a licence?

Up to 15 hp (11.03 kW) with a combustion engine and up to 7.5 kW continuous output with an electric motor, on inland and maritime waterways and since 2023 on the Rhine as well. On Lake Constance a licence is needed from 4.4 kW.

Is my foreign licence or ICC valid in Germany?

If you live abroad and stay in Germany for no more than a year, you need no German licence. If your home country requires a licence for that boat, or applies UNECE Resolution 40, bring that licence or an ICC for the waters you use. If your home country requires none, you need none in Germany either.

How much does a German boating licence cost?

Official fees including VAT are 148.38 euros for the SBF See and 130.78 euros for the SBF Binnen with engine. Course and training hours come on top.

Can I take the German exam in English?

The official questions and the exam are in German. Ask a school in advance whether it can help with preparation in English.

Can I rent a houseboat in Germany without a licence?

Yes, with a charter certificate from the hire company on approved inland waters such as the Müritz and Havel, for boats under 15 m limited to 12 km/h.

Does a German boating licence expire?

No. The card also serves as an International Certificate of Competence (ICC).

More on the subject

Practise in the licence academy Find a boating school Medical certificate Boating abroad Electric boat calculator Boating fines in Germany

Sources

As of 8 November 2026, all sources retrieved on or before that day.

Boating licence in Germany: when you need one and what it costs