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Boating schools in Belgium
In short
On inland waterways a stuurbrevet is required above 15 metres or 20 km/h. At sea, pleasure craft need no general licence.
When a certificate is required
On inland waterways for craft over 15 metres or capable of more than 20 km/h. At sea Belgium requires no general certificate for pleasure craft, though charter companies and insurers do.
Duration and minimum age
A theory course over a few days, plus logged sea time for the general brevet. 18 for the general brevet, 16 for the restricted one.
What a course costs
Around 200 to 450 euros depending on the format.
Who issues the certificate
Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport, Directorate General Shipping, mobilit.belgium.be
Finding a school
Where the boating schools in Belgium are listed
No list of single schools, it dates within a season. We name the bodies that keep the registers.
Umbrella body, Flanders
Vlaamse Vereniging voor Watersport
Clubs and schools offering training and examination preparation.
www.wwsv.beAuthority
FPS Mobility and Transport
Approved examination centres and the issuing of the brevets.
mobilit.belgium.beThe certificates
What each certificate covers
Beperkt stuurbrevet
Inland waterways without sea access
Algemeen stuurbrevet
All inland waterways including the Sea Scheldt, with proof of logged time
ICC
The international certificate, the usual document for boating abroad
Context
How training works in Belgium
Belgium is small but its rule is split in two, and that is where visitors come unstuck. On inland waterways the stuurbrevet applies at the same two thresholds as in the Netherlands, 15 metres of length or 20 km/h of capability. At sea, pleasure craft need no general certificate at all.
In practice Belgian schools teach to what charter companies and insurers expect rather than to the legal minimum, which is why they offer the ICC as well. Leave Nieuwpoort or Zeebrugge and within a few hours you are under three sets of rules; the document that fits all of them is the ICC.
Recognition, charter, cover
What the certificate means outside the classroom
Recognition abroad
Belgian brevets are recognised across the border regions. For chartering further south the ICC is the practical route.
What the charter base asks for
Charter companies ask for a certificate whatever the Belgian rule says, usually the ICC or a national coastal certificate.
All countries at a glanceWhat matters for cover
Where the state requires no certificate, neither does the policy. Where it does, the certificate is a condition of cover.
All countries at a glanceQuestions and answers
Common questions about boating in Belgium
Do I need a boating licence in Belgium?
On inland waterways above 15 metres or 20 km/h of capability. At sea there is no general requirement for pleasure craft.
What separates the restricted from the general brevet?
The general one also covers waterways with sea access and requires proof of logged time on the water.
Is the Belgian brevet enough for Mediterranean charter?
Not always. Bases know the ICC, which is why Belgian schools offer it alongside.
Last reviewed: 27 September 2026. The authority of the country you boat in has the final word.
We insure boats whose owner or flag is in Germany, Austria or Spain.
Other countries
Do you run a boating school?
A training boat runs commercially, with a liable instructor: that needs its own arrangement.
