Is my licence valid abroad?

Short answer

Which certificate counts is decided by the water you are on, not by where you live; if the helmsman lacks the required licence, the indemnity is at risk.

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The sentence that clears up most of the confusion is this: which certificate counts depends on the water, not on where you live. The Adriatic asks for something different from an Alpine lake, and Lake Constance has an order of its own with its own certificate. Anyone sailing abroad follows the law of the country they are sailing in, not the law of the country they live in.

For orientation, the German thresholds, since the contract is a German one: on inland waters a licence is required from 15 hp, on the Rhine from 5 hp, and for electric drives from 7.5 kW with continuous-duty rating. Registration is required from 3 hp. None of those figures says anything about what is asked for across the border.

On the insurance side the position is clear, and it is the real reason this question matters: cover requires that the person at the helm holds the prescribed licence. If it is missing, the indemnity is at risk. That applies whether or not anyone checked, because the question is not examined at the pontoon but after a claim.

For the trip itself: the papers your cruising area asks for are listed on the page for that area, together with the minimum liability limits of the countries where insurance is compulsory. The international certificate of insurance is available in ten languages in your customer account and is regularly a condition for a berth and for inspections in those countries.

If you charter, the charter company checks the papers, and it checks them under the law of its own country. Settle before you book which certificate is required and whether a radio certificate goes with it. At the base it is too late, and by then the deposit has gone.

Worth remembering

The question is not examined at the pontoon. It is examined after a claim.

Is my licence valid abroad?

That is decided by the country you are sailing in, not by where you live. The papers required are listed on the page for your cruising area.

What happens if the required licence is missing?

Cover requires that the person at the helm holds the prescribed licence. If it is missing the indemnity is at risk, even if nobody checked.

Where do I get the proof of insurance for abroad?

The international certificate of insurance is in your customer account in ten languages, available at any time and without having to request it by post.

From what engine size does Germany require a licence?

On inland waters from 15 hp, on the Rhine from 5 hp, and for electric drives from 7.5 kW with continuous-duty rating. Registration is required from 3 hp.

What applies when chartering?

The charter company checks the papers under the law of its own country. Settle before booking which certificate is required and whether a radio certificate is needed.

What paperwork do I need for worldwide cover? Cruising range: where your policy actually covers you Flag, registration and what they mean for cover