International Certificate of Competency (ICC) & CEVNI

If you are planning to charter or skipper a yacht or motor boat overseas then this UN document is a must.

Most European countries are now requiring skippers of charter and private boats to hold an ICC to operate these vessels in their open and inland waterways. This Certificate is issued by the RYA and it is important to check with your charter company or the maritime authorities of the countries you are intending to visit to find out if the ICC is required.

An ICC can only be issued to persons holding passports or residents of: Australia, the United Kingdom and its territories, the USA, Canada and New Zealand.

The ICC can be issued directly to persons holding the RYA/YA Day Skipper practical certificate or higher.

For people not holding these qualifications a direct test is available. The ICC can be issued for power and/or sailing vessels and for up to either 10 metres or 24 metres in length. Specify whether you require an ICC for power or sail when booking.

The test is both a practical and theoretical assessment and takes approximately 4 hours per person. It can be undertaken on your own suitable vessel or on board one of our fleet.

The ICC requires a knowledge of navigation, pilotage and COLREGS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea). For those who have not previously attended a navigation course we highly recommend a theory course like  Coastal Navigation course prior to the ICC test.

For those wishing to skipper a vessel in the European inland water ways there is an additional short theory exam called the CEVNI rules. This covers rules specific to the European canals and includes signs, buoyage, light and sound signals and general steering rules. This test can be taken online or as a written test after the ICC assessment.

You must learn the CEVNI code before attempting the test. We recommend the RYA European Waterways Regulations (G17) book, which contains a sample test paper. This book is available for purchase from us. You can also take an online sample test at the RYA Interactive website.

The CEVNI online test is a short multiple choice paper in two parts. Part 1 is about signs and buoyage and Part 2 is about sound signals, lights and shapes. Seven questions are asked in each part, and you must answer at least five questions correctly in each part to pass the whole test. The CEVNI course is run by Yachtmaster Sailing School through the RYA eLearning website.

To book an ICC course please contact us on (03) 9699 9425 to arrange a suitable date for your ICC practical assessment.

See booking form for terms and conditions on own vessel. Please state whether you will require a CEVNI with your ICC.

Once you have confirmed a suitable date with the school please download the ICC application from button below.

A form needs to be completed for each person and given to your instructor at the commencement of your course along with a passport photo of each applicant.

To renew your ICC, you will need to apply to the RYA directly. For the ICC Application information  UK ICC issued by RYA | boating abroad | RYA