What licence do I need to skipper a pleasure boat in Italy?

The short answer

In Italy the patente nautica is mandatory when the engine exceeds 40.8 hp (30 kW), and for water-skiing and jet skis [1]. For boats up to 24 m, category A covers up to 12 miles from the coast or no distance limit; category B is for pleasure ships over 24 m [2].

If you are a foreigner, the Italian regulation lets you command a boat with a licence your own country recognises as equivalent, within the limits of that licence and free of charge [2].

Table by licence

Licence	What it covers	Limit
A, "entro 12 miglia"	natanti and imbarcazioni, motor, sail or mixed	up to 12 miles from the coast [2]
A, "senza limiti"	same	no distance limit [2]
B	pleasure ships (over 24 m); also boats up to 24 m	the source sets no distance [2]
C	nautical direction of units up to 24 m, with another person over 18 on board	[2]
D1	natanti and imbarcazioni up to 12 m	daytime only, up to 6 miles from the coast [1]

Category A can be requested for motor units only [2]. To sit for B you need to have held an A with no distance limit for at least three years [1]. C and D2 are for people with particular physical or mental conditions [1][2].

What an EU foreigner needs

Article 34 of the regulation (DM 146/2008), from the PDF published by the Guardia Costiera [2]:

Foreigners holding a qualification, or a document their State recognises as equivalent, may command imbarcazioni and navi da diporto registered in Italy, and natanti, within the limits of the licence, free of charge, carrying the licence on board [2].
On boats registered in foreign registers, the licence obligation is set by the law of the flag State [2].
EU citizens don't need a licence if they show a declaration from their authorities that the law of their country, or of the flag, issues no licence at all [2].

Sources

[1] Guardia Costiera, "Ammissione all'esame per la patente nautica", updated 05-02-2026. Read on 3 Oct 2026: https://www.guardiacostiera.gov.it/portale/ammissione-all…

[2] Decree of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport 29 July 2008, no. 146 (articles 25, 26, 27 and 34), PDF hosted on the Guardia Costiera portal. Read on 3 Oct 2026: https://www.guardiacostiera.gov.it/portale/documents/5158…

Check your case

The free checker tells you which licence you need for your boat and your area. It's guidance, not legal advice: the authority has the last word.

Open the boat licence checker

Then, sail another owner's boat

The Seafolk is a club of owners who swap boats for a few days: you sail theirs, they sail yours. It isn't a rental and no money passes from one to the other.

It's new: 28 members and 3 boats. Join now and you're among the first.
Founding place free until 31 Dec 2026; from 1 Jan 2027, €90 a year for life. Founding places are capped at 1,000 boats.
Open: staying aboard at the dock, without sailing, or sailing with a professional skipper. Bareboat (sailing it yourself) is closed.
It's for people who already own a boat: with no boat in the network there is nothing to swap.

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Br, Ignacio López, founder — The Seafolk