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

The short answer

It depends on three things: boat length, motor or sail, and how far from the coast you go.

• With the PER (patrón de embarcaciones de recreo) you can skipper a motor boat up to 15 m, up to 12 miles from the coast [1].
• With the PNB (basic navigation), a motor boat up to 8 m, never more than 5 miles from a port, marina or shelter [1].
• Further or bigger: patrón de yate or capitán de yate [1].
• If your licence comes from another EU country, the one issued by your country of nationality or residence is valid, within what that licence allows [1].

Table by licence

Basic attributions (article 8, Royal Decree 875/2014) [1]:

Sail. Attributions for sailing boats are complementary (article 9) and require meeting the extra requirements of annexes V or VI (article 7.b) [1]. With them: the PNB covers sailing boats up to 8 m (5 miles); the PER up to 15 m and, with the 24 m complementary attribution, up to 24 m (12 miles); patrón de yate and capitán de yate, up to 24 m at their usual distances [1].

No licence. No licence is needed for private use of a motor boat up to 5 m and a maximum of 15 CV (no power reducer), or for a sporting sailboat up to 6 m, always by day, no more than 2 miles from the departure port, marina or beach, and aged 18 or over [1]. Licences from sailing/motorboating federations and nautical schools cover up to 6 m, by day, at most 2 miles (article 11) [1].

What an EU foreigner needs

• Spanish-flagged boat. The maritime captaincies authorise citizens of the European Economic Area who hold a recreational licence issued by their country of nationality or residence (also in the EEA), under the requirements of the third additional provision [1]. Those requirements: a licence or certificate in force, used only within its attributions; if the country of residence issued it, residence is proven to that country when it is issued [1].
• Foreign-flagged boat in Spanish waters. Whoever skippers it needs the licence required by the law of their country of nationality if it matches the flag; if not, that of their country of residence (or, failing that, nationality) (fifth additional provision) [1].

Sources

[1] BOE, Real Decreto 875/2014, of 10 October, regulating nautical licences for pleasure craft. Consolidated text, last update published 30-12-2025 (articles 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and additional provisions three, four and five; article 10 in the wording in force since 1 Oct 2026, Real Decreto 1188/2025). The consolidated text is informative; legal value rests with the official publication. Read on 3 Oct 2026: https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2014-10344

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.

Claim my founding place

Br, Ignacio López, founder — The Seafolk