So, you’ve found the boat, picked the destination, and you’re ready to book then the charter company asks for your sailing qualification. If you’ve never chartered a yacht before, this is usually the point where the excitement pauses and the questions start. What certificate do you actually need? Will your experience be enough? And where can you get qualified in time for your trip?
Here’s the good news: getting properly certified to skipper a yacht in Europe is far simpler than most people expect, and Malta is one of the best places in the Mediterranean to do it.
Why You Need a Qualification to Charter a Yacht
Unlike renting a car, you can’t just walk into a charter base, hand over a credit card, and sail off. Most European charter companies are legally required to confirm that at least one person on board can competently skipper the vessel before they hand over the keys. This protects the crew, other sailors, and the charter company’s boats.
The exact requirement depends on the country and the charter company, but almost everywhere in Europe, you’ll be asked for proof of both practical sailing experience and, in many cases, a radio operator’s certificate.
The Gold Standard: The International Certificate of Competence (ICC)
The most widely recognised qualification for bareboat chartering across Europe is the International Certificate of Competence (ICC). It’s accepted by charter companies from Croatia to Greece, Italy, Spain, and beyond, which makes it the go-to certificate for anyone planning to charter outside their home country.
For UK and Malta-based sailors, the simplest route to an ICC is through the RYA (Royal Yachting Association). If you hold an RYA Day Skipper practical certificate (or higher), you already meet the practical requirement for the ICC you’ll just need to apply through the RYA and pay the relevant fee. If you don’t yet hold a Day Skipper qualification, the certificate can also be issued after an ICC-specific assessment, but training toward Day Skipper is generally the more useful long-term investment, since it teaches genuine passage planning, navigation, and boat-handling skills rather than just ticking a box.
RYA Day Skipper: The Most Practical Route for Most Sailors
If you’re planning to charter a yacht for a week in the Mediterranean with friends or family, the RYA Day Skipper course is usually the sweet spot. It covers:
- Passage planning and navigation
- Coastal pilotage
- Boat handling under sail and power
- Basic meteorology and tidal theory
- Safety and emergency procedures
Day Skipper is designed for sailors with some prior experience (roughly the equivalent of RYA Competent Crew plus some additional miles), and by the end of the course, you should be confident enough to skipper a yacht on coastal passages in familiar waters exactly the kind of sailing most charter holidays involve.
Combined with the shore based theory course, Day Skipper gives you both the paperwork and the practical skill charter companies want to see.
What About Complete Beginners?
If you’ve never sailed before, don’t worry you don’t need years of experience to get started. Most people build up to Day Skipper through:
- RYA Start Yachting or Competent Crew – an introduction to life on board, basic sail handling, and crew duties.
- RYA Day Skipper (practical and shore based theory) – where you take on real responsibility for planning and running the boat.
- The ICC application – once you’ve got your certificate in hand.
Many sailors complete this pathway over one or two focused training weeks rather than stretching it out over years, especially when training somewhere with reliable weather and consistent wind, like Malta.
Do You Need a Radio Licence Too?
Yes, in most cases. Alongside your skipper qualification, charter companies across Europe will typically also expect a Short-Range Certificate (SRC), which qualifies you to operate VHF marine radio essential for calling harbours, other vessels, and raising an emergency alert if needed. It’s a short, one-day course and is well worth combining with your Day Skipper training so you leave fully equipped rather than making a second trip later.
Does Every Country Have the Same Rules?
Not exactly. While the ICC is the most broadly accepted document, individual countries and even individual charter companies can have their own additional requirements:
- Croatia generally accepts the ICC alongside proof of VHF radio competence.
- Greece often asks for the ICC plus a minimum number of logged sailing miles for larger yachts.
- Italy and Spain can occasionally request additional local paperwork for bareboat charters, depending on the region.
The safest approach is always to check directly with your chosen charter company before booking, and to carry your full certification ICC, Day Skipper certificate, and SRC with you on the trip. Charter companies want to see genuine competence, not just a piece of paper, so a practical course that actually builds your skills on the water will always serve you better than the minimum required document.
Why Train in Malta
Malta has quickly become one of the most popular places in Europe to complete RYA training, and it’s easy to see why. With over 300 days of sunshine a year, consistent and forgiving wind conditions, and a mix of open water and sheltered harbours, it’s an ideal training ground for building real confidence before you charter abroad. Add in easy flight connections from the UK and mainland Europe, and it’s entirely realistic to complete your Day Skipper course, pick up your SRC, and head home with everything you need to charter your first yacht all within a single trip.
Get Qualified with Prosailing Malta
At Prosailing Malta, we run RYA-certified courses from complete beginner level right through to Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper, and beyond, with small group sizes and a genuinely hands-on approach to training. Whether you’re starting from zero or building on existing experience, our instructors will help you get the qualification and the confidence you need to charter a yacht anywhere in Europe.
Explore our courses or get in touch with our team to find the right training path for your next sailing holiday.
