Many European countries require the skipper of a vessel to be able to provide evidence of his or her competence. In practice documentary evidence may seldom be inspected, but it is generally useful and in some countries essential to carry an ICC.
So is the ICC required or recommended?
The requirement is solely dependant on the country you are visiting. You may find that some only require it for inland waters where others only require it for coastal waters. However you will find some require it for both.
In very general terms an ICC is required for the inland waterways of Europe and for inland and coastal waters of Mediterranean countries. For the coastal waters of Northern Europe the ICC is generally not required, however to all of these generalisations there are exceptions.
Further information can be found on the Evidence of Competence Abroad page. RYA members will find more specific information in the individual country pages.
Eligibility
Minimum Age
The ICC cannot be issued to anyone under the age of 16. Therefore please only apply for the ICC if you are age 16 or over.
Nationality
The RYA is permitted to issue the ICC to British nationals and residents. You are a British national if you are one of the following:
- A British citizen
- A British Overseas Territories citizen
- A British overseas citizen
- A British national (overseas)
- A British subject
- A British protected person
Evidence of residency is required for non-nationals this is usually a photocopy of a driving licence, utility bill, Council Tax bill, bank statement or similar. Further authenticated evidence of residency may be requested.
How to apply
To apply simply download the form from the link below, complete it and send it to the RYA along with any supporting evidence required. This is free of charge to RYA members. We can also help you complete the form whilst on your RYA Powerboat Level 2 course if required.
International Certificate of Competency application form
R Coates –
The course was well structured and a lot of information, not just on handling and control of the boat but on maritime requirements.
L.S –
A great 2 days of fun and learning, made learning to drive a boat for the first time in my life a positive experience and I look forward to furthering my skills in the future.
T. Hall –
Definitely learned a lot. I have had a boat for a long time and now feel I will be a better boatman
A. Pearce –
Really great course. Good pace, very patient, given me the confidence that I was looking for. Thanks!
H. Atkinson –
Thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Sad the course has ended. Stuart was fantastic, patient and funny. Will recommend to all, I know someone coming next weekend will have the best time! Thank you
George H –
Incredibly informative and useful with real world practice and examples.
G.Bidwell –
The course covered all bases and the amount of confidence I felt at the end, it was more than I expected to gain. Stuart is great teacher, I was overall very impressed.
D.Atkinson –
Brilliant location and facilities. Boating equipment excellent and instructor was ‘top notch’ patient, knowledgeable and friendly with a great sense of humour, thank you very much!
Ben B –
Learnt a lot more than I thought I would! Great experience!
Kerry B –
Highly recommend, came away feeling adequately prepared and learnt so many new skills, thank you
Dan M –
Brilliant very clear and to the point, not for one minute did I feel unsafe, a credit to your company.
Sarah. M –
Thanks so much for introducing me to the basics! Very patient instructor who was supportive. Feel much prepared for our imminent boat arrival!
Dan K –
Very well run, challenging, but Stuart adjusted the pace as required. Have gained valuable experience and knowledge.
S Bonser –
Good course giving valuable first insight into controlling a motorboat. Good mix of practical and theory.
H Jones –
A really helpful introduction to power boat skills, providing a good understanding of practical boat handling and the theory around being safe on the water.
M Woodward –
Excellent course run at a speed all participants were comfortable with.
S John –
Much more achieved than I had expected. Very good teaching with good in depth understanding of objectives.
T Rees –
The instructor was very skilled and patient, a worthwhile course to build confidence and competence for boat charters away and at home.
Glenn L –
The difference in my confidence and ability from the beginning of the course to the end was night and day, great experience.
I Higgs –
Really well run course and Stuart made us feel confident with handling the boat and made sure we received all the knowledge going forward into our next adventure.
Charlie S –
I had a great time, awesome boat and facilities. Instructor Stuart was brilliant.
J Wright –
Gained the knowledge I needed to progress in my career, thank you
K Adams –
Didn’t know what to expect, challenged myself and proved I could gain reasonable confidence of tasks with knowledge that a lot made sense. There was a good combination of encouragement it sticks!
G Adams –
highly practical course that gave above the basic requirements expected.
Louise B –
Great course, very capable instructor, fun and well paced.
C Firkins –
The course was well thought out and you felt very relaxed as the instructor took time to get to know you during the weekend. . Could not have been better!
S Legge –
Instructor was very calm and collective and the pace of the course was perfect.
R Watson –
Instructor has amazing patience and explains in detail. Explains thoroughly on questions asked.
J Price –
Good fun, learned loads feel 100 times more confident on a power boat now. Highly recommend!
I Danks –
Tailored to mine and the other students needs, gave me confidence and identified areas for improvement and where to go from here.
L Boulton –
Content had more than expected, which has increased my knowledge. Trainer very clear and experienced, thanks
D Nicholls –
The instructor, Stuart was very professional and gave me as much support as possible.
C Stratton –
Stuart was supportive but firm – drilled the tasks until he was satisfied it was ingrained, perfect approach – giving confidence and stretching me too – GREAT!
Ewan Murdoch –
Excellent trainer, lots learnt at a great pace. Lots of informative advice.
Mike Raven –
Great hands on training, very knowledgeable instructor. Achieved more than I expected and feel very confident now. Excellent!
Iain Kennedy –
Although it was a short course, I felt in charge of the boat for periods during the second day. The routing was not only good experience but an impressive view too!
Christine Fraser –
I feel confident after this course that I could take a powerboat out safety. I really enjoyed learning such a variety of skills.
Stuart Reynolds –
Stuart clearly knows his stuff and ensures you feel comfortable and safe while operating the boat. The lessons were well paced, allowing us to go back over any areas of weakness leaving me feeling confident in my ability.
Kyle Jones –
Instructor was extremely calm and straight forward. Right balance of fun and serious. Clearly very knowledgeable and experienced. Teaching style was very hands on and instructor was very open to suggestions, questions and a chat. Excellent 2 day course getting real hands on with a powerboat. Going from nervous at the wheel to confidently manoeuvring the vessel in tight spaces and at speed.
Tudor Sartain –
Stuart was incredibly calm and instilled confidence with his approach and knowledge. The course gave us great hands on problem solving opportunities. A great course that instilled confidence and was fantastically taught. Lots of practical hands on experience and Stuart could answer anything we asked. Would definitely recommend!
Sam Ford –
Calmly taught, allowed us to make errors but guided us how to resolve and avoid making the same mistakes again. Very knowledgeable.
Right level of chatty to seriousness. Happy to answer any questions no matter how silly we thought they were.
Great course. Stuart is a credit to SWMA. Took me from never being at the helm to comfortably doing 180 degree turns in a small area, making pilotage plans and negotiating estuaries.
Charles Elderton –
Very professionally taught by Stuart. Felt pushed but in a very encouraging way. great to share experiences + learn from each other. Keep up the great work.
Guy Fletcher –
Instructor has a very good style of teaching – kept us at ease whilst supporting us to understand. He was very experienced – came through in the training. Learned a lot in 2 days thanks to Stuart’s help – I made mistakes but felt I learned from them & now feel confident I could take the CSAC RHIB out to continue my experience/practice.
Dan Nurse –
Instructor understood our needs as divers and met our needs. He was very professional but also kept the course fun and exciting. Down to earth and respectful. Superb instruction and boat. Gave us time to perfect each skill and allowed time for questions and explanations. Thank you A+++
Andrew Rice –
Very knowledgeable + professional. Gained a lot of confidence from the course. it was nice that the course was tailored for our needs with diving in mind. Many thanks.
Bruce Watson –
Thoroughly enjoyable, accessible + steady paced. Stuart’s expertise are both educational + reassuring.
Piotr C. –
Great course.
Daryl Harada –
Great course with a great instructor!
Sam Packman –
Excellent course.
Our instructor was a credit to South West Maritime Academy. He was full of knowledge, he fully explained everything that we needed and more importantly made it fun.
Can’t recommend enough!!!