Who may skipper: qualifications and the licence exemption
1The lesson in plain words
Spain offers a navigation licence and four skipper qualifications. Since 1 October 2026, the licence exemption excludes rental boats.
The licence exemption changed
Since 1 October 2026, Real Decreto 1188/2025 has narrowed the rule. You may skipper without a qualification only a motorboat up to 5 m and 15 hp for private use, without a power-reducing device, or a sailing boat up to 6 m for sport use. Stay by day, within 2 NM of the port, marina or beach you left from. You must be 18. Jet skis are excluded. Renting one of these boats now needs the matching qualification.
The ladder
The Licencia de Navegación requires training, no exam. It covers boats up to 6 m and jet skis, by day, within 2 NM of shelter. The Patrón para Navegación Básica (PNB) covers motorboats up to 8 m within 5 NM of shelter. The Patrón de Embarcaciones de Recreo (PER) covers motorboats up to 15 m within 12 NM of the coast, plus inter-island trips in the Balearics and Canaries.
Higher qualifications
Patrón de Yate (PY) and Capitán de Yate (CY) both cover motorboats up to 24 m. PY allows trips up to 150 NM from the coast. CY has no distance limit.
Sail and extensions
PNB, PER, Patrón de Yate and Capitán de Yate cover motorboats; sail needs extra sailing practice. With extra navigation practice, the PER covers motorboats up to 24 m and the crossing between the mainland and the Balearic Islands. You may start with the licence, PNB or PER. Patrón de Yate needs the PER, and Capitán de Yate needs Patrón de Yate.
Age and card
The minimum age is 18, or 16 for the Licencia de Navegación and PNB with written parental consent. Carry the card at sea. Qualifications never expire, but the card is renewed every 10 years, every 5 years from age 70. The full comparison with other countries is on the boating-licence page.
2Key data
- Licence exemption (since 1 Oct 2026)
- Motor ≤ 5 m and 15 hp (private) or sail ≤ 6 m; day; 2 NM
- Licencia de Navegación
- ≤ 6 m and jet skis; day; 2 NM from shelter
- PNB
- ≤ 8 m; 5 NM from a port, marina or shelter
- PER
- ≤ 15 m; 12 NM from coast; inter-island Balearics and Canaries
- Patrón / Capitán de Yate
- Both ≤ 24 m; PY 150 NM from coast; CY no distance limit
- Card renewal
- Every 10 years; every 5 years from age 70
3Key points
- 1
Since 1 Oct 2026 (RD 1188/2025) the licence exemption is for private motor use and sport sail only.
- 2
Licence exemption: motor ≤ 5 m and 15 hp or sail ≤ 6 m, by day, within 2 NM of where you left, age 18.
- 3
Hiring a small motorboat now needs the appropriate qualification. Jet skis are outside the licence exemption.
- 4
PNB: 8 m / 5 NM from shelter; PER: 15 m / 12 NM from coast; PY: 24 m / 150 NM from coast; CY: 24 m, unlimited distance.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Tourists can still hire a 15 hp boat without any qualification.
Right: Not since 1 October 2026. The renter needs the qualification that matches the boat; the exemption now covers private use only.
Wrong: The PNB limit of 5 NM is measured from the coastline.
Right: It is 5 NM in any direction from a port, marina or place of shelter.
Wrong: A Licencia de Navegación never allows jet skis.
Right: It does cover jet skis, by day and within 2 NM of shelter. The licence exemption is the rule that excludes them.
5Practice case & exam keys
Your 30-year-old friend has no qualification. He owns a 4.5 m boat with a 15 hp outboard and no power reducer. At midday, he wants to take his family to a point 3 NM in a straight line from his departure beach. Next week he plans to rent a similar boat. What may he do?
Show the answer
By day, he may skipper his own boat without a qualification within 2 NM of the departure beach. His planned point is 3 NM away, so he must choose a closer destination. For the hired boat, the exemption no longer applies since 1 October 2026. He needs at least the Licencia de Navegación, which covers boats up to 6 m by day within 2 NM of shelter.
Exam keys
- Licence exemption: motor ≤ 5 m and 15 hp private use, or sail ≤ 6 m sport use; day; 2 NM from departure point; age 18; no jet skis.
- Since 1 Oct 2026 renting such a boat needs a qualification (RD 1188/2025).
- PNB: 8 m / 5 NM from shelter; PER: 15 m / 12 NM from coast; PY: 24 m / 150 NM from coast; CY: 24 m, unlimited distance.
- Age 18; 16 for Licencia de Navegación and PNB with parental consent.
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