Israel
- Who issues it
- רשות הספנות והנמלים, אגף כלי שיט קטנים ומשיטים [Administration of Shipping and Ports, Small Vessels and Skippers Division], Ministry of Transport and Road Safety.
- Minimum age
- 16 years
- Buoyage
- IALA region A
- Collision rules
- התקנות הבינלאומיות למניעת התנגשויות בים
Do you need a licence?
Yes, you need the separate skipper certificate for your jet ski, motorboat, club sailing craft, or coastal or international yacht.
Match the certificate class to your craft and voyage.
משיט 11 – אופנוע ים · Class 11 — personal watercraft
From 16
- What it lets you do
- You can use personal watercraft in daylight, within 1 nautical mile of shore.
- How you get it
- You take a seamanship theory test lasting 60 minutes and a practical handling test.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
משיט 12 – סירת מנוע · Class 12 — motorboat
From 17
- What it lets you do
- You can use motorboats up to 7 metres, with total engine power up to 110 kW under the official syllabus.
- How you get it
- You take a seamanship theory test lasting 60 minutes and a practical motorboat test.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
משיט 13 – סירת מנוע או ספינת מנוע · Class 13 — motorboat and motor vessel
From 18- What it lets you do
- You can use motorboats up to 7 metres with no power limit, and private motor vessels up to 8.5 metres within 4 nautical miles of shore.
- How you get it
- You take a theory test lasting 90 minutes and a practical handling and towing test.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
משיט 21 – מפרשית · Class 21 — sailing craft
From 16
- What it lets you do
- You can use unmotorised rowing or sailing craft from 7 to 12 metres in recognised maritime schools or clubs, under safety supervision.
- How you get it
- You take internal theory lasting 90 minutes and a practical command test through an authorised organisation.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
משיט 30 – ספינה במימי החופין · Class 30 — coastal vessel
From 18
- What it lets you do
- You can use sailing and motor vessels up to 24 metres in coastal waters. A motor-only version is available, and you cannot carry paying passengers.
- How you get it
- You take four theory exams in seamanship, chart navigation, electronic navigation, and machinery and electrics, plus a practical command test.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
משיט 60 – ספינה במסע בין־לאומי · Class 60 — international voyages
From 19- What it lets you do
- You can take vessels up to 24 metres on international voyages once you have held class 30 for at least one year.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Professional deck titles
חובל משמרת
- What it lets you do
- You can serve as a navigational watch officer.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
חובל משמרת בכיר
- What it lets you do
- You can serve as a senior navigational watch officer.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
חובל בכיר
- What it lets you do
- You can serve as chief mate.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
רב חובל
- What it lets you do
- You can serve as a ship master.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
רב-חובל בכיר
- What it lets you do
- You can hold an advanced master qualification for experienced shipmasters.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio certificates
מפעיל טווח חופים (CRC)
- What it lets you do
- You can use coastal emergency radio as a lifeguard, jet-ski user or fisher.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
מפעיל טווח קצר (SRC)
SRC- What it lets you do
- You can use short-range marine radio, including VHF voice and DSC.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
מפעיל טווח ארוך (LRC)
LRC- What it lets you do
- You can use long-range marine radio, including VHF and HF voice and DSC, as well as Inmarsat C.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Restricted Operator Certificate (ROC)
ROC- What it lets you do
- You can use marine radio as a merchant officer in domestic trade or as a merchant-ship watch officer.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
General Operator Certificate (GOC)
GOC- What it lets you do
- You can use marine radio as a merchant-ship deck officer in international trade.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio Electronic Officer (REO)
- What it lets you do
- You can serve as a specialist radio and electronics officer in the merchant fleet.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Ready to study for it?
The Academy is free with an account: lessons for every topic, timed mocks marked like the real exam, and your progress saved.
Official sources: Administration of Shipping and Ports — Small-vessel skipper syllabus, effective 1 July 2025 (2026 filename) · Ministry of Communications — Marine operator certificates · Administration of Shipping and Ports — Israeli officer crewing exemption form (deck qualification titles) · Administration of Shipping and Ports — Senior master and senior chief engineer qualification syllabus · IALA — Recommendation R1001, edition 2.0, Appendix 1: buoyage regions A and B