Mauritius
- Who issues it
- Tourism Authority
- Minimum age
- 16 years
- Buoyage
- IALA region A
Do you need a licence?
Skipper and craft licences are required for pleasure craft at sea and on permitted inland waters; legally exempt craft are excluded. No general power, length or speed threshold applies. Normally 16 for private use and 18 for commercial use; prescribed under-16 leisure exceptions may apply.
Provisional skipper’s licence
From 16- What it lets you do
- Private pleasure craft only, subject to conditions set by the Tourism Authority. Commercial operation is prohibited.
- How you get it
- The Authority may issue it without a competency test certificate.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Skipper’s Licence — Category C
From 16
- What it lets you do
- Skipper pleasure craft up to 12 nautical miles from shore, within the craft classes and conditions stated on the licence.
- How you get it
- The application form offers an oral exam in Creole or a written exam in English or French, plus a practical exam at sea.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Skipper’s Licence — Category B
- What it lets you do
- Skipper pleasure craft up to 24 nautical miles from shore, within the craft classes and conditions stated on the licence.
- How you get it
- The application form offers a written exam in English or French.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Skipper’s Licence — Category A
- What it lets you do
- Skipper ocean-going pleasure craft, within the craft classes and conditions stated on the licence.
- How you get it
- The application form offers a written exam in English or French.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Professional deck titles
Rating forming part of a navigational watch
STCW II/4- What it lets you do
- Help keep the navigation watch on seagoing ships of 500 GT or more.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Able seafarer deck
STCW II/5- What it lets you do
- Work as an able seafarer in the deck department on seagoing ships of 500 GT or more.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Officer in charge of a navigational watch on a ship of less than 500 GT
STCW II/3- What it lets you do
- Keep the navigation watch below 500 GT. Separate grades cover near-coastal voyages and voyages beyond those limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Officer in charge of a navigational watch on ships of not less than 500 GT
STCW II/1- What it lets you do
- Keep the navigation watch on ships of 500 GT or more, within the certificate's endorsed limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Master on a ship of less than 500 GT
STCW II/3- What it lets you do
- Command ships below 500 GT. Separate grades cover near-coastal voyages and voyages beyond those limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Master and Chief mate
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Separate grades cover 500–3,000 GT and 3,000 GT or more; serve only in the capacity and limits endorsed.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio certificates
Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency
- What it lets you do
- Qualification ICTA asks coast station operators to provide.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Appropriate certificate related to the GMDSS
- What it lets you do
- For radio duties on ships that must use GMDSS; issued or recognised by the Director.
- 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: Government of Mauritius — Tourism Authority Act, sections 2, 57 and 79–84 · Tourism Authority — Skipper's Licence: categories, eligibility, syllabus and examinations · Tourism Authority — Application form for skipper licence: Categories C, B and A examination options · Government of Mauritius — Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Regulations 2017, regulations 4, 9, 10 and 14, and Schedule · Tourism Authority — Special examination for holders of foreign certificates of competence or skipper licences · US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — Sailing Directions, Publication 160: Mauritius, Buoyage System · Information and Communication Technologies Authority — Application for Coast Station / VHF Maritime Base Station Licence · Tourism Authority — Tourism Authority (Prohibition of Jet Ski) Regulations 2016