The ICC Explained: Resolution 40, Categories and How to Get One

Prerequisites

This is the opening lesson of the ICC course, so you need no earlier lesson. It helps if you already know:

• Basic boat terminology (bow, stern, port, starboard) and the difference between a sailing yacht and a motor cruiser.
• Roughly what RYA Day Skipper, Powerboat Level 2 and Helmsman's courses are, even if you do not hold them yet.
• That the sea and inland rivers and canals are governed by different rulebooks: the COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) at sea, and CEVNI (the European Code for Inland Waterways) or a national code based on it inland.

To actually be issued an ICC you must be at least 16 years old and physically and mentally fit, with adequate eyesight and hearing. Those are the minimum standards set by UNECE Resolution 40 itself; individual issuing bodies may add their own conditions, such as nationality or residence.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Explain what the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) is, who created it and what legal job it does.
• Describe UNECE Resolution 40 and why it matters that a country has "accepted" it.
• Read the category codes printed on an ICC: I (inland), C (coastal), M (motor) and S (sail), plus the size limits.
• Choose the right route to an ICC: qualifying certificate, direct assessment, and the extra CEVNI test for inland waters.
• Compare how the UK (RYA), Ireland (Irish Sailing) and the Netherlands (CBR and Klein Vaarbewijs) issue ICCs.
• State how long a UK ICC lasts and how to renew it without losing time.
• Explain where the ICC is and is not recognised, and the difference between legal acceptance and charter-company acceptance.
• List the things an ICC is not: it is not a licence to carry passengers for hire, not a radio licence, and not a substitute for experience.

What the ICC Actually Is

A passport for your competence

Many European countries require the skipper of a pleasure craft to hold a national boating licence. The UK and Ireland traditionally do not: you can buy a yacht in Southampton and sail it away with no certificate at all. That is fine at home, but the moment you take your own boat into French canals, or try to charter a yacht in Croatia, an official may ask you to prove you are competent. A Day Skipper certificate is a training qualification written in English, issued by a private body, and a harbour official in Split has no obligation to understand it.

The ICC solves that problem. It is a standard-format certificate, recognised under an international agreement, which says in several languages: "the government of this country confirms that the holder has shown the competence needed to operate this type of craft in these waters". Officials anywhere that the agreement applies can read it, because every ICC follows the same layout and uses the same codes.

Who created it: UNECE Resolution 40

The ICC comes from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), specifically its Working Party on Inland Water Transport. The document that defines it is Resolution No. 40, "International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft", first adopted on 16 October 1998 and revised several times since (Revision 3 in 2013 and Revision 4 in 2015 are the versions most courses refer to). It replaced an older, simpler scheme from Resolution 14.

Resolution 40 does three things:

1. It sets the minimum standard an applicant must meet: age at least 16, fitness, and proof of knowledge of the regulations and the ability to apply them in practice, for inland waters, coastal waters, or both.
2. It sets the syllabus that an examination must cover (see the next section).
3. It sets the format of the certificate in its Annex: the categories, the codes, the size limits and even the card dimensions (a credit-card format to ISO/IEC 7810).

A government that "accepts" Resolution 40 agrees to recognise ICCs issued by other accepting governments, and normally to issue its own. That is the legal core of the scheme: recognition is government-to-government.

What Resolution 40 says you must know

The resolution lists what the examination must test. In plain terms:

• Regulations: CEVNI for inland waters, the COLREGs for coastal waters, and the local marking and buoyage system.
• Craft and equipment: checking that safety equipment, the engine and (for sail) the sails and rigging are serviceable.
• Handling: the effects of wind, current, interaction with other vessels and limited water under the keel; meeting and overtaking; anchoring and mooring in all conditions; using locks and ports.
• Weather: getting and interpreting a forecast.
• Navigation: establishing your position and deciding a safe course.
• Emergencies: man overboard, collision, engine failure, grounding (including sealing a leak) and giving assistance.
• Safety and environment: lifesaving equipment, fire prevention and fighting, and avoiding water pollution.

If that list looks familiar, it is because it maps closely onto RYA Day Skipper Practical (sail) and Powerboat Level 2 (power). The ICC is pitched at that level: a competent day skipper in familiar-ish waters, not an offshore professional.

Reading the Card: Categories and Codes

The four letters

Every ICC shows which waters and which type of craft it covers using letters from the Resolution 40 annex:

The codes combine. A card validated for C and S covers sailing yachts on the coast. A card showing C, I, M, S covers both motor and sail, at sea and inland. A typical first ICC for a Day Skipper is coastal and sail; after a CEVNI test, inland is added.

Click to zoom

Size and power limits

The annex also lets the issuing state print limits on length (and for some states, tonnage or engine power). In UK practice the coastal categories are validated for craft up to 24 metres, and the RYA has historically limited power validations based on Powerboat Level 2 to craft up to 10 metres. Ireland's Irish Sailing quotes vessels up to 24 metres and 80 gross tonnes. Charter brokers will tell you that some countries apply their own size bands, for example a 30 gross tonne threshold above which a higher qualification is expected. Always read what is printed on your own card and compare it with the boat you intend to skipper.

How the RYA describes the categories

The RYA's own application form uses internal labels for the same things. In RYA terms the main options are power, sail, coastal waters and inland waters. The inland validation needs two parts: a pass in the CEVNI test and a practical qualification or assessment for inland handling. The coastal validation needs a qualifying practical certificate or a practical assessment. You will see these labels on the form and on test-centre websites; they all end up as the I, C, M and S letters on the card.

What "coastal" and "inland" mean in practice

Resolution 40 does not draw a fixed line in miles. "Coastal" broadly means near-coast sea areas, and "inland" means the waterways where CEVNI or a national inland code applies. Some countries define the boundary themselves (for example, at a particular bridge on an estuary). If you are going to cruise an estuary or a big lake such as the IJsselmeer, check which code applies there and therefore which category you need.

Routes to an ICC

There are three broad ways to get the card. Which one fits depends on where you live and what you already hold.

Click to zoom

Route 1: on the strength of a qualifying certificate (UK)

If you are a UK national or UK resident and already hold a qualifying RYA practical certificate, you simply apply to the RYA with a copy of it. Typical qualifying certificates include:

The list is not exhaustive and changes from time to time, so check the current RYA ICC application form. Note one trap: Day Skipper shorebased (theory) on its own does not qualify. The ICC needs evidence of practical competence.

Route 2: direct assessment at a test centre

If you have experience but no qualifying certificate, you can book an ICC assessment at an RYA-recognised test centre. A test centre can only assess disciplines it holds recognition for (power, sail cruising, motor cruising, inland). The assessment is a test, not a course: an examiner watches you handle the boat, asks theory questions orally or in writing, and signs the form if you meet the standard. Expect half a day for one candidate. The next lesson covers the day itself in detail.

Many people take a short refresher or a Powerboat Level 2 course instead, because a course both teaches and qualifies. A direct assessment suits people who already handle boats confidently and just need the paperwork.

Route 3: the inland add-on, the CEVNI test

For any inland validation you must pass the CEVNI test. In the UK it is run by the RYA and its providers as a timed online multiple-choice test, with a paper version available at centres. Provider descriptions give two parts, signs and buoyage in the first and lights, shapes and sound signals in the second, with short time limits per question. Pass marks and fees vary by provider, so check when you book. The RYA recommends its book RYA G17 European Waterways Regulations (the CEVNI rules explained, updated for CEVNI 6) and the pocket RYA G106 Handy Guide to CEVNI for revision.

The CEVNI test is needed for the inland letter even if you only plan to use French canals that run on their own national code, because the national codes follow CEVNI closely.

Ireland: Irish Sailing

In Ireland the certificate is administered by Irish Sailing on behalf of the Irish government, and you may see it called by its full Resolution 40 title, the International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft. The applicant must be at least 16 and an Irish national or resident. The scope can be motor, sail or both, and coastal, inland or both. The coastal route is a written paper plus a practical test on the water; a CEVNI endorsement needs a separate written paper. Irish training centres run refresher courses aimed at the ICC.

The Netherlands: Klein Vaarbewijs

The Netherlands takes a different approach because it has a compulsory national licence. Dutch skippers of faster or larger pleasure craft must hold a Klein Vaarbewijs (small craft licence), examined by the national exam body CBR. Part 1 (KVB I) covers inland waters; part 2 (KVB II) adds the large waters and coastal areas, and you must pass part 1 before part 2. A Dutch ICC is then issued on the basis of the national licence: KVB I supports an inland ICC, KVB II supports inland plus coastal. Exam formats and pass marks are set by the national exam programme and change, so Dutch candidates should check the current CBR rules.

This is the model most continental countries follow: a compulsory national licence first, an ICC issued on top of it for use abroad.

Who can get a UK ICC

The RYA issues ICCs to UK nationals and to people resident in the UK. A national of another country that has adopted Resolution 40 is normally expected to get the ICC from their own government, unless they are resident in the UK. Some nationals of countries outside the scheme (for example North Americans) take RYA courses or assessments, sometimes at RYA centres abroad, and obtain an RYA ICC. Check the current eligibility rules on the RYA website before you book anything.

Validity and Renewal

A UK ICC is valid for five years from issue. The RYA lets you renew up to about three months before expiry and keep your original expiry date, so the new card runs five years from the old expiry date rather than from the day you applied. Renew early before a charter season: if your card expires mid-holiday, a charter base or official is entitled to treat you as unqualified.

Click to zoom

For RYA members the ICC has been issued without an application fee; non-members pay a fee. Allow a few weeks for the card to arrive, longer in spring when everyone applies at once. Other issuing countries set their own validity periods and fees.

Practical tips:

• Put the expiry date in your calendar with a reminder six months before.
• Carry the original card on board. Some charter companies also ask for a scan in advance; send a clear image of both sides.
• If you add a category later (for example inland after passing CEVNI), you apply for a new card showing all categories.

Where the ICC Works

Legal acceptance versus practical acceptance

Two separate questions decide whether your ICC is enough:

1. Does the law of the country require a certificate, and does that country accept the ICC as one? Countries that have adopted Resolution 40 accept ICCs from other adopting countries. Others may accept it under their own national rules, or accept it in practice without a formal agreement.
2. Does the charter company or marina accept it? A charter company is a business protecting an expensive boat. It can demand more than the law requires: a sailing CV, a second experienced crew member, or a paid skipper if it doubts you.

Broker guides commonly list Croatia and Italy as formally accepting the ICC, while noting that Greece and Spain have at various times not formally signed up to Resolution 40 yet routinely accept an ICC for charter. The third lesson of this course looks at these countries in detail.

Countries outside Europe

The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are not party to Resolution 40. Their own certificates may or may not be accepted in Europe, and an ICC may or may not mean anything in their waters. For non-European cruising, check the local rules directly.

Your own flag and residence matter

Some countries apply their licensing rules according to the flag of the boat or the nationality and residence of the skipper. A UK-flagged yacht with a UK skipper may be treated differently from a locally flagged charter yacht with the same skipper. This is one reason two sailors can report different experiences in the same port.

Because rules change, before every trip check a current national source: the maritime ministry or harbour authority of the country you are visiting, the RYA's cruising abroad guidance, and the charter company's own document list.

What the ICC Is Not

It is easy to overestimate the card. An ICC is:

• Not a commercial qualification. It covers pleasure craft only. Skippering for hire or reward needs commercial endorsements, such as an RYA certificate with a commercial endorsement under the relevant national code.
• Not a radio licence. Operating a VHF set needs a separate operator's certificate, such as the RYA/Ofcom Short Range Certificate (SRC). Many charter countries insist on it, and the ICC does not replace it.
• Not a qualification in its own right. It is a government-issued record that you have passed a test or hold a qualifying certificate. It does not certify any more skill than that underlying certificate.
• Not valid for personal watercraft (jet skis) in the UK scheme.
• Not a guarantee of acceptance. Officials and charter companies can still ask for more.
• Not proof of experience. An ICC earned through Powerboat Level 2 does not make you ready to skipper a 14 m yacht in a Meltemi. Know your own limits.

Worked Example

Choosing a route for three sailors

Anna holds RYA Day Skipper Practical (sail), done three years ago. She wants to charter a 12 m yacht in Croatia next summer and later take her own motorboat through the French canals.

• Coastal sail: she applies to the RYA with her Day Skipper Practical certificate. Card shows C and S.
• Croatia: she will also need a VHF operator's certificate, so she books an SRC course.
• French canals in a motorboat: she needs I and M. She sits the CEVNI test online and adds a practical inland or power qualification (for example the Inland Waterways Helmsman's course, or Powerboat Level 2 plus whatever inland practical the current RYA form requires). Then she applies for a new card showing C, I, M and S.

Ben has 15 years of sailing his own boat on the Solent but no certificates. He wants an ICC for a Greek charter.

• He books a direct ICC assessment (sail) at an RYA test centre on his own boat. He checks that his boat carries suitable coastal safety equipment and that his insurance meets the centre's requirements.
• He also takes the SRC, because he will need it and the charter company will ask.

Claire is Dutch and lives in Rotterdam. She holds KVB II.

• She does not go to the RYA. Her ICC comes from the Dutch system on the basis of her Klein Vaarbewijs, and covers inland plus coastal.

Reading a card

A card shows: "C: M S, max 24 m; I: M". This holder may skipper motor and sailing craft up to 24 m on the coast, but inland only motor craft. If they hire a sailing boat on a lake governed by an inland code, their card does not cover it.

Common Mistakes

• Applying with only Day Skipper theory. The shorebased certificate does not qualify; you need a practical certificate or an assessment.
• Forgetting CEVNI. The inland letter needs a CEVNI pass. Booking a canal holiday in your own boat without it can leave you uninsured or turned away.
• Assuming the ICC includes the radio licence. It does not. Get an SRC.
• Letting the card expire. Five years passes quickly. Renew within the three-month window to keep your date.
• Ignoring the size limit. A 10 m power validation does not cover a 13 m motor cruiser.
• Confusing law with charter policy. The charter company may refuse you even when the law is satisfied, and the reverse is not true: a company cannot make an illegal arrangement legal.
• Trusting old forum posts. Country rules and RYA procedures change; check current official sources.

Summary

• The ICC is a standard international certificate defined by UNECE Resolution 40 (1998, revised 2013 and 2015). It lets officials in other countries recognise your competence.
• Minimum age 16, fitness, and proof of knowledge of regulations (COLREGs and/or CEVNI) plus practical handling ability.
• Codes: I inland, C coastal, M motor, S sail, with length or other limits printed on the card.
• UK route: qualifying RYA practical certificate or a direct assessment at a recognised test centre; inland also needs the CEVNI test.
• Ireland issues through Irish Sailing; the Netherlands issues on the basis of the Klein Vaarbewijs.
• UK ICC valid five years; renew up to three months early and keep your expiry date.
• Legal acceptance and charter-company acceptance are separate questions. Always check current national sources.
• The ICC is not a commercial qualification, not a radio licence and not proof of experience.

Check Your Understanding

1. Which international body and document created the ICC?

Answer: The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), through Resolution No. 40, first adopted in October 1998 and later revised.

1. What is the minimum age for an ICC under Resolution 40?

Answer: 16 years.

1. What do the letters I, C, M and S mean on an ICC?

Answer: Inland, Coastal, Motor and Sail.

1. Sam has passed RYA Day Skipper shorebased. Can he apply for a coastal ICC now?

Answer: No. The shorebased course is theory only. He needs a practical qualifying certificate such as Day Skipper Practical, or a direct ICC assessment.

1. What extra test is always needed to add the inland category in the UK scheme?

Answer: The CEVNI test, a multiple-choice test on the European inland rules (signs, buoyage, lights, shapes and sound signals).

1. Your UK ICC expires on 30 June. You apply on 15 April. What expiry date should the new card carry?

Answer: Five years from the old expiry date (30 June, five years later), because you renewed within the three-month early window.

1. Does an ICC let you use the VHF radio on a chartered yacht?

Answer: No. You need a separate radio operator's certificate such as the SRC.

1. A Dutch sailor holds Klein Vaarbewijs II. Where does she get her ICC?

Answer: From the Dutch national system, on the basis of her KVB II, not from the RYA.

1. Name two reasons a charter company might refuse an ICC holder even where the law accepts the card.

Answer: For example: the boat is larger than the skipper's experience justifies, the sailing CV is thin, the company requires a second experienced crew member who is absent, or the card limits do not cover the boat. A company can always set stricter terms than the law.