International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

The RYA states that 'The requirements for certificates of competence vary from country to country. Sometimes they are required for coastal waters, sometimes for inland waters, sometimes for neither and sometimes for both. As the skipper of a vessel, you must ensure that you are aware of any requirement for qualifications before venturing into another country's jurisdiction'.

In general though, an ICC is required for the inland waterways of Europe and for inland and coastal waters of most Mediterranean countries. For the coastal waters of Northern Europe the ICC is generally not required, however to all of these generalisations there are exceptions.

The classes of ICC are currently:

• Power up to 10m - inland or coastal
• Power up to 20m - inland or coastal
• Sail up to 24m (includes power up to 10m)
  
• Personal watercraft (Jetski)

For the ICC Power up to 10m:
Holders of the Powerboat Level 2 certificate can apply directly to the RYA for an ICC certificate (costing £39 for non-RYA members).
Alternatively, a direct ICC assessment at Principal Power is available to those who are at the Level 2 standard. This is usually a day assessment, involving an Instructor testing the candidate on regulations, safety, pilotage, navigation and boathandling.

For the ICC Power up to 20m:
Holders of the Helmsman Certificate can apply directly to the RYA for the ICC certificate (costing £39 for non-RYA members).
Alternatively, a direct ICC assessment at Principal Power is available to those who are at the Helmsman standard. This is usually a day assessment, involving an Instructor testing the candidate on regulations, safety, pilotage, navigation and boathandling.

For the ICC for Personal Watercraft:
Holders of the RYA PWC certificate may apply for the ICC. There is no direct assessment option available.

For Inland endorsements:
Candidates needing an inland waterways endorsement will have to take the CEVNI test, covering  the European Waterways Regulations. The test can be taken at Principal Power and takes 10 minutes to complete a multi-choice paper.