Legal frame Pravilnik o brodicama, čamcima i jahtama NN 13/20, art. 48; Pravilnik o brodicama i jahtama NN 27/05 as amended (incl. NN 57/06), Glava IX–X. Reform: press reports only [secondary].
A repealed regulation that still runs your career
When the Pravilnik o brodicama, čamcima i jahtama (NN 13/20) came into force on 1 February 2020, it repealed the 2005 Pravilnik o brodicama i jahtama, with exceptions. These survive "until special regulations are adopted":
- art. 4(2)–(4) and (8): who may helm, and the recognition of foreign certificates;
- Glava IX (arts 49–68.e): the licences and titles, exams, boards and schools;
- Glava X (arts 69–84.a): minimum crew for boats and yachts;
- transitional articles 86–98 (conversions) and Dodaci 6–11 (syllabuses).
No official consolidated text of these surviving chapters exists. Schools and lawyers work from private consolidations, checked against the gazette originals. This guide does the same.
The metre substitution
The 2005 text set yacht bands in gross tonnage. NN 13/20 art. 48(2)–(3) replaced them:
| 2005 wording | Read since 1 Feb 2020 | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| 30 BT | 18 m | arts 80, 81, 82 |
| 100 BT | 24 m | arts 82, 83 |
| 500 BT | unchanged | arts 83, 84 |
The names of the titles did not change. The yacht master A certificate is still "zapovjednik jahte do 100 BT" in older paperwork, and the B licence is often printed as covering "yachts up to 30 BT". Teach yourself the metre bands and treat the GT wording as history.
Old requirements still in circulation
The 2005 original required more for the yacht-master titles: age 25 and 24 months' watchkeeping for B, prior sea service for A, and renewal on 12 months as master. NN 57/06 replaced all of that with age (18 or 20), medical fitness, the training course and the exam, and renewal on medical fitness alone. Some school pages and a 2022 press guide still quote the old rules.
The announced reform
| Date | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 2026 | Draft "u izradi" (being drafted): computer-based exams for all certificates, compulsory practical sailing for B, logged sea service for yacht officers and masters | Index.hr, quoting the Ministry [secondary] |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Over 400 pages covering every title; public consultation planned for autumn 2026 | HRT [secondary] |
| 22 Jul 2026 | Consultation on e-Savjetovanja still to come | Nautička patrola [secondary] |
Nothing had appeared in Narodne novine up to issue 111/2026 (30 September 2026). This guide therefore teaches the rules in force.
WARNING — Don't assume transition rules In 2020, NN 13/20 art. 49 kept existing certificates valid to their expiry. The next act may do the same, or it may not. Read its transitional articles before you plan a renewal or a course.