Renting a Boat or Jet Ski in Croatia: Licences, Rules & Beach Zones

In June 2026 the Ministry (MMPI) announced a new regulation for boat and yacht licences: computer-based exams, compulsory practical training for category B and logged sea service for yacht officer and master certificates. No draft had been published for consultation (e-Savjetovanja) or in Narodne novine by the time of writing. The 2005 rules still apply; check before you book an exam.

The MMPI table of foreign licences recognised on Croatian-flag boats and yachts was reissued on 21 May 2026. Most rows now use metres instead of gross tonnage, and any ICC marked "C" (coastal) is accepted. Some national rows (for example the Czech and Polish ones) are still limited to 1 nm, which sits uneasily with the ICC line. Many charter sites still quote the 2020 table.

The rule that a category B holder must be 18 to helm a boat with more than 15 kW appears in the informator.hr consolidation of the boats regulation (art. 70(3)). It was not traced to an amending text in Narodne novine. Treat it as applied in practice, but unconfirmed.

Charter companies register in eCrew and file the crew and guest list electronically before departure. The July 2026 MMPI instruction makes the eCrew list compulsory for charters with accommodation on board; day rentals follow the handover rules of Pravilnik NN 42/17.

A ministerial decision of 16 Jul 2026 temporarily limits cabotage approvals for third-country-flag yachts and boats up to 24 m, including gulets, for three months (to about 16 Oct 2026). Whether it will be renewed is unknown. Third-country yachts of 24 m and over still need a prior approval for the calendar year.

The Maritime Code penalties, the vignette (navigation-safety fee) and the charter tourist tax are still printed in kuna. The euro figures in these courses are conversions at the fixed rate of 7.53450 under the Euro Act; no official euro text was found. Expect small rounding differences on official forms.

Pravilnik NN 52/25 (in force 29 Mar 2025) and its amendment NN 40/26 set 8 kn within 300 m of the coast, planing only beyond 300 m, no anchoring within 150 m of a natural beach and lines ashore of up to 70 m. Local harbour master orders can be stricter.

An undated police leaflet still gives 5 kn within 150 m of the coast, which probably reflects the repealed 2013 regulation. The 2025 regulation gives 8 kn within 300 m. Mljet National Park keeps its own 5 kn within 150 m inside the park.

Call 195 for MRCC Rijeka (maritime search and rescue) or 112 for the general emergency service, and use VHF channel 16 for distress. Both numbers come from the official MMPI and civil protection pages.

The older provision on the operator checking the hirer's licence was repealed. The courses rely on Pravilnik NN 42/17 (art. 25) for the duty to check competence and record the handover. An SME should confirm this reading.

Croatia has no licence-free motor boats in the usual sense: a boat counts as a brodica above 2.5 m or 5 kW, and its helmsman needs category A (up to 7 m and 15 kW) or B above that. Only very small craft are exempt.

No text names jet skis expressly. The category B requirement follows from most jet skis having more than 15 kW. Jet skis must stay within 1 nm of the coast and may plane only beyond 300 m, which leaves a narrow corridor. Local bans were not read.

The August 2020 table kept the RYA and MCA rows after Brexit, and the May 2026 table accepts any ICC marked "C". Rental bases may still ask for the ICC rather than a national RYA certificate. Carry both if you have them.