Legal frame Resolution No. 40 Rev.5, Annex I (no radio subject) and Annex III (no radio field). CEPT ERC/REC 31-04, harmonised SRC exams for non-SOLAS vessels, amended 16 February 2024. UK: RYA SRC for the MCA; Ofcom ship radio licence. Croatia: MMPI table of 21 May 2026; Pravilnik art. 78.
The ICC does not cover radio
Resolution No. 40 lists what an ICC candidate must know: COLREGs, buoyage, boat handling, weather, emergencies. Radio is not on the list, and the card has no box for it. None of the national issuers covered in this guide adds radio to the ICC.
So a marine VHF needs two separate things:
| Permission | Who holds it | UK example |
|---|---|---|
| Operator certificate | The person using the set | SRC, issued by the RYA for the MCA |
| Station licence | The boat | Ofcom Ship Radio Licence (free) |
The UK licence terms allow the set to be operated "only … by (or under the direct supervision of) a holder of a maritime radio operator's certificate". Abroad, use "is subject to the regulations and authorisations of those administrations". A Ship Portable Radio Licence covers UK territorial waters only.
The SRC
The Short Range Certificate is the leisure-level GMDSS certificate for sea area A1. CEPT ERC/REC 31-04 harmonises the exam and asks administrations to recognise each other's certificates. The UK implemented it in 2009 and Ireland in 2021.
- UK: a one-day course, or online study plus a practical exam. The exam fee is £76.
- Ireland: an SRC exists, but no Irish primary source was read for this guide. Check with Irish Sailing or the Department of Transport.
What the destinations say
| Country | Radio rule found for foreign skippers |
|---|---|
| Croatia | Every recognised certificate is valid only with a radio certificate if a VHF or GMDSS-VHF station is fitted. ROC, GOC, LRC or SRC exempt you from the Croatian radio exam |
| Montenegro | The local boat licence includes the boat's VHF; commercial boats need a VHF operator. Foreign yachts need only their flag-state station licence; no operator rule found |
| Turkey | Short-range radio (KMT), separate from the Turkish licence, compulsory for its holders if a radio is fitted; no rule found for foreign skippers |
| Portugal | Portuguese licences include radio; foreign visitors not addressed |
| Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Malta | No specific rule for foreign leisure skippers found |
"Not found" is not the same as "not required". Port authorities in all of these countries expect whoever uses the VHF to be qualified to do so.
TIP — Carry the SRC anyway Nearly every bareboat company in the region asks for a VHF certificate from at least one person on board, whatever the law says. It is a one-day course; it is the cheapest problem to remove before you go.
CAUTION — Handheld sets A UK portable licence stops at UK territorial waters. A handheld VHF taken to Greece or Croatia needs authorisation there too; check with the charter company or local authority.
For the radio procedures themselves, see the xplor course SRC/VHF in the MCA library.