Legal frame France: décret 2007-1167 (permis plaisance) art. 2; arrêté du 6 juillet 2011 on French boats helmed by holders of foreign titles, arts 1–4. Italy: Codice della nautica da diporto (D.Lgs. 171/2005); D.M. 146/2008 art. 34, rewritten by D.M. 133/2024 (from 21 Sep 2024). Both states are "No" in Res. 40 Annex IV.
France
When a licence is needed. Only for motor pleasure boats over 4.5 kW. The permis plaisance comes as option côtière (up to 6 nm from shelter) or hauturière. A sailing yacht at sea needs no permis, even with an auxiliary engine.
Foreign licences on French-flag motor boats. The arrêté of 6 July 2011 says:
| Holder | Rule |
|---|---|
| EU, EEA or Monaco national with a licence from those states | Valid within its privileges (art. 1) |
| Non-EU national | May helm on their own country's licence, within its privileges (art. 3) |
| French or EU national with a non-EU licence | Also allowed (art. 2) |
At a check you show the original licence and, "le cas échéant", a sworn French translation.
Where that leaves UK and Irish skippers. An Irish Sailing certificate is an EU-issued document. A UK skipper falls under art. 3, which speaks of a "permis délivré dans leur pays". The UK issues no compulsory leisure licence, and the arrêté never mentions the ICC. Whether a French officer treats your ICC or Day Skipper as a "permis" is not stated anywhere we found. On a sailing yacht it rarely matters; on a hired motor boat over 4.5 kW, it does.
Your own UK-flag boat. Flag-state rules apply. French residents are the exception: they follow French licence rules whatever the flag.
Fines are set as contravention classes: helming a motor boat without the permis is a 5th-class contravention. The euro amounts were not in the texts read.
Italy
When a licence is needed (boats up to 24 m). Beyond 6 nm from the coast (sail included), on any jet ski, and inside 6 nm above 30 kW / 40.8 CV or set engine sizes.
Foreign licences. Art. 34 lets foreign nationals holding a patente nautica or a document "riconosciuto equipollente dallo Stato" of their citizenship command Italian-flag craft:
- unpaid ("a titolo gratuito"),
- within the limits of that document,
- with the original kept aboard.
EU citizens from countries with no licence requirement may carry an official statement to that effect. That route is for EU citizens only, so not for UK nationals.
Your own foreign-flag boat follows flag-state law. Italian residents follow Italian law on any flag.
Fines. Helming without the required licence: €2,755–11,017.
CAUTION — The ICC argument is weak in both countries France and Italy are "No" on the UNECE list, and neither text names the ICC. The RYA ICC is issued for the MCA, so it is arguably a document "recognised by the State". That is an interpretation, not a rule. Lead with your RYA or Irish Sailing certificate, and bring the ICC as support.
TIP — Get it in writing For any motor hire over the thresholds, ask the rental company to confirm by email which of your documents it accepts. See Renting a Boat or Jet Ski in France and Renting a Boat or Jet Ski in Italy.