Legal frame Malta: Small Ships Regulations (S.L. 499.52) regs 2, 3, 29, 32, 36 and Third Schedule; Commercial Yacht Code 2025 s.18.4. The table draws on Res. 40 Rev.5 Annex IV and the national texts in Lessons 2.1–2.4.
Malta
Malta is not on the UNECE list, and its Small Ships Regulations contain no clause recognising foreign leisure licences.
- Licence rule. Nobody may drive a mechanically driven small ship in Maltese waters without a Transport Malta nautical licence and insurance. The rule has applied to 100 HP and over since 2001 and 30 HP and over since 2011. Below 30 HP it applies from a date the Minister has not yet set. Minimum age 18.
- Scope. A "small ship" is under 24 m and used solely in Maltese waters. Whether a visiting foreign yacht is caught is unclear.
- Hire. Hire outlets need their own licence and must give safety instructions to hirers "who do not have a valid nautical licence". That implies unlicensed hire is possible, but how it fits with the 30 HP rule is unconfirmed.
- Fines. Driving without a nautical licence: €500. Hiring out without an operator licence: €2,000.
- Bareboat yachts. For Malta-flag commercial yachts of 24 m and over, the chartering master must hold "valid and appropriate" qualifications. The code for 12–24 m yachts could not be read.
A secondary source puts it bluntly: the ICC is "not automatic authority" in Malta.
The nine countries at a glance
From a UK or Irish holder's point of view. "Charter" means a locally flagged bareboat or rental boat.
| Country | ICC accepted | National licence accepted | Radio needed | Key condition | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Yes (law): RYA ICC ≤24 m/12 nm or motor ≤10 m/5 nm | Yes: RYA titles per Anexo IX; Irish as EEA | Not specified | Title from country of nationality or residence; small rentals need a title from 1 Oct 2026 | High |
| Portugal | Irish ICC automatic; UK ICC not listed | EU automatic; UK by DGRM declaration | Not specified | Apply for the declaration first | High |
| France | Not named | Motor >4.5 kW: EU within privileges; UK own-country rule | Not specified | No licence for sail; sworn translation | High (motor) / Low (ICC) |
| Italy | Not named | Home licence within limits, unpaid | Not researched | Licence beyond 6 nm, >30 kW, jet skis | High / Low (ICC) |
| Greece | De facto for bareboat | Bareboat ≤24 m; speedboats with consular certificate | Not researched | Non-EU: GR/EN translation | Medium-high |
| Turkey | Indirectly, as a certificate "from another country" (since 17 Jul 2026) | Yes, within its powers; harbour master may verify | Not addressed for foreigners | One licensed charterer; TRY 2,500/m fine | Medium-high |
| Croatia | Yes: any Res. 40 ICC endorsed C | Named rows (RYA, Irish Sailing) | Yes, if VHF fitted | Croatian-flag private or bareboat | High |
| Montenegro | Unconfirmed: art. 102 list not found (foreign-flag boats only) | Not on Montenegrin-flag boats (all rentals) | In local licence; foreign yachts not found | Own yacht: flag-state competence; rentals need voditelj čamca (18+) | Low–medium |
| Malta | No provision | No provision (TM licence ≥30 HP) | Not found | Hire outlets' briefing route | Low–medium |
WARNING — "Accepted" means accepted in law This table records what national law says. Charter companies may ask for more: an SRC, a logbook, a second qualified crew member. They are entitled to.
TIP — Read the confidence column first Where it says Low, assume nothing and ask in writing before you pay a deposit.