Chartering in Italian Waters: Locazione, Noleggio, 42-bis, Noleggio Occasionale, Foreign Flags & VAT

The master of an Italian-flag ship, and a chief mate acting as master, must be an EU/EEA national (Cod. nav. art. 292-bis; D.Lgs. 71/2015 art. 6(9)). A CoC from a third country, including the UK, cannot be recognised for these functions. EU masters from outside Italy must also pass an Italian maritime-law exam, which may be taken in Italian or English.

MIT's list of States recognised under STCW regulation I/10 (July 2025) includes the United Kingdom, following EU Implementing Decision 2022/1973. The United States and the Marshall Islands are not on it, and the Cayman Islands are not named. Recognition is by a convalida issued through an Italian consulate and never covers the master's role.

D.M. 121/2005, rewritten by D.M. 227/2023, leaves the exams for UND, capitano and comandante del diporto and the three engine titles to a ministry decree that we could not find. Only the UND 2ª classe programme (D.D. 40/2025) is published. In practice these titles appear to be obtained by converting merchant CoCs.

Art. 292-bis and D.M. 38/2012 refer to ships flying the Italian flag. No circular confirms how they apply to commercial pleasure vessels (navi da diporto) as opposed to merchant ships. Ask the Direzione marittima before planning a command on an Italian-flag charter yacht.

Law 70/2026 introduced bareboat hire with a named skipper (art. 42-bis: single individual hirer, up to 12 people, skipper with at least the UND 2ª classe). Yachts annotated for commercial use may no longer be used privately. It also added a national principle against anchoring on posidonia, with no dedicated penalty.

D.L. 144/2026 requires foreign-flag boats up to 24 m owned by Italian residents to prove seaworthiness from 31 Oct 2026 (art. 26-ter of the Codice). The decree must be converted into law by about 6 Oct 2026, so the date or the rule may still change.

The Guardia Costiera states €65.95 plus two €16 revenue stamps for the category A exam. The ministry's PagoPA tariff for the same exam adds a further €32, giving €97.95. The extra charge may apply only when the Motorizzazione runs the exam. Check with the office where you apply.

D.M. 146/2008 art. 34 lets foreign nationals helm Italian-flag boats on a licence their own State recognises, within its limits and unpaid. No Italian primary source says whether an RYA ICC counts. EU citizens may instead carry a statement that their country issues no licence; UK citizens lost that option with Brexit.

Each Capitaneria's summer ordinance (ordinanza di sicurezza balneare) sets the bathing zone (for example 200 m from beaches in Tuscany, 300 m in Palermo, 100 m off cliffs), the 3-knot launch corridors and local speed limits. The national rule is 8 kn within 500 m of the coast (D.M. 146 art. 91-bis). Always read the ordinance for the stretch of coast you are on.

D.M. 146 art. 91-bis sets 8 kn within 500 m of the coast. The instructions rental operators must give hirers (D.M. 2021, corrected in 2023) say 8 kn within 500 m of rocky coasts and 1,000 m of beaches. Older copies still say 5,000 m, a typing error. Use the stricter figure.

Italy has no national anchoring scheme by yacht length like France's. The limits are local: Portofino admits no yacht over 24 m, Tavolara allows anchoring only up to 30 m in zone B and 40 m in zone C, and La Maddalena's ordinance 33/2026 bans anchoring on posidonia. Check the protected area's regulation before you anchor.

The general limit at the helm is 0.5 g/L, with fines of €2,755–11,017 and licence suspension. It is zero for helmsmen under 21 and for anyone using a boat commercially, so skippers and charter crew must not drink at all before or during duty (Codice arts 53-bis and 53-ter).

No provision was found for taking the patente nautica, D1 or UND 2ª classe exams in any language other than Italian, and the quiz banks exist only in Italian. The only interpreter concession is for candidates with learning disorders or category C. The EU-master law exam is the exception: Italian or English.

L. 70/2026 bars yachts annotated for commercial use from being used non-commercially (art. 2(4)), while art. 2(2-ter) still allows seasonal leasing. No ministry or Guardia Costiera guidance says how owners may use their own charter-annotated yacht between charters. Take advice before planning owner trips on such a yacht.

The new art. 49(1) makes fuel, water and lubricants not the charterer's cost unless agreed, while art. 49(1-bis) on cabin charter still makes charterers contribute to "what is provided in paragraph 1" in shares. Put fuel and consumables explicitly in every charter contract.

Whether a crewed charter under a non-EU flag that embarks and lands guests in Italian ports is reserved cabotage is not settled; round trips are the safer pattern. The restated high-seas VAT article in D.Lgs. 10/2026 excludes pleasure units ("escluse le unità da diporto"), so check zero-rating with a tax adviser.

Private owners may charter occasionally under art. 49-bis after online notice to the Agenzia delle Entrate and the Capitaneria, with a noleggio occasionale sign of at least 100 × 20 cm on each side since 2026. Income is taxed at a 20 % substitute rate up to 42 days; breaches cost €2,775–11,017.