Legal frame
Governing: D.M. 121/2005 (as rewritten by D.M. 227/2023) arts 1, 3 and 8; Codice arts 35–37; D.M. 146/2008 art. 89; D.Lgs. 71/2015 art. 1. Builds on: L1.1.
Who the professional titles are for
D.M. 121/2005, rewritten by D.M. 227/2023 with effect from 5 May 2024, applies to three groups (art. 1):
- crew of imbarcazioni and navi da diporto used for charter (noleggio);
- crew of charter-only ships over 24 m in the Registro Internazionale (L. 172/2003 art. 3);
- anyone who works on a nave da diporto (over 24 m), even a private one.
The same article leaves the patente rules for commanding navi da diporto untouched, which is why a patente B holder can still skipper a private superyacht. Where the line falls for a paid captain on a private nave is not spelled out, so treat it as a question for the flag office.
The paperwork of a seafarer
Professional yacht crew are seafarers in the Italian sense. Art. 3 requires enrolment in the matricole della gente di mare di prima categoria (first-category seafarer registers) and a libretto di navigazione (seaman's book), on which sea service is recorded. The only exception is the UND 2ª classe, whose holders need not enrol (art. 3(2-bis)). Enrolment has opened up in 2026: see L3.3.
Codice art. 36(2) adds that services on board navi da diporto are carried out by enrolled personnel; guests aged 16 or over may help with cabin and galley work.
Motor and sail
The titles are for units with motor propulsion (art. 8(1)). Working on a sailing yacht needs the specializzazione vela, obtained by a theory and practical exam before a board that includes a sailing-federation or Lega Navale instructor. Anyone who already holds a patente valid for sail gets it without exam (art. 8(5-bis)).
Who needs what: a working map
| Boat and use | Who commands | Crew |
|---|---|---|
| Private boat ≤24 m, Italian flag | Owner or friend on a patente (or unpaid on a foreign licence) | Guests may help |
| Private nave >24 m, Italian flag | Patente B, or a diporto title | Enrolled seafarers |
| Charter imbarcazione (10–24 m) | Diporto title: at least UND 2ª classe (or the 42-bis skipper, see L4.2) | Minimum crew as below |
| Charter nave, national register | Diporto title sized to the GT | Enrolled seafarers, STCW |
| Registro Internazionale charter ship | Diporto or merchant CoC; master EU/EEA | STCW; A.890 manning |
| Foreign-flag yacht in Italy | Flag-State rules | Flag-State rules |
Minimum crew on charter units
Codice art. 35 puts the general duty on the master: check before departure that the crew is qualified and sufficient for the planned passage. For charter units D.M. 146 art. 89 adds hard numbers:
- imbarcazioni carrying more than 8 passengers or longer than 18 m: at least 2 crew;
- navi da diporto on charter: at least 3.
TIP — Commercial means STCW The STCW exclusion in D.Lgs. 71/2015 art. 1(1)(c) covers only pleasure units doing no commercial traffic. Once a yacht is on charter, the STCW regime, the 60-month CoC and consular endorsements apply to the people on it.
For the substance of STCW competence the Italian titles mirror II/1, II/2, III/1 and III/2, so the MCA library (OOW (Yachts), Master (Yachts)) covers the underlying knowledge.