Where candidates go wrong
Most foreign candidates arrive with the wrong picture of what they are sitting. Three misunderstandings cost the most:
- Thinking 12 miles is a "small" licence. It is the full patente nautica di categoria A (category A licence), limited only by distance: natanti, imbarcazioni and moto d'acqua (jet skis) up to 24 m, within 12 miglia dalla costa (12 nm from the coast).
- Ticking the wrong box on the application. Motor-only or motor-and-sail is declared on the domanda di ammissione (application). Change your mind later and you sit an extra exam.
- Assuming the practical is optional for private candidates. It is not: every candidate needs at least 5 hours of manoeuvres attested by a scuola nautica (nautical school), including private candidates (D.M. 323/2021 art. 3).
What the licence covers
| Point | Rule |
|---|---|
| Units | Natanti (≤10 m), imbarcazioni (>10 m to 24 m) and moto d'acqua (D.M. 146/2008 art. 25; Codice art. 39) |
| Distance | Up to 12 nm from the coast. Beyond that you need the senza limiti option |
| Propulsion | Motor, sail and mixed. On request, solo unità a motore (motor only) |
| Over 24 m | Not covered: that is the patente per navi da diporto (categoria B) |
When is a licence compulsory at all? Under art. 39 of the Codice della nautica da diporto: beyond 6 nm whatever the propulsion; on any jet ski; and inside 6 nm when the engine exceeds 30 kW / 40.8 CV (or the cc thresholds in the article). Remember 1 kW = 1.36 CV — the bank asks it.
Motor only or motor and sail?
A boat counts as a motor unit when sail area (m²) ÷ engine power is below 1 (CV) or 1.36 (kW) (D.M. 146 art. 25 c.3). Spinnaker excluded. A 40 m² sloop with a 40 CV engine gives 40 ÷ 40 = 1.0, not below 1, so it is a sailing unit and needs the sail endorsement.
TIP — Choosing sail The sail endorsement adds a 5-question quiz vela and a sail practical on a boat of at least 9 m. If you fail only the sail quiz, you may convert on the day to a motor-only licence (D.M. 323 art. 6 c.10).
Who may apply
- Age: 18 at the time of the application (D.M. 146 art. 35).
- Medical: a certificato medico issued by the doctors listed in art. 36 (ASL medico-legale, military, Police, Fire Service doctors and others), not older than six months when you apply.
- Moral requirements: no prison sentence of three years or more and no prevention measures (art. 37). Non-EU nationals provide a legalised consular declaration.
- Nationality: the Guardia Costiera states that "cittadini, italiani e stranieri" over 18 may apply.
School hours and practice
The exam programme (Allegato D) sets what the 5 ore di manovre must include: four knots (gassa d'amante, nodo parlato, nodo di bitta, nodo di bozza), rudder and propeller effects ahead and astern, compass use, mooring and unmooring, simulated anchoring under power, and uomo in mare (man overboard).
Once your application is filed, the receipt plus ID lets you practise at the helm provided someone who has held at least an equal licence for three years is aboard (D.M. 146 art. 31).
CAUTION — xplor is not a school This course prepares you for the written quizzes. It gives no school hours and no attestation. Book the practical hours with a scuola nautica.
What the examiner wants to see
- That you know what your licence will and will not let you do: 12 nm, ≤24 m, sail only if endorsed.
- The thresholds: 6 nm, 30 kW / 40.8 CV, jet ski always licensed, >24 m = categoria B.
- A clean application: correct endorsement, valid medical, school attestation.
Vocabolario d'esame
| Italiano | English |
|---|---|
| patente nautica di categoria A | category A boating licence |
| entro 12 miglia dalla costa | within 12 nm of the coast |
| senza alcun limite dalla costa | unlimited distance |
| natante / imbarcazione / nave da diporto | boat ≤10 m / 10–24 m / >24 m |
| moto d'acqua | jet ski (PWC) |
| abilitazione a vela / solo motore | sail endorsement / motor only |
| domanda di ammissione | exam application |
| certificato medico | medical certificate |
| scuola nautica | nautical school |