As the skipper or owner of a pleasure craft, you must have the appropriate skills, certification and documentation to navigate the waters of the Netherlands safely. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) oversees this.
Rules and regulations for pleasure craft
If your pleasure craft measures between 2.5 and 24 metres, it must have a bouwersplaatje (builder's plate) with a CE marking. This plate must be visible from the helm. On the starboard side of the transom, there must be a unique WIN-code (Watercraft Identification Number, WIN) or vessel identification number.
These features prove that the vessel meets the legal product requirements of the European Union (EU). The manufacturer is responsible for this.
If your pleasure craft is longer than 20 metres, or its hull length x beam or width x draught or depth total 100 m³ or more, you must also carry a binnenschipcertificaat (Inland Navigation Certificate). You can apply for an Inland Navigation Certificate at one of the authorised certification agencies in the Netherlands (in Dutch).
Your pleasure craft must also comply with legal product requirements if:
- You have built your vessel entirely yourself and plan to sell it within 5 years.
- You are importing a vessel without a CE marking from outside the EU.
- You are converting a vessel that originally had a different function, such as an old police boat or lifeboat, into a pleasure craft.
You must have the vessel inspected by a aangemelde instantie (notified body) that is authorised to carry out inspections under the Wet Pleziervaartuigen 2016 (Pleasure Craft Act 2016). In the Netherlands, these bodies are:
Notified bodies recognised in other Member States of the EU may also conduct these inspections. You can contact the notified bodies with any questions about product requirements and inspections.
After approval, you must obtain a builder's plate, CE marking, and WIN. The notified body can help with that. For questions about builder's plates, CE markings, and WINs, you can contact the ILT.
Required skills
Contact the Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, CBR (central office for driving licences, in Dutch) to find out the type of licence required for each vessel sailing on the various waterways in the Netherlands.
Pleasure craft carrying more than 12 passengers
If you are carrying more than 12 passengers on your profesionally operated pleasure craft, for example for a canal parade, the rules and regulations of the Binnenvaartwet (Inland Navigation Act) apply. These include requirements for both the vessel and crew. You must follow the rules of the Inland Navigation Act regardless of the duration of the boat trip.
The ILT inspects compliance and can take measures in case of violations.
Sailing outside the Netherlands and at sea
If you wish to sail internationally with a pleasure craft that is registered in the Netherlands, a zeebrief (Certificate of Registry) is highly recommended.