Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster (large licence)

Do you want to sail on Dutch inland waterways? You need the right certificates and permits.

Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster

You need a Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster (EU kwalificatiecertificaat schipper) if you want to sail on Dutch rivers, canals, and lakes with:

• vessels of 20 metres or longer
• vessels with a volume of 100 m3 or more
• passenger vessels
• vessels which must have a certificate of approval for the inland transport of dangerous goods
• floating equipment

and tug and push boats:

• for vessels of 20 metres or more
• with a volume of 100 m3 or more
• of floating equipment
• which carry vessels of 20 metres or more linked alongside
• which carry vessels of 100 m3 or more in volume linked alongside
• which carry floating equipment linked alongside

You can apply for the Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster (in Dutch) to the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, CBR). You need to have the right diplomas, a marine radio certificate, a recent medical certificate, and 4 years of sailing time.

Large licence exchange

The Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster replaces the Large Licence and the Rhine patent. You are still allowed to sail with a valid (conditional) large licence A or B or Rhine patent until 17 January 2032. You can exchange a valid Rhine Patent or an A or B large licence for a Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster until January 2032 (in Dutch).

When to renew the Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster

The Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster is valid for 13 years. After that, you must renew the certificate with CBR (in Dutch). You must also renew the certificate when you turn 60, 65, and 70. From your 70th birthday, you have to renew the certificate every two years.

Specific permit on the Union certificate of qualification

To sail the Dutch inland waters with certain vessels, you need to have specific permits added to your Union certificate:

• Specific permit maritime waters (Specifieke vergunning maritieme wateren, in Dutch) for sailing on inland waters, inlcuding Ijsselmeer, Wadden Sea, and the South Holland and Zeeland streams.
• Specific permit for sailing on the Rhine (Specifieke vergunning voor het varen op de Rijn, in Dutch) for sailing a vessel on (part of) the Rhine between Spijk (857) and Iffezheim (334).
• Specific permit for sailing by radar (Specifieke vergunning voor het varen met behulp van radar, in Dutch) for sailing with a radar on all Dutch inland waterways and the entire Rhine.
• Sport patent for sailing on the Rhine on the river section above Spijksche Veer (in Dutch).

LNG declaration

Does your ship use LNG as fuel? Then the skipper and all crew members involved in loading fuel (bunkering) must have an LNG declaration. You can apply for the LNG declaration to CBR (in Dutch). You have to take an LNG course for this. The LNG declaration is valid for 5 years, after which you must renew it.

For more information on diplomas, documents, and licences, you can contact the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (CBR, in Dutch).

Exemption certificate canal boat skipper

The exemption certificate canal boat skipper of the Amsterdam canal type, allows you to sail on all inland waterways of zone 3 (only with permission of the waterway authority) or zone 4.

You can apply to the CBR for the exemption certificate canal boat skipper of the Amsterdam canal type (in Dutch). You must be at least 21 years of age and have the required diplomas, a marine radio certificate, at least 180 sailing days, and a medical certificate.

The exemption certificate is valid until 3 months after your 50th birthday. After that, you need to renew the certificate when you turn 55, 60, and 65. From the age of 65, you need to renew the certificate every year.

Sailing licence

You must have a sailing licence if you sail on a sailing vessel:

• that is intended for commercial transport of more than 12 passengers,
• that is longer than 20 metres and intended for the commercial transport of passengers (does not matter how many),
• and you do not have a Union certificate qualification as a boatmaster.

You can apply for the sailing licence to the CBR (in Dutch). The sailing licence is valid until 3 months after your 50th birthday. After that, you need to renew the sailing licence more often the older you get (in Dutch).

Floating construction

A Union certificate of qualification as a boatmaster is obligatory for skippers or operators of floating constructions and large pleasure boats. Floating constructions and any other ships used for construction are to be subject to the same regulations as inland shipping vessels.