Do you need two licences to charter a yacht in Greece?

Greece requires two competent people on board for a bareboat charter: the skipper, who holds a recognised sailing qualification, and a second crew member (a co-skipper). Traditionally the second person also held a licence; today most charter companies accept a signed declaration of sailing competency for the second person instead of a full second licence. The exact requirement varies by charter company and port authority, so confirm in writing with your charter base before you book.

What is the co-skipper declaration in Greece?

It is a short signed statement in which a second crew member declares they have enough sailing experience to assist the skipper and take over if needed. Most Greek charter companies provide the form. It satisfies the Greek two-person rule when the second person does not hold a formal licence — but acceptance is always at the charter company's discretion, so ask them for their exact form and wording in advance.

Do I need a VHF radio certificate to charter in Greece?

A chartered yacht carries VHF/DSC radio, so at least one person on board should be a qualified radio operator. Many Greek charter companies ask for a VHF radio operator certificate (SRC level) in addition to the sailing qualification, unless the skipper's licence already includes radio privileges. Confirm the exact documents with your charter company in writing.

How late is too late to sort out the VHF certificate before a Greek charter?

An online VHF/SRC-level course can usually be completed in one to a few days of self-paced study, with a digital certificate issued shortly after the exam. Leaving it until the departure week is risky — allow at least two to four weeks so there is time to finish the course calmly and have the certificate confirmed by your charter company.

Do I pay the Greek cruising tax (TEPAI) on a bareboat charter?

For a bareboat charter the operator normally pays the TEPAI cruising tax and the electronic transit log and includes them in your package, so you do not arrange them yourself. Confirm they are included when you book, so you are not asked to pay on arrival. Your responsibility is the personal documents: skipper qualification, second-crew declaration and VHF certificate.

Greece Yacht Charter: Skipper Licence, Second Crew & VHF Radio Requirements

Greece is one of the best sailing grounds in the world — and one of the few that asks for two qualified people on board, not one. If you have booked a bareboat charter in the Ionian, the Cyclades or the Saronic and the base has emailed a checklist you don’t fully understand, here is exactly what Greece requires, what check-in looks like, and how to close the radio gap online before you fly.

Last updated: 20 July 2026 · By Askolds Hermanis, Founder & Sailing Instructor (SkipperCheck / Nautica SIA, since 2008)

Quick answer: for a bareboat charter in Greece you are asked for three things: (1) a skipper qualification recognised for the person taking the boat, (2) a second competent crew member — Greece’s well-known “two-person” rule, usually satisfied by a signed co-skipper declaration — and (3) a VHF radio operator certificate for whoever works the radio. The radio part is the one most first-time charterers are missing, and it is the part you can fix online.

The Greek rule: two of you must be competent

This is what sets Greece apart from most Mediterranean charter destinations. Greek charter regulations expect two capable people on the crew list, so that the boat is never left in a single pair of hands. In practice the charter base asks for:

The skipper — a recognised sailing qualification (a national coastal skipper licence, an ICC, or another certificate accepted for the boat and area you are chartering).
A second crew member (co-skipper) — historically this person also held a licence. Today most charter companies accept a signed declaration of sailing competency for the second person instead of a full second licence, but the requirement is set by each company and the local port authority.

Two practical consequences. First, decide early who your second person is and whether your charter company wants a licence or will accept their declaration — ask them for the exact form. Second, because both of you may end up operating the boat, it is worth having at least one qualified VHF radio operator among the two — ideally the skipper or the co-skipper.

The VHF certificate part — what counts

A chartered yacht is fitted with VHF/DSC radio, so someone on board must be qualified to operate it. The qualification charter companies have in mind is an SRC-level VHF operator certificate — proof that you can operate marine VHF/DSC equipment and know the distress, urgency and routine procedures set out in the ITU Radio Regulations and the CEPT/ERC/REC 31-04 syllabus. National authorities issue such certificates after their own exams; course providers like SkipperCheck issue course-completion certificates covering the same CEPT/ITU-aligned syllabus, examined online.

The honest part — which any provider should tell you: acceptance of any certificate is always decided by the receiving party — the charter company, and ultimately the flag and coastal state. Requirements and their interpretation vary between charter companies. So ask your charter company in writing which sailing and radio documents they accept before you book a course — for any provider, including us. Our sample certificates are published on the course page so you can send one to your base for confirmation, and the 14-day money-back window is long enough to complete the course, receive the certificate and have it checked. No risk of being stuck with paper nobody will look at.

What the charter base actually checks

At check-in the base staff photograph or copy the crew’s documents for the crew list that is filed for the trip. In Greece expect them to look at:

Skipper licence / ICC — the original document, not a photo;
The second person’s licence or signed co-skipper competency declaration;
VHF radio certificate (or radio privileges shown on the licence);
Passports / ID for the crew list;
Occasionally, for larger yachts: a short sailing CV.

Greek port police (limenarcheio) run spot checks, and the charter company’s insurance depends on the boat being in qualified hands — which is why bases genuinely check rather than wave paperwork through. If the documents don’t satisfy the base, the usual fallback is a professional skipper at day rates, which nobody wants as a surprise.

Closing the gap online — a realistic timeline

4–8 weeks before departure: confirm with your charter base exactly which documents they need — including whether the second person needs a licence or a declaration. Forward a sample certificate for confirmation.
3–4 weeks before: take the course. The SkipperCheck online VHF SRC course is self-paced — theory modules plus a realistic VHF/DSC simulator with 15 scenarios (Mayday, Pan-Pan, Sécurité, DSC calls, routine traffic). Most students finish within a few days. If both of you want the radio ticket, you can each take it.
2–3 weeks before: sit the online exam; the digital certificate is typically issued the next day. An optional PVC card can be ordered in time for the trip.
Check-in day: skipper licence + second-person declaration/licence + VHF certificate + passports in the document bag. Done.

Charter booked and missing the radio certificate?

The SkipperCheck VHF SRC course covers the full CEPT/ITU-aligned syllabus with a built-in VHF/DSC simulator and an online exam. Digital certificate usually the next day — plus the Skipper Refresher course included free to knock the rust off before the season.

Start the VHF SRC course →

What the charter base handles for you (so you don’t have to)

Greece has a few country-specific formalities that worry first-time charterers — but for a bareboat charter these are the charter company’s job, not yours. Knowing that lets you focus on the documents you actually bring (licence, second-crew declaration, VHF certificate). The base normally takes care of:

TEPAI — the Greek cruising tax. Greece levies a monthly cruising fee on yachts in its waters, paid online (eTEPAI). For a bareboat charter the operator usually pays it and folds it into your package — but confirm it is included so you are not asked to settle it on arrival.
The transit log (DEKPA / e-Transit Log). Greece requires an electronic transit log for the vessel, applied for before arrival at many ports. This is the boat’s paperwork, filed by the operator, not something a charter guest arranges.
Boat registration & insurance. The base presents the vessel’s registration and insurance to the authorities. You do not carry these.
Port Police stamping. The Greek Port Police (limenarcheio) hold the boat’s papers and crew list; the operator handles the initial clearance. Your part is simply to be on the crew list with valid ID and the right personal qualifications.

In other words: the taxes, the transit log and the boat papers are handled for you. The one thing that is genuinely on you — and the one most often missing — is the personal qualification side, including the VHF certificate.

The escape hatch: skippered charter

If the two-person paperwork can’t be sorted in time, chartering with a professional skipper removes the licence requirements entirely — the skipper carries the qualifications, you sail as crew. It costs a daily rate plus the skipper’s provisioning, and in Greece many first-time charterers deliberately choose it for the local knowledge among the islands. But if you plan to take the helm on your own bareboat charter, the three-document rule above is what you prepare for.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need two licences to charter in Greece?

Two competent people, yes — but not necessarily two full licences. The skipper needs a recognised qualification; the second person usually satisfies the rule with a signed competency declaration. Each charter company sets its own standard, so confirm in writing.

Does the co-skipper need a VHF certificate too?

No — one qualified radio operator on board is the accepted pattern. But since Greece expects both of you to be capable of running the boat, having the co-skipper hold the VHF certificate as well is sensible, and easy to arrange online.

We chartered in Croatia before — same rules?

Similar but not identical. Croatia is strict about the skipper licence plus a VHF certificate, but does not impose the same formal two-person rule. Greece is the destination best known for wanting a second qualified/declared crew member. The safe pattern is the same everywhere: ask the charter company in writing.

How long does the online VHF course take?

Self-paced — most people finish the theory and simulator practice in a few days, with the exam online and a digital certificate typically issued the next day. Details on the course page.

Do I pay the Greek cruising tax (TEPAI) on a charter?

For a bareboat charter the operator normally pays the TEPAI cruising tax and files the electronic transit log, folding them into your package — so you don’t arrange them yourself. Confirm they’re included when you book. What’s on you is the personal side: skipper qualification, second-crew declaration and VHF certificate.