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Do you need a boat licence in France? The rules for the French Riviera and Corsica

From which engine power the permis plaisance is required in France, what applies to sailing boats and how to go out without a licence with a skipper. With official source.

By Go2Boat · updated November 1, 2026

Renting a boat on the French Riviera or in Corsica soon raises the question: do I need a licence? This guide sums up what the French Ministry of the Sea publishes on the permis plaisance and links its page. Rules change: check before you travel.

In short

  • A motorboat with an engine of more than 4.5 kW (6 hp) requires the permis plaisance.
  • The coastal option allows trips up to six nautical miles from a shelter; beyond that you need the offshore extension.
  • Sailing vessels at sea need no licence.
  • With a skipper, nobody in your group needs a licence.

What the ministry says (as of 1 November 2026)

The Ministère de la Mer page on the permis plaisance (updated 17 April 2026) states that a licence is required to drive a pleasure motorboat whose engine exceeds 4.5 kilowatts, i.e. 6 horsepower. The coastal option covers navigation up to six miles from a shelter; the offshore extension goes beyond. On sailing boats the ministry writes that driving sailing vessels at sea requires no licence; on rivers and canals an engine above 4.5 kW requires an inland licence.

What it means for your booking

A small boat up to 6 hp may be driven without a licence; almost every motorboat rented on the Riviera and in Corsica needs one. Every boat shows how the provider handles the skipper. With the filter "With skipper – no licence" you see only boats with a skipper on board or bookable, or that need no licence.

That the law requires no licence for sailing at sea does not mean every provider hands over a sailing boat without proof of experience: what your provider asks for counts.

Foreign licences

Whether your licence is recognised in France you clarify with the provider and, if in doubt, with the French authorities.

Check before you travel

  • The Ministère de la Mer page (link in the sources).
  • The boat's engine power.
  • What the provider asks for boats without a skipper.
  • National parks such as Port-Cros and seagrass meadows (posidonia) have their own anchoring rules.

Boats with a skipper are waiting on the French Riviera and in Corsica.

Find your boat

On Go2Boat you only see free dates from the providers' calendars, and every price is the final price including mandatory extras – no surprise at payment. Questions about the boat, the skipper or your wishes we settle with the provider for you: Go2Boat is on your side, from the first question to on board. Search free boats

Frequently asked questions

From which engine power do I need a boat licence in France?

From an engine of more than 4.5 kW, i.e. 6 hp, according to the Ministère de la Mer page updated on 17 April 2026.

Do I need a licence for a sailing boat?

At sea the law requires none; providers usually ask for proof of experience.

Do I need a licence if a skipper is on board?

No. The skipper steers and nobody in your group needs a licence.

Sources

Authorities' rules can change. What the linked body and your provider on site say is what counts.

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