International Certificate of Competence changes

by RYA on 3 Mar 2011 Following on-going work with the European Boating Association (EBA) the RYA are is pleased to confirm that amendments made to the issuing criteria of for the ICC allowing the RYA to issue the ICC (International Certificate of Competence) more widely than just British nationals and residents will come in to affect from March 2011.

Previously the RYA was only able to issue the ICC to British nationals and residents, which meant that anyone who completed an RYA course and was not a British national or resident wouldn’t be eligible to apply to the RYA for an ICC. This new amendment to Resolution 40, which regulates the issue of ICC including to whom it can be issued, syllabus requirements and layout of the certificate, means the RYA will now be able to issue it to the nationals of non-UNECE countries and to USA and Canadian nationals as well.

'Some restrictions do still apply and the eligibility criteria for issue of an RYA ICC will become a little more complex', explains Richard Falk, RYA Training Manager. 'The RYA will continue to not be able to issue the ICC to nationals of most United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) member countries, including the likes of, Croatia, France, Norway and Portugal, unless they are British nationals.

'RYA recognised training centres, clubs and instructors will now also need to determine candidates’ eligibility for the ICC to be issued to them, in short determine that they are a British national or resident, a national of the USA or Canada or a national of any country that is not a member of UNECE.'

There is no change to proof of competence needed to get an ICC or how it can be used.

From 01 March all new ICC application forms will include a simple flow diagram and list of UNECE countries to help instructors, and training schools and ICC applicants understand the new eligibility criteria.

An ICC allows the holder to voyage internationally but only where the country being visited has chosen to accept it and subject to any prescriptions made by the visited country, it does not work as the boating equivalent of the EU driving licence as is often the misconception. Pleasure boaters must remember to comply with the regulations of both the country of registration (the Flag State) and the requirements of the visited country (the Coastal State).

www.rya.org.uk/go/icc