Sailing the world under the Dutch flag: sea letter, ICC and customs
For a long-distance sailing trip you need a sea letter as proof that your yacht is Dutch, a boating licence with ICC, a registered marine VHF radio and proof that VAT was paid. Every time you sail across the Schengen border, you report to the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Anyone who goes to live on a boat and sails far away needs four papers that ports abroad ask for: a sea letter (zeebrief) as proof that your yacht is Dutch, a boating licence with ICC, a registered marine VHF radio and proof that VAT has been paid on your boat. On top of that comes one report that people forget: every time you sail across the Schengen border, you report to the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (the Dutch border police).
What is a sea letter, and do I need one?
The ILT, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, calls the sea letter (in translation) "an internationally recognised certificate of nationality for ships, comparable to a passport". It isn't compulsory: "Pleasure craft may sail at sea without a sea letter." But port authorities abroad can detain your boat until you have one. For a long-distance trip it's therefore the safe choice.
How to get one:
- Have your boat registered in the register of seagoing vessels at the Kadaster (the Dutch land and ship registry). That costs € 630, plus the ILT's fees.
- Then apply for the sea letter. For a yacht shorter than 24 metres that goes through the Kadaster.
- Choose a place of residence in the Netherlands. If you live abroad, according to the Kadaster you need a postal address in the Netherlands.
- Appoint someone in the Netherlands who can act on your behalf with a power of attorney.
You must be a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. If you don't use the boat professionally, you don't need to be established in the Netherlands. The sea letter of a yacht has no expiry date: it stays valid as long as the details stay the same, and lapses when you sell the boat.
Whether you keep the sea letter when you deregister from the municipality isn't stated anywhere in so many words. The law doesn't require registration, but does require a postal address and someone with a power of attorney in the Netherlands. So arrange those two before you leave.
Isn't the ICP enough?
No, not for a long-distance trip. The ICP, the International Certificate for Pleasure Craft, proves who the owner is, in a few European countries. The Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government) is clear: an ICP isn't proof of nationality, and doesn't give the right to fly the Dutch flag.
Which boating licence do I need?
The ICC, the International Certificate of Competence, is the proof that you can handle a boat that's recognised abroad. Since 1 January 2010 it has been included in every Dutch boating licence for recreational craft.
| Paper | What for | From whom |
|---|---|---|
| Klein Vaarbewijs I (small boating licence I) | counts as ICC for inland waters | CBR |
| Klein Vaarbewijs II (small boating licence II) | counts as ICC for inland and coastal waters | CBR |
| Marcom-B | the minimum for the maritime mode of your VHF radio, mainly coastal waters | CBR |
| Marcom-A | for further out at sea | CBR |
| VHF radio registration | call sign, ATIS code and if needed an MMSI number | RDI |
| Sea letter | proof of nationality | ILT, via the Kadaster |
In the Netherlands the Klein Vaarbewijs is compulsory for yachts of 15 to 25 metres. We haven't found a licence requirement on the open sea. Check per country what the ports there ask for.
What about the VHF radio?
You register every marine VHF radio in Mijn RDI (the online portal of the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure), a handheld one too. You then get a call sign, an ATIS code and if needed an MMSI number: the number for digital distress calls. No registration, no MMSI number.
Do I have to pay VAT when I come back?
Not if you're back within three years. A boat that leaves the EU and comes back in the same state is exempt from import duties and VAT. You then show that VAT has been paid on the boat. If the boat has been outside the EU for three years or longer, VAT and import duties may be due. In special circumstances the time limit can be exceeded.
Customs officers on the way also often ask for proof of paid VAT. That can be the purchase invoice, or a VAT statement from Dutch Customs. Customs issues it to private individuals if the VAT was paid in the Netherlands and hasn't been refunded.
What do I have to report when I leave?
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee has a reporting obligation for pleasure craft, every time you cross the external Schengen border. You report at least three hours and at most three days in advance, via a border crossing point, with a list of crew and passengers. A border check follows. If you only sail through Dutch territorial waters without calling at a port, you don't have to.
And when I moor in another country?
Each country decides itself how you enter by boat. We haven't found a Dutch government source that describes this per country. Keep the sea letter, the passports, a crew list, your boating licence and the VAT statement to hand, and ask the port beforehand how clearing in works.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.5: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey for a life on the road or go straight to step 4.5 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Rijksoverheid — applying for the ICP: no proof of nationality — rijksoverheid.nl
- CBR — which boating licence do I need — cbr.nl
- ILT — the sea letter for a pleasure craft — ilent.nl
- Kadaster — registering a boat — kadaster.nl
- Kingdom Act on the nationality of seagoing vessels, articles 10, 17 and 18 — wetten.overheid.nl
- CBR — sailing abroad with your boating licence, the ICC — cbr.nl
- RDI — registering and setting up a marine VHF radio — rdi.nl
- Dutch Customs — returned goods, exemption within three years — kennisbank.douane.nl
- Royal Netherlands Marechaussee — reporting obligation for pleasure craft — marechaussee.nl
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