At 16 or 17 you can, and this is what your parents have to sign
The minimum age for the licence is 18. The exception is only half known and comes up on almost every call: 16 and 17 work too, if the legal guardians authorise it in writing.
Requirements · · 3 min read
What the rules say
The general rule is 18 years of age. Below that, the Licencia de Navegación — Spain's entry-level boating licence — can be obtained at 16 and at 17 provided the parents or legal guardians give their written consent, and that document is part of the file just like the ID card or the medical certificate.
It is not a provisional permit or a cut-down version: the licence issued is exactly the same one, with the same entitlements, and there is nothing to renew on turning 18.
Exactly what has to be signed
A written authorisation signed by whoever holds parental responsibility or legal guardianship, together with a copy of their ID document so that the signature can be verified. Where parental responsibility is shared, both normally sign.
The school prepares the document and it is handed in on the day of the course; there is no registry to visit and no notary involved. The one thing that cannot be missing is that whoever signs really is the legal guardian: a grandparent, an older sibling or an instructor will not do, however much they come along that day.
What changes on the course, and what does not
On the course, nothing. The same six hours, the same in-person theory and the same four hours of practical work on board, with the same skipper and on the same boat. There are no separate groups by age and no different content.
What is worth knowing is that the entitlements of the licence do not change with age: up to 6 m in length, 2 nautical miles from shore and daylight only. A minor with a valid licence may handle exactly the same as an adult with a valid licence.
The course, in case you got this far
All of this is the small print of a six-hour course in a single day, in the Port of Blanes: two hours of in-person theory and four of practical on board. The school is awaiting authorisation, so today there are no course dates and no published price.
Questions about this
At 16, can I take the course without my mother or father coming along?
Yes, as long as you bring the signed authorisation and a copy of the ID document of whoever signed it. The guardian does not have to be present during the course.
Does a licence obtained at 16 expire on turning 18?
No. It is the same licence, with the same entitlements, and there is nothing to renew or convert afterwards.
And at 15?
That is not possible. The minimum is 16 years of age on the day of the course.
We open soon. We'll tell you as soon as there's a date
The school is awaiting authorisation: today there are no places, no course dates and no final price. Leave us your email and you'll be among the first to know. If you'd rather ask, a real person answers on WhatsApp.