The medical certificate: the paperwork almost nobody knows they need
It is compulsory for the Licencia de Navegación too — Spain's entry-level boating licence — it is done at the same centre that renews your driving licence, and it lasts two years. It is usually the only thing that delays an enrolment.
Requirements · · 4 min read
What it is, and why it is asked for the licence
Royal Decree 875/2014 requires proof of psychophysical fitness to obtain any recreational boating qualification, and the Licencia de Navegación is no exception: simple as it is compared with the rest, the certificate goes into the file exactly as it does for the PER.
It is the same logic as on the road. Handling a motor boat calls for a minimum standard of eyesight, hearing and reaction time, and the authorities would rather check beforehand than afterwards. That is why the examination is not done at a health centre or with your own GP: it is done at an authorised driver medical centre (a centro de reconocimiento de conductores), the same ones that issue the report for renewing a driving licence.
Where to get it
At any authorised driver medical centre. There are several in Blanes, Lloret and Malgrat, and most of them see you without an appointment. The examination takes between fifteen minutes and half an hour.
It is worth saying at the desk that it is for a recreational boating qualification and not for a driving licence: the examination is equivalent, but the certificate they issue carries a different heading, and that is the one that counts for the file.
What to bring, and how long it lasts
A valid DNI or NIE — the Spanish national ID or the foreigner's ID number — and your glasses or contact lenses if you wear them. If you take regular medication or have any condition that could affect driving, bring your doctor's report: it is not a bar to passing, but it saves you a second visit.
The student pays for the certificate, it is not included in any course, and it is valid for two years. We do not publish the price here because each centre sets its own and it is not ours to quote: ring and ask before you go, it is a one-minute call.
When to get it done
Before the course, not after. The licence is issued the same day you finish the practical hours, and to issue it the file has to be complete: without the certificate the course still goes ahead, but the licence waits.
Since it lasts two years, there is no harm in getting it early either. If you had one done recently to renew your driving licence, check the date: the one you already have may still do.
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
Does the medical certificate for my driving licence work for the boating licence?
The examination is the same, but the certificate issued is different: you have to ask specifically for the one for recreational boating qualifications. If you passed the examination less than two years ago, many centres will issue the boating document without repeating the tests.
Can my own GP do it?
No. It has to be issued by an authorised driver medical centre, which is the same kind of centre where a driving licence is renewed.
How long is it valid for?
Two years from the date of issue. If it expires before you take the course, it has to be done again.
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.