Italy - Documents

Documents required for cruising in Italy:

It is recommended to have both the originals and copies of each:

• Identification Documents for all crew (see details below)
• Crew list showing surname, forename, date and place of birth, function on board, passport number and nationality.
• Original yacht registration document.
• VAT receipt or proof of payment for EU boats.
• Valid third party Insurance (see details below)
• Ship's radio licence (and one member of the crew must have a radio operator’s certificate of competence).
• You may be asked to show proof of competence to handle a yacht such as the ICC or RYA Yachtmaster’s certificate. See Cruising Regulations: Obtaining an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for more details.

Third Party Insurance

The proof of insurance requirements are exacting; proof of five million euros third-party liability insurance issued by an insurance company having reciprocal arrangements with a recognised Italian insurance company with an Italian translation, or insurance bought in Italy through an Italian broker.

The document must also record details of any tender/dinghy and the serial number of any outboard motors.

It is illegal for yachts to sail in Italian waters without valid third-party insurance. Yachts which do not have insurance may not be allowed to leave the harbour until they obtain it. Insurance can be obtained locally from an Italian insurance company.

Identification Document

By law, you must be able to show some form of identification at all times. In most cases, a photocopy of the data page of your passport should suffice. The police will normally ask for your full passport if you are stopped while driving.

Consituto

All yachts that have not paid VAT in the EU are required to obtain a "Consituto" from the port captain or harbor master's office at the first port of entry. The Constituo must then be surrendered at your port of departure. The Port Captain/Coast Guard, must stamp the "Constituto" at all ports visited in the country. It is not always easy to find the correct offices, but try and get it stamped in the majority of ports. The enforcement of this regulation is not uniform throughout the country and indeed, some Coast Guard offices can be very difficult and not willing to provide the document (larger ports for example), or to stamp the document. This can be frustrating and the requirement for the "Constituto" seems to depend on where you go.

Last updated: February 2024