Switzerland: no licence up to 6 kW (about 8 hp) and 15 m² of sail. Above that, you need one.
Italy: no licence up to 30 kW (40.8 CV) on lakes and within 6 miles of the coast. Above that, beyond 6 miles or on a jet ski, you need one.
Lugano and Maggiore: the rules follow your country of residence. Ask the rental company what applies to you.
I got my licence in Italy, then moved to Ticino, five minutes from lakes where that licence does not automatically do what I assumed. I wrote about it in Issue #10, Getting Licensed: Italy vs Switzerland, and corrected part of it later. This page is the checked version, for one question only: can you rent the boat without a licence?
Switzerland: the 6 kW line
The Swiss inland navigation ordinance is simple on this point. You need a licence (Führerausweis) to drive a boat when the engine is above 6 kW or the sail area is above 15 m². The skipper of a motor boat must be at least 14. That is why every licence-free rental boat I found on Lake Lugano and in Ascona has an 8 hp engine: 8 hp is about 6 kW, the most you can drive without a licence.
Visiting? While you are only staying in Switzerland temporarily, you may drive a Swiss boat of the category your national licence or ICC covers. Moving here? For the first 12 months the visitor rules still apply. After that, as a resident, you need a Swiss licence, and only licences from the countries on the federal list can be swapped without an exam. Italy is not on it, which is why the Swiss exam is still on my list.
Source: Binnenschifffahrtsverordnung (BSV), Art. 78 and Art. 91 and the Federal Office of Transport (BAV) on leisure boating. Licences themselves are issued by the cantonal navigation offices, in Ticino the Sezione della circolazione.
Italy: the 40 hp line
Article 39 of the Codice della nautica da diporto makes a licence (patente nautica) compulsory in three cases: beyond 6 nautical miles from the coast, on a jet ski, and on lakes or within 6 miles when the engine is above 30 kW (40.8 CV). The text also lists engine-size limits, for example 1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard, so check the engine plate as well as the horsepower.
Below those limits you need no licence, but there are minimum ages: 18 for an imbarcazione and 16 for a natante (the smaller craft). In practice the licence-free rental boats on Lake Como and the Italian side of Lake Maggiore have 40 hp outboards. They are noticeably faster than the Swiss 8 hp boats, which is worth thinking about on a busy summer afternoon.
Source: Codice della nautica da diporto (D.Lgs. 171/2005), Art. 39.
The new D1 licence: up to 115 hp
Since 21 October 2024 Italy also has a lighter licence, the patente nautica D1. It is a course with practical training and a final test, from age 16. It covers daytime navigation only, boats with a hull up to 12 m, on lakes and within 6 miles of the coast, with an engine up to 85 kW (115.6 CV). Until 18 it covers natanti only. It sits between "no licence, 40 hp" and the full category A licence. Not every rental company knows it yet, so ask before you book a 115 hp boat with one.
Source: Ministerial Decree 17 September 2024, n. 133, Art. 28 (new Art. 27-bis of DM 146/2008).
Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore: where you live matters
Both lakes are shared, and a 1992 convention between Italy and Switzerland sets the rules. Under its Article 6 the licence rules follow your country of residence, not where the boat is. If you live in Switzerland, after 12 months you need a Swiss licence, and it is valid on both lakes, Italian parts included. If you live in Italy, your Italian licence is valid on both lakes, Swiss parts included. Above 30 kW a licence is always required in the other state's waters.
For renters this means two things. A Swiss-side rental company will only give you a licence-free boat up to 8 hp. And a Swiss resident may be asked for a licence even for a 40 hp boat rented on the Italian side. Ask the rental company what applies to the exact boat, and to you. Source: the convention text on Fedlex; see also the Waters Guide on cross-border rules and Issue #15 on crossing the border by boat.
Lake Como (and Garda): Italian rules
Lake Como and Lake Garda are fully Italian, so the Italian limits above apply. If you live outside Italy you may skipper an Italian-registered boat with the licence from your country of residence, within its limits and only if you are not paid for it. Keep the original licence and proof of residence on board. A Swiss category A licence, and the ICC based on it, covers inland waters only, so it does not help you at sea.
What I would do before booking
- Ask for the engine power in kW or hp, not just "licence-free". 8 hp in Switzerland, 40 hp in Italy.
- Say where you live. On Lugano and Maggiore it changes the answer.
- Bring the original licence (and the ICC if you have one), plus ID. Copies are not enough.
- Read Issue #07 on the rental handover and print the free boat rental checklist.
- Price the day in the Boat Budget Calculator, or see what a rental costs on each lake.
Quick answers
Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Switzerland?
Only for bigger boats. Swiss law requires a licence once the engine is above 6 kW (about 8 hp) or the sail area is above 15 m², and the skipper of a motor boat must be at least 14. That is why licence-free rental boats on Lake Lugano and the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore have 8 hp engines. Anything faster needs a licence. If you are visiting, your national licence or ICC is accepted for the category it covers; after 12 months living in Switzerland you need a Swiss licence.
Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Italy?
Not below 30 kW (40.8 CV) on lakes and within 6 nautical miles of the coast. Above that power, beyond 6 miles, or on a jet ski, you need a patente nautica. Without a licence you must be at least 18 to drive an imbarcazione and 16 to drive a natante (the smaller craft). Licence-free rental boats on Lake Como and the Italian side of Lake Maggiore usually have 40 hp engines.
What is the Italian D1 licence and the 115 hp limit?
Since 21 October 2024 Italy has a simpler D1 licence: from age 16, daytime only, boats up to 12 m, on lakes and within 6 miles of the coast, with an engine up to 85 kW (115.6 CV). Under 18 it covers natanti only. It is a course plus a final test rather than the full exam. Ask the rental company whether it accepts a D1 before you book.
Which rules apply on Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore, which are partly Swiss and partly Italian?
On these two lakes the 1992 Italy-Switzerland convention applies, and the licence rules follow your country of residence. Live in Switzerland and, after 12 months, you need a Swiss licence, valid on both lakes. Live in Italy and your Italian licence is valid on both lakes. Above 30 kW a licence is always required in the other state's waters. So a Swiss resident may need a licence for a 40 hp boat even on the Italian side. Ask the rental company what applies to the exact boat and to you.
Is my Italian or Swiss licence valid on Lake Como?
Lake Como is fully Italian, so Italian rules apply. If you live outside Italy, you may skipper an Italian-registered boat with the licence from your country of residence, within its limits and only if you are not paid for it. Keep the original licence and proof of residence on board.
Here is what I know so far. This is one beginner's reading of the official texts, checked on 29 October 2026, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with the navigation office or the rental company before you rely on it.