A foreign licence that's making waves
A foreign licence that's making waves
I have a licence to pilot boats issued by the French authorities a few years ago, when I lived and worked in neighbouring France. I now live in Switzerland and would like to exchange this French licence for a Swiss sailing licence, but I've been told that this is apparently not easy... Which authority should I contact?
Al.
In Geneva, it is the Office cantonal des véhicules, otherwise known as the "bureau des autos", which is responsible for issuing boat driving licences, just as it is for registering ships.
When ruling on such cases, this authority applies the Ordinance on Navigation in Swiss Waters (or Ordinance on Inland Navigation, ONI), article 91a of which states that holders of an international or foreign boat driving licence may obtain the Swiss driving licence of their canton of residence without having to pass a theoretical or practical test. In order to benefit from this 'exchange' without further formalities, however, the licence must come from a State that imposes the same training and examination requirements as Switzerland and grants reciprocity to holders of Swiss driving licences.
Unlike in road traffic, therefore, boat driving licences are not generally accepted and exchanged in all European countries.
The Federal Office of Transport has published a list of European countries with which Switzerland has an agreement on the reciprocal recognition or exchange of boat driving licences. At present, only Germany and Austria are on the list! Note that even for these two countries, licences can only be exchanged under certain conditions, depending on the category of boat concerned.
Since 2021, following changes to boat driving licences in France and Italy, it has no longer been possible simply to exchange licences in Switzerland, as the authorities have found that the training and examination requirements in these countries are no longer comparable with the regulations in force in Switzerland. Swiss licences are not exchanged in these countries either.
For all holders of boat driving licences issued in countries other than Germany and Austria, you will need to (re)pass a full licence (theoretical and practical) to be able to sail in Swiss waters. If the temperatures don't tempt you to Lake Geneva over the next few weeks, you can take advantage of the opportunity to learn the signs, flags and knots that every Swiss sailor needs to master perfectly to enjoy our varied waters in summer!
