Ten things you should know before obtaining your Navigation License

The Navigation License, or as "the titulin" is also known, is a permit that after obtaining it will allow you to take boats of up to six meters in length, during sunrise and sunset, at a maximum distance from the coast of 2 miles

If you are thinking of obtaining this permission you may have some doubts or there are certain things that you have not stopped thinking about, which you should know before.

1.- How can I obtain the Navigation License?

Obtaining the Navigation License (or titulin) is very simple. There is no exam to take! The requirements are:

• Be over 16 years old
• Attend an approved nautical school that can issue these licenses and take the official courses that consist of:[list]
• Theoretical training of 2 hours in a classroom or on a boat.
• 4-hour practical training on a boat.

Obtain a medical certificate, similar to that for a vehicle driver's license, which is usually obtained at the same centres.[/list]
It is usual, although it does not always have to be this way, that the courses are scheduled for six hours in a row, taking the course and the practice all in a single day.

In any case, attendance is mandatory. It is not possible to obtain the Online Navigation License with a distance course.

In Sailwiz you can find the prices and dates of courses to obtain your license available in all these locations :

• Andalusia, in the provinces of Huelva , Cádiz , Málaga , Granada andSeville
• Asturias (Gijon)
• Balearic Islands in Mallorca and Ibiza
• Canary Islands ( Tenerife )
• Cantabria (Santander and Laredo)
• Madrid and surroundings (Madrid and Guadalajara)
• Barcelona (Barcelona, Badalona, Castelldefels)
• Valencia
• Extremadura (Badajoz)
• A Coruna
• Murcia (La Manga and Los Alcazares)
• Castellon
• Alicante (Alicante, Altea, Santa Pola)
• Almeria (Almerimar)
• Pontevedra (Vigo)
• Guipuzcoa (San Sebastian, Getaria and Pasaia)
• Biscay (Getxo)

Is the Navigation License the same as the titulin?

For many years, the Federative Authorization issued by the sailing or motorboat federations had been known as a titulin. In 2015, the Navigation License appeared to replace this authorization and, in addition to the federations, the nautical schools could issue it. With the change the attributions of the Navigation License with respect to the old norm were extended. The most important thing is that the length allowed to 6 meters was extended and the maximum power restriction that was allowed to be removed was eliminated.

The term "titulín" is a colloquial denomination to refer to the old federal authorizations and that now is still used to refer to the current Navigation License.

Sometimes the title or Navigation License is confused with the title of Basic Navigation Pattern. (GNP) The latter is a nautical title with attributions and higher requirements.

2.- How much does the title or Navigation License cost?

The prices of the courses to obtain the Navigation License are very variable, depending on the place, the season of the year and the number of students who will go on board the ship. In most cases, they usually move in a price range between 100 and 200 euros .

If you want to get more out of what you pay for your Navigation License remember to make your reservation through Sailwiz as you will receive a 50% refund in miles that you can redeem in plans to navigate.



It is important to keep in mind that in the cheapest courses we can meet many more students on the boat, so you probably cannot practice the maneuvers for a long time and spend more time watching others do what you do.

If you want to learn how to take the boat and do more maneuvering, you should make sure the ratio of students per boat and if necessary, it is worth paying a little more. It is also possible to contact to request a private course with an instructor if we want to be doing the maneuvers all the time.

3.- Can I take boats of any power with the titulin? And jet skis?

With the Navigation License you can take boats of any power , as long as the boat allows. In the past, the regulations limited the power for the titulin, but currently this limitation no longer exists. On the other hand, with the Navigation License it is possible to carry any type of water engine .

4.- Do I validate something of the title to obtain the title of Basic Navigation Pattern (GNP) or Recreational Vessel Pattern (PER)

There is no validation of the agenda or practices to obtain the title of Basic Navigation Pattern (GNP) or Recreational Boat Pattern (PER). If you are thinking of obtaining any of these two titles, it may be worth it to opt for obtaining them directly, unless you want to have something fast now. If you are going to consider obtaining a nautical degree other than the Navigation License, you can read the Nautical Titles Guide to be a boat owner in Spain.

Nautical qualifications do require passing an exam and you usually have to spend between one or two months to prepare the exam, do navigation and radiocommunication practices. If you don't want to get so complicated, start with the Navigation License.

5.- Can I navigate with the titulin outside of Spain?

There is no international legislation that guarantees this. There are countries in which no title is required and others in which. For these cases it is best to contact a boat rental company in the country that we want to navigate to inform us if they accept that we navigate with the Navigation License. The license is written in Spanish and English. In practice there are usually no problems for use in countries around us.

6.- And can I really learn in 6 hours to take a boat?

To answer this question there are two fundamental things that you should look at before booking your course. The first is the number of places offered, that is, how many students will go on board ... in a course with 10 students you will practice half the time than in a course with 5 students. The second is the boat that will be used in the course, there are schools that do sailing license courses on sailboats of 12 or 14 meters, this is legal but impractical, because you will practice maneuvers on a boat that has little to do with that you can take Ideally, you learn maneuvers on a ship similar to those that you can navigate with your license.

There are worse cases, in which the students go tight in a small inflatable boat or in boats of trip with some banks in which the students are seated and do not perform any exercise. The ideal navigation license course to learn should be in a boat of approximately six meters and preferably with no more than 6 students to perform all practical maneuvers each assistant . And make sure you can do your maneuvers, there are charter companies, approved as a school, that do not let students take the helm to avoid incidents that ruin a boat rental the next day. The best thing is a school with boats that students can touch and try to learn and perform all the exercises stipulated in the regulations governing this course, yes, always guided by a good instructor.

In any case, keep in mind that a paper that says you can take a boat does not mean that you are a safe patron. Be cautious at first, if you can navigate with other experienced patterns until you have more skill and never go sailing if the weather is not adequate. In Sailwiz you can find hundreds of plans to navigate with more experienced patterns that will be happy to teach you. To sail you learn by browsing.

7.- I can work with the Navigation License

No, the Navigation License does not qualify for any professional work , its use is exclusively recreational. Although some professional groups, such as firefighters, security forces, medical services or others who can work in aquatic environments, take this course to improve their skills in case they need to practice their profession on board a ship.

If in your case you are looking for a degree to work as a skipper, you will surely be interested in seeking information about the Professional Recreational Vessel Pattern (PPER) or about the professional qualifications for the titles of Recreational Vessel Patron, Yacht Patron and Captain of Yacht

8.- Does the Navigation License expire? How long do I have to wait to have it since I take the course?

The Navigation License does not expire, once it is issued it must not be renewed .

In order to obtain the license it is also necessary to obtain a psychotechnical certificate and deliver it to the school, it is similar to that obtained for the driving license of cars or weapons. Normally, they give you the license two or three days after finishing the course. Some schools deliver it the same day, at the end of the course, although for this you must have delivered all the documentation before (Psychotechnical certificate, photocopy of the DNI and the corresponding payment).

9.- If I lose the paper of my Navigation License, how can I obtain a duplicate?

You can request it at the nautical school that issued it or at the competent administration in your autonomous community.

10.- How can I know that the nautical school is approved and the Navigation License they will give me is legal?

Unfortunately, in the nautical sector in Spain there is a very extensive history of cases of falsifications of nautical titles or fraud in the realization of courses.

There are many incidents in the realization of these courses that can lead to the cancellation of the License, even months or years after you get it ... These cancellations may be because the school was not approved, the instructor did not have the title adequate, the boat did not have the necessary permits and equipment, or that the school failed to comply with matters such as the number of hours of the course, navigation or notifications of students in time.

In Sailwiz we supervise that all nautical schools comply with the regulations strictly . We make it easy for users to publish ratings of all the schools that offer their courses and as soon as we detect any action that does not comply with current regulations, we contact the school to solve the situation, withdrawing the offer of this school if it is not corrected immediately .

Also in Sailwiz you have the best price guaranteed . Nautical schools are obliged to offer their cheapest rate in Sailwiz to be able to publish their offers. And we will refund 50% of what you pay in miles that you can use when booking other plans to navigate!