More than 71,000 Boat Operators Registered in the Czech Republic – Interest in Offshore Sailing Also Growing

More and more people in the Czech Republic are becoming interested in leisure boating and water sports. According to current figures, more than 71,000 people now hold a licence for small watercraft. Interest in offshore sailing is also continuing to grow.

With the arrival of the warmer months, interest in boat and yacht licences traditionally increases as well. According to the Czech Ministry of Transport, a total of 71,230 licences for small watercraft were registered by the end of 2025. In addition, 11,235 authorisations for operating offshore yachts have so far been issued.

“Interest in recreational boating regularly increases ahead of the summer season. That is why we want to make the process of obtaining the necessary documents as simple as possible,” said Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik. In particular, the option of registering electronically for examinations is reportedly being used extensively.

The State Navigation Administration (SPS) has scheduled a total of 102 examination days for 2026, including 52 dates in Prague, 23 in Děčín and 27 in Přerov. Since the beginning of the year until mid-May alone, 713 new boating licences had already been issued. At the same time, more than 1,200 applicants were registered.

Depending on the type of watercraft and the area of operation, different licence categories exist in the Czech Republic. For motorboats, for example, there are the M20 and M classes, while sailing boats fall under the S20 and S categories. Anyone wishing to sail at sea also requires an additional coastal navigation extension.

The most popular category for offshore yachts remains Category C. It permits voyages with yachts up to 16 metres in length close to the coast and up to a maximum distance of 20 nautical miles from shore. The extended B and A categories, which allow for greater distances and worldwide voyages respectively, are issued far less frequently.

The number of registered watercraft is also continuing to grow. By the end of 2025, a total of 22,962 small watercraft were registered in the Czech Republic – around 50 per cent more than ten years ago. The largest share consists of motorboats up to seven metres in length.