Do I need an ICC?

It depends, and the honest answer is that you should ask the charter company before you spend money on obtaining one.

The International Certificate of Competence is a document recognised by a number of countries, mainly in Europe and around the Mediterranean, as evidence that the holder is competent to operate a pleasure craft. Several European inland and coastal jurisdictions genuinely require it, and a charter company operating there will refuse a booking without one.

It is not a global boat licence. It is not required to charter in Australia, and it is not required in many popular destinations. Eligibility rules also apply — the ICC is issued through particular routes and to particular categories of applicant, and holding a sailing qualification does not automatically entitle you to one.

The practical sequence is: pick the destination, ask the charter company exactly what they require, and only then decide whether an ICC is part of your training plan. Chartering companies frequently assess your logged experience alongside any certificate, and a thin logbook can matter more than a missing ICC.