Cruising down the Danube? Find out what documentation could affect your boat
Slovakia – Documents for the Danube
Last October we were re-entering the EU at the Serbian / Hungarian border on our Irish flagged boat Aquarelle.
In
spite of our careful checking of regulations beforehand, we found that
the Hungarian river police would not accept our Irish Documentation as
the certificate of registry did not have a “valid until” date.
As
a result, we made a point of visiting the national offices that deal
with regulations to find out what was necessary in each country
Please note that this is not the official position, but my interpretation having asked questions of the water police.
Boat documentation requirements Slovakia
If the boat is less than 6.20m long and the engine power is less than 4kW or 5.5HP or 12 square meters sail area no documentation is required.
Any boat between 6.20m and 24m and having 12 or less persons on board requires the following documentation:
- ICC – International Certificate of Competence for the skipper, or equivalent issued by a government approved agency or association.
- Registration document issued by a National Authority or an association approved by the government.
- Inspection Certificate (Note: An Inspection Certificate is acceptable if it is issued by a
government agency or by a classified society. The inspection certificate
must be no more than 5 years old) - Insurance is mandatory.
VHF radio:
- It is required to have a VHF radio with ATIS enabled.
- It is required to have a VHF Operator’s Certificate and VHF licence for the boat.
Boats over 20m will be required to have TRIWV
There is no time limit on the period that a visiting boat may stay in Slovakia.
There are no additional documents required for non-EU boats.
There is no official position regarding the wearing of life jackets. However life jackets must be available for all on board and have 2 spare as per SOLAS
If red diesel is used for heating or power generation, be aware that it is not possible to purchase it in Slovakia.
The agency responsible for Inland Waterways is:
Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications of the Slovak Republic.
Department of Water Transport
Námestie slobody 6
P.O. BOX 100
810 05 Bratislava 15
Slovakia