Yacht Crew Visa to work in the Meditereanean
First of all there is no “Visa for Yacht Crew”. To work on board, the yacht agent /management company will stamp you on board and you will be part of the crew. The only thing you need to consider is if you are allowed to be/travel in the Europe zone. You do not need a Visa if:
1. You have a EU-passport
2. You have a Passport with a Schengen exemption 90 days in 180 days. Passports include United States, UK, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and many other countries on the Schengen List.
The way it works is. You enter Europe Schengen with your passport. Once employed we stamp you on board and your Schengen days stop counting. The day you disembark or finish your contract you will be stamped back out from the Yacht in to Europe and you are officially in Europe again.
Yacht Crew Visas to work on yachts in Europe is quite straightforward. As mentioned above you do not need a Visa to work on board the Yacht, but you do need a visa to join in the area where the Yacht is located. In most cases, those new to the yachting industry that have done the yacht crew training gets their first yacht job fast by looking to applying online to by travel to either Palma de Mallorca, Antibes or Monaco. In these locations you will find less competition for the jobs, in particular for daywork.
Example 1:
- The Yacht is located in France, Europe
- The Crew member is from EU and has an EU-passport
What visas do I need to work on Yachts in Europe ?
This Crew member does not need any visa. You travel to the yacht with an EU-passport and then become part of the crew on board and signed on to the crew list. You have the right to be in EU and you have the right to be on board the Yacht.What visa do I need to work on a Yacht in Europe?
Example 2:
- The Yacht is located in France, Europe
- The Crew member is from (United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, New Zeeland, United States, Canada, not from EU, but has a Schengen exemption (90 days)
What visa do I need to work on a Yacht in Europe? Yacht Crew visas to work on yachts in Europe are just like a tourist visa or a exemption entry. You are free to enter EU for 90 days on a Schengen Exemption visa. If you travel in Europe for 87 days and then get employed by the Yacht, the yacht agent and company will sign you on board and you will get stamped out from EU where the yacht currently is located.This means your days stop counting at 87 and you can remain in EU while employed on the Yacht for months/years or for the duration of your contract.
You do not need a Visa.
Yacht Crew Visas
Example 3:
- The Yacht is located in France, Europe
- The Crew member is from (Thailand, Philippines, Mexico, and you do not have a Schengen exemption on arrival to Europe.
What visa do I need to work on a Yacht in Europe ? In this case you need to apply or hold a Schengen Visa for Tourism or visiting purposes. This is just so that you can fly and enter Europe in order to join the Yacht or find work on board. Once you get employed by the Yacht you will be stamped out from Europe and stamped on board the yacht as yacht Crew.
In order to answers the question:What visa do I need to work on a Yacht in Europe?
You need a Schengen visa to enter Europe, or sail to Europe but you do not need a work visa to work on board the yacht. When you do the Yachtiecareers Yacht Crew training we can help you with the Schengen Visa application if necessary,
Do I need a Schengen Visa to work on Yachts ?
Yacht Crew Visas – To work on Yachts in Europe – Crew from the following countries or regions do not need to apply for a Schengen visa to work on yachts in Europe and the Mediterranean:
- All EU- Member states
- All countries that allow Schengen Exemptions for 90 days such as:
- Other countries in Europe
- Australia
- Brazil
- Argentina
- United States
- Canada
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
- And many others
What visa do I need to work on a Yacht in Europe? If you are from another country or region you will need to apply for a normal Schengen Visa tourist/visitor in order to travel to Europe and join the Yacht, or if already having a contract the company can apply for a transit visa in order to join the Yacht.
Yacht Crew Visa required on Yacht in Europe to work in United States
A Yacht Crew Visa, also known as a B1/B2 visa, is required for non-U.S. citizens who wish to work on a superyacht that will be traveling to or within the United States. Canada Passport and US Passport holders do not need a B1/B2.
Yacht Crew Visa on Yachts going to Caribbean
A Yacht Crew Visa, also known as a B1/B2 visa, is required for non-U.S. citizens who wish to work on a Superyacht that will be traveling to or within the United States and Caribbean (Not legally, but required sometimes by the Yacht). Canada Passport and US Passport holders do not need a B1/B2.
Schengen Visa to work on yachts
For Crew that needs to work on Europe it can be more straight forward to get the right visa for yacht crew. If you are a non EU Yacht crew, you can get a Schengen Visa for yacht crew on arrival for 90 days. Once you start working on a yacht we use our Yacht agent to sign you on to the Yacht and out of Europe, that means your Schengen Visa will not keep running !
To work in Europe as Yacht crew for the Med-season you need:
- Valid passport:
- Seaman’s book (Big Bonus) Apply free here
- 90 days allowance: per any 180 days running period.
- Prior stamp request in ports: Most immigration offices can stamp with 24h notice or even less. Some immigration points will ask for 5 workdays notice which is the maximum legal notice time.
What visa do I need to work on a Yacht in Europe? – Conclusion
To work on Yachts with most passports you do not need to apply for a separate yacht crew visas for work. But it is important that your passport is valid for 6 months and that you have all necessary yacht crew certificates, at least when applying for junior crew yacht jobs.
The Full Document Checklist — What You Actually Need Before You Start
I’ve signed on hundreds of crew members over the years. The ones who show up prepared — with the right paperwork
ready — get hired fast. The ones who arrive at the dock missing a document wait weeks while their opportunity sails
away. Literally.
The visa question is actually the simple part. Here’s the full picture of what you need before you can legally step
on board.
1. Valid Passport — At Least 6 Months Validity
Non-negotiable. Your passport must have at least 6 months validity from your joining date. Don’t assume you can sort
this last minute — passport renewal times vary significantly by country and can take 4–8 weeks. Check this first,
before anything else.
2. Seaman’s Discharge Book (Seafarer’s Record Book)
This is the document most new crew don’t know about until a captain asks for it — and then panic.
A Seaman’s Discharge Book is your official sea service record. Every time you complete a contract, the captain signs
it to confirm your time on board. It’s how you prove sea time to future captains and agencies. Without it, your first
contract technically didn’t happen on paper.
The most common one used in the superyacht industry is the Seafarer’s Discharge Book
— because many superyachts are flagged in the Cayman Islands.
How to get a Seaman’s Book:
- Can be applied for online or through an approved agent like Yachtiecareers.
- We help our students get this sorted during training week in Split
Other common flag states include the Marshall Islands, Malta, and the Isle of Man — each has its own discharge book.
Your captain will tell you which one the yacht requires.
3. STCW Basic Safety Training Certificate
The foundation. No yacht, no captain, no crew agency will consider you without it. STCW covers firefighting, first
aid, survival at sea, and personal safety — 5 days, valid globally for 5 years.
If you don’t have this yet, everything else on this list is premature. Full STCW guide here.
4. ENG1 Medical Certificate
Required by most MCA-regulated yachts. Must be issued by an approved MCA doctor. Valid for 2 years. Book this early —
appointments in popular locations fill up fast before season.
5. Visa — Depends on Where the Yacht Operates
- Mediterranean (Europe): Most crew from Schengen-exempt countries (UK, Australia, USA, Canada,
NZ) need no visa. You work on a foreign-flagged vessel under maritime law, entering ports on your passport with a
crew list. - US waters (Florida, Caribbean): B1/B2 visa required for all non-US crew joining or leaving
vessels in American ports. Apply at least 8–12 weeks before you need it. - Caribbean (non-US): Generally no special visa required for most nationalities on
foreign-flagged yachts.
How to Actually Start Working on Yachts in Europe
I get asked this constantly by people who’ve done their research on visas but still don’t know the actual steps.
Here’s the honest process:
- Get STCW — without this nothing else matters
- Get your Seaman’s Discharge Book — Cayman Islands if unsure which flag state
- Get ENG1 medical — book it while doing STCW to save time
- Build your yacht CV — one page, photo, STCW listed
- Register with crew agencies — in person in Palma or Antibes, not just online
- Dockwalk — show up at the marina with your CV printed, talk to captains directly
The visa sorts itself once you have a contract — your captain or yacht agent handles the crew list entry at every
port. You don’t manage this yourself.
The document that catches new crew off guard every time is the Seaman’s Discharge Book. Get it before you fly out.
Ready to get certified?
Written by Drazen — Chief Officer, 10 years on 100m superyachts. Questions about documents or which training is right for you? Message us directly — we respond as soon as possible to help you on board.
