Yacht rental

Montenegro has 293 km of coastline, and its best-known stretch — the Bay of Kotor — cuts almost 30 km inland, which keeps the water calm even when the open Adriatic is not. Distances are short: it is under 40 nautical miles by sea from Herceg Novi to Bar. That is why Montenegro works so well for a yacht charter — in a single day you can see what would take a week of passage-making elsewhere.

We help you charter a yacht for a few hours, a day or a week, choose the right boat for the job and deal with the paperwork. We also work with yacht owners who would rather have their boat earning than sitting at a berth. Below is what most people only find out once they arrive: which licences you need, what a vignette is, what actually drives the price and which rules apply on the water.

Three charter formats — decide this before looking at boats

This is the first decision, and it determines both the price and the paperwork.

• Skippered — the option for most guests. A half-day or full-day cruise, a group of 4 to 12. All you need is a passport: a professional handles the boat.
• Bareboat — for those who sail or helm themselves. A valid certificate of competence is required and, as a rule, a VHF radio operator's certificate.
• Crewed — for longer charters and larger yachts from 20 metres. Captain, deckhand, often a chef and a steward on board. Nothing is required from you.

A practical note: if the Bay of Kotor is new to you, take a skipper even if you hold a licence. The bay is full of fishing gear, the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry crosses the fairway, and the narrows carry strict speed limits. A local skipper knows where to anchor without getting in the way or attracting a warning.

Which licences you need — and when you do not

You may operate a vessel in Montenegro from the age of 16 and only with a licence. With a skipper or full crew the question does not arise at all — responsibility sits with the professional.

For bareboat charter, operators accept internationally recognised certificates:

• ICC (International Certificate of Competence) — the most common option in Europe;
• RYA Day Skipper — the British practical certificate;
• IYT International Bareboat Skipper;
• RYA Yachtmaster — for larger vessels and demanding passages.

A VHF radio operator's certificate is required on top of this in almost every case. Both must be carried as originals: a photo on a phone is accepted neither by the charter company nor by a harbour master's inspection.

Some categories — small boats with low-powered engines and electric boats — are in certain cases chartered without a licence. Conditions differ from company to company, so send your documents for checking before you pay the booking.

Where to get a boat licence in Montenegro

The local licence is issued by the harbour master, but the exam is oral and held in Montenegrin. For a visitor that route is effectively closed — it cannot be done within a holiday.

The workable option is an international course on the coast. Porto Montenegro Yacht Club in Tivat runs an RYA-certified training centre. Indicative terms:

• RYA Powerboat Level 1 — from age 8, one day, around €225. An introductory level; it does not authorise independent command;
• RYA Powerboat Level 2 — from age 12, two days, around €450. Allows you to skipper a powerboat up to 10 m in daylight;
• Personal watercraft (PWC) course — from age 12, one day, around €350.

Prices and schedules change and should be confirmed before you travel. If you plan to helm yourself for more than one season, it is worth obtaining an ICC at home — it is recognised more widely and issued faster.

What drives the price

There is no single price for "yacht charter in Montenegro": the spread between a boat for four and a crewed yacht is tenfold. The rate depends on:

• type and length — motorboat, powerboat, sailing yacht, catamaran, luxury motor yacht;
• build year and condition — a newer boat of the same size costs noticeably more;
• season — the gap between June and August on the same vessel reaches 40–50%;
• skippered or bareboat — the skipper is paid per day and is not part of the base rate;
• duration — a weekly charter always works out cheaper per day than a daily one.

Orders of magnitude on the Montenegrin market, for orientation:

• motorboat 6–8 m for a group of up to eight, per day — from a few hundred euros;
• powerboat or motor yacht 10–15 m with a skipper, per day — from around a thousand euros;
• sailing yacht or catamaran, per week — from a few thousand euros;
• crewed motor yacht, per week — quoted individually.

The exact rate for a specific boat and dates is quoted on request — it depends on fleet availability and shifts through the season.

What is included and what is paid separately

The base rate normally covers the vessel with its standard equipment, bed linen, galley crockery and any obligatory crew members.

Paid separately:

• fuel, by actual consumption;
• marina fees along the route;
• final cleaning;
• skipper and additional crew;
• food on board and provisioning, including meals for the skipper on multi-day charters;
• tender outboard, water toys, paddleboards, snorkelling gear — where these are options;
• the security deposit.

About the deposit. It is blocked on a card and released when the boat is returned undamaged. On smaller boats it runs to roughly €1,500–2,000; on larger yachts it is considerably higher. A deposit is not insurance: it covers the excess and minor damage. Many operators let you buy the deposit down for a separate fee.

Documents and formalities

The vignette. Every foreign-flagged vessel must hold a vignette — a permit to navigate in Montenegrin waters. It is issued by harbour master offices for periods from one day to a year; the fee depends on length, type (sail or motor) and status (private or commercial), with commercial vessels paying considerably more. It must be displayed so that it is visible from outside. If you charter from a local company the vignette is already in place — the question only arises when you arrive on your own boat.

Ports of entry. Clearance in and out is handled at Zelenika, Tivat, Kotor, Budva and Bar. Kotor, Tivat and Bar operate around the clock; the others during working hours. Notice of arrival is normally given 24 hours ahead.

Documents on board: ship's papers and certificate of seaworthiness, third-party liability insurance, a crew list of crew and guests matching their passports, and the originals of the skipper's certificate of competence and VHF licence. The number of people on board may not exceed what the papers state.

Visas. Chartering a yacht confers no right of entry — the general visa regime applies. From 1 November 2026 a visa requirement is being introduced for nationals of several countries, including Russia and Belarus; we covered the detail in our article on entry rules for Montenegro. If you are planning a charter for next season, check your entry documents early.

Rules on the water worth knowing in advance

• Speed. No more than 10 knots in the Bay of Kotor. No more than 6 knots in the Verige and Kumbor narrows, and this is enforced strictly;
• Swimming zones. Entering buoyed swimming areas is prohibited. This is the single most common offence among bareboat charterers;
• Discharge. Black water, bilge water and rubbish may not be discharged in marinas or coastal waters. Marine pollution is a criminal offence, not a fine;
• Anchorages. Permitted anchorages change — individual ones are cancelled by notices to mariners. Check current information before departure rather than relying on last year's track;
• Alcohol. The same principles apply at the helm as behind the wheel of a car.