Sailseer

Germany: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors

1,344 harbours · 1,999 bridges and locks · 58 inland lakes

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Germany: 1,344 harbours, 1,999 bridges and locks, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.

Formalities

EU memberSchengen AreaEU customs unionCurrency: Euro

Clearing in: No clearance within the Schengen area. Coming from a country outside the EU (including Norway), customs declaration at the first German port.

Documents: Sportbootführerschein See (recreational craft licence) from 15 hp (11.03 kW) engine power, SRC radio certificate for the radio, boat papers, third-party insurance (required in many harbours).

Fees: Harbour dues per night and boat length, in municipal harbours often at a ticket machine. The Kiel Canal charges a transit fee for pleasure craft.

Fairway: Seeschifffahrtsstraßen-Ordnung (German sea waterways regulations): pleasure craft keep outside the fairway where possible and do not impede commercial shipping. On the Elbe, Weser, Jade and Ems large vessels have right of way; in the Kiel Canal locks are operated and reporting by VHF is mandatory.

Inland waters: Sportbootführerschein Binnen (inland licence) from 11.03 kW (15 hp) combustion engine, valid for boats under 20 m; from 20 to 25 m the Sportschifferzeugnis. Under sail it is mandatory on the federal waterways in Berlin from 6 m² sail area (except Zeuthener See and Dämeritzsee). Radio on inland waters only with ATIS and the UBI certificate. Lake Constance has its own regulations (BSO): Lake Constance skipper's licence from 4.4 kW or 12 m² sail area, foreign licences and the ICC are valid with a certificate (holiday licence) for 30 days per calendar year; boats with an engine or with living, cooking or sanitary facilities need a Lake Constance registration (engines to emission stage BSO 2). Strong wind warning 40, gale warning 90 flashes per minute; no formalities between the shore states unless carrying dutiable goods. A cleaning obligation against the quagga mussel is being prepared for Lake Constance.

Nature: Wadden Sea National Park with navigation rules: zone I usually closed, seal and bird sanctuaries are marked on the chart and partly closed seasonally. In the Baltic, protected areas apply in the Bodden lagoons and around Fehmarn.

Emergency: 112; MRCC Bremen (DGzRS), VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Sources: ELWIS, notices and regulations, BSH, nautical information, Wadden Sea National Park, navigation rules, ELWIS: pleasure craft licences, Landratsamt Bodenseekreis: navigation law on Lake Constance (as of September 2025) (as of 2026-10-20)

Harbours by cruising area

Bay of Kiel

Bay of Lübeck

Bay of Mecklenburg

Darß and Fischland

Dithmarschen

East Frisian coast

East Frisian Islands

Eckernförde Bay

Elbe

Elbe and Elbe estuary

Ems and Dollart

Ems and East Frisia

Fehmarn

Flensburg Fjord

Greifswald Bodden

Heligoland

Jade

Jade and East Frisian Islands

Kiel Canal

Kiel Fjord

North Frisia and the Halligen

North Frisian coast

North Frisian Islands

Rügen

Schlei

Usedom and Szczecin Lagoon

Weser

Inland lakes

Bridges and locks

Locks

Movable bridges

Fixed bridges (1631)

Frequently asked questions

Germany: Do I need to clear in?

No clearance within the Schengen area. Coming from a country outside the EU (including Norway), customs declaration at the first German port.

Germany: Which documents do I need on board?

Sportbootführerschein See (recreational craft licence) from 15 hp (11.03 kW) engine power, SRC radio certificate for the radio, boat papers, third-party insurance (required in many harbours).

Germany: What fees apply?

Harbour dues per night and boat length, in municipal harbours often at a ticket machine. The Kiel Canal charges a transit fee for pleasure craft.

Germany: What is the emergency number at sea?

112; MRCC Bremen (DGzRS), VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Germany: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?

Sailseer covers 1,344 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning. Plus 1,999 bridges and locks with opening times and clearances.