Boat insurance in Greece:
what the law says for yachts, speedboats and jet skis.

Updated 26 October 2026Reading time 10 minBy Leadinsure, registered insurance agent (no. ΧΑΝ/395) · How we are paid

Yes: in Greece, every yacht over 7 metres and every boat that counts as a speedboat must have third-party liability insurance. The law is ν. 4926/2022 (ΦΕΚ Α' 82/20.04.2022), art. 17 and 74. It covers every pleasure craft over 7 metres in overall length, sail or motor, and smaller boats that count as speedboats under Port Regulation 20: an outboard engine over 25 hp, an inflatable or Chris-Craft-type boat with an outboard over 10 hp, or any motorised leisure boat that can go faster than 15 knots. The minimum cover is €150,000 per person, €700,000 per event and €2,100,000 per insurance period for death or injury, plus €150,000 per event each for damage to property and for marine pollution. The cover must be in force at sea, in port and at anchor, with a certificate in Greek or English kept on board. An uninsured boat costs the owner €150 per metre of length, and it may not sail until it is insured. For privately owned jet skis the legal duty is unclear. This guide explains which craft are covered, the fines, jet skis, foreign-flag yachts and how hull cover differs from liability.

Is boat insurance mandatory in Greece?

Yes, for every pleasure craft over 7 metres and for smaller boats that count as speedboats. Two articles of ν. 4926/2022, the Greek law on pleasure craft, set the duty. Which one applies depends on the length of the boat and, for smaller boats, on the engine and the speed.

• Pleasure craft over 7 m (art. 17). The law calls them «πλοία αναψυχής» (pleasure ships): sailing or motor craft with an overall length above 7 metres, intended mainly for leisure trips, judging by its general construction (art. 1(1)(α)). Private yachts and charter yachts are both included; whether a yacht counts as private or professional is decided by the law of its flag state. The owner or operator must hold the insurance.
• Speedboats that are not pleasure craft (art. 74). Smaller boats are caught when they count as a speedboat («ταχύπλοο») under the Port Regulations, for private or professional use. The owner must insure them at the same minimums as pleasure craft.
• Boats for hire and water taxis (art. 74). Anyone who rents out small motor boats under Port Regulation 38, and the owner of a water taxi or a lighter («λάντζα»), must also insure them.

When is a small boat a "speedboat"?

Port Regulation 20 (art. 2(1)) defines a speedboat as a motorised leisure craft, private or rented, that meets any one of these tests:

• it has an outboard engine of more than 25 hp;
• it is of special construction, such as an inflatable or a Chris-Craft type, with an outboard engine of more than 10 hp;
• it can go faster than 15 knots.

So a 5 m inflatable with a 40 hp outboard needs insurance, while a small rigid rowing boat with a 6 hp outboard, which cannot reach 15 knots, does not. Length alone does not decide it below 7 m: engine and speed do.

Renting craft out to the public is different. Motor boats rented out under Port Regulation 38 fall under art. 74, and the port authority licence for renting out sea leisure craft, motorised or not, requires liability cover (Port Regulation 20, art. 22). Yachts of 300 gross tonnes or more follow a separate regime (π.δ. 6/2012), outside the scope of this guide.

What is the minimum boat insurance cover in Greece?

For a pleasure craft or a speedboat, at least €150,000 per person and €700,000 per event for death or injury, and €150,000 per event each for damage to property and for marine pollution. For boats under 300 gross tonnes, art. 17(3) of ν. 4926/2022 sets these minimum limits for third-party liability. The speedboats, rented boats and water taxis of art. 74 must meet the pleasure-craft minimums.

"Per person" is the most the policy must pay for one injured person, "per event" the most for all victims of one accident, and "per insurance period" the most for all accidents during the life of the policy. These are minimums: you can ask for higher limits, and a quote can show both.

Three rules people often miss

• Not only at sea. The cover must be in force during voyages, while the boat is berthed in a port or marina and while it is at anchor (art. 17(1); art. 74(1) for speedboats and the other small craft). A boat that stays moored or at anchor all summer still needs it.
• Proof on board. You prove the cover with one or more insurance certificates kept on board.
• Greek or English. The certificate can be in Greek or in English (art. 17(1) and 74(2)).

Uninsured boat in Greece: fines for owner and skipper

The fines are counted per metre of overall length. They are the same for pleasure craft over 7 m (art. 20(2)(θ) ν. 4926/2022) and for speedboats, rented boats and water taxis (art. 74(3)).

Example: a 9 m motor yacht found uninsured means €1,350 for the owner. If a hired skipper took it out, the skipper faces a further €900. If the owner was at the helm, the owner's €1,350 applies instead of the skipper's fine.

The sailing ban

When a pleasure craft is found without insurance, the port authority also bans it from sailing until the insurance certificate is produced (art. 20(2)(θε)). For speedboats and the other craft of art. 74, sailing without valid insurance is prohibited outright (art. 74(2)).

Jet ski insurance in Greece: is it mandatory?

You will often read that jet skis must be insured by law in Greece. For a privately owned jet ski, that is not clearly established:

• Art. 74 of ν. 4926/2022 covers speedboats "as defined in the Port Regulations".
• Port Regulation 20 defines the speedboat (art. 2(1)) and the personal watercraft or jet ski («θαλάσσιο μοτοποδήλατο», art. 2(7)) as separate categories, with separate rules for jet skis.
• Port Regulation 38 states that a jet ski is not considered a speedboat for its own purposes.

One can argue that a jet ski able to exceed 15 knots meets the speedboat speed test, but the regulations treat it as a different craft. The point is legally unresolved, and we do not present it as settled either way. If you ride your own jet ski, we strongly advise third-party liability cover anyway: a jet ski moves fast among swimmers and other boats, and without cover you would face any injury claim yourself. A marina may also ask you for proof of insurance.

Renting out jet skis

Rental is different. Under Port Regulation 20 (art. 22(4)(β)), the licence for renting out sea leisure craft, jet skis included, requires a certified copy of a third-party liability policy covering death, bodily injury and damage to property, renewed for as long as the licence runs. The minimum amounts in that regulation are old figures in drachmas, so confirm the current requirement with your local port authority before you apply.

Port Regulation 20 also sets licence rules for the people who ride jet skis and speedboats. Check them, and check what your policy says about the licence of the person at the controls.

Yacht insurance in Greek waters: foreign flags and TEPAI

Art. 17 binds "the owner or operator of a pleasure ship", with no limit on the flag. The definitions in art. 1 refer to the law of the flag state only to decide whether a yacht is private or professional. The duty applies while the boat sails, is berthed or is at anchor. As we read the law, a foreign-flag yacht over 7 m in Greek waters therefore needs cover at least at the Greek minimums, with a certificate on board. The UK's Royal Yachting Association (RYA) also tells visiting yachts to carry proof of the required cover. We found no official Greek Coast Guard guidance in English on this point.

If your yacht is insured abroad, check two things before you sail to Greece:

1. Navigation area. The waters where your policy applies must include Greece.
2. Limits on the certificate. The certificate on board should show liability limits at least equal to the Greek minimums. If it does not, ask your insurer for one that does, or for cover that meets them.

According to the RYA, boats from outside the EU also need a transit log. Entry and customs formalities are outside the scope of this guide. If in doubt, ask the port authority where you arrive.

TEPAI: the monthly fee for yachts over 7 m

TEPAI («ΤΕΠΑΗ») is not insurance, but owners often confuse the two. It is a fee due for private and professional pleasure craft and professional day-tour boats over 7 m in Greek territorial waters, regardless of flag (art. 13 ν. 4211/2013), paid online through the eTEPAI application of AADE, the Greek tax authority. AADE's TEPAI FAQ (dated 23 January 2026) gives these monthly rates:

Paying for a whole year in one go gives a 10% discount: in December for the next year, or in January for the current year. TEPAI is due only while the boat is in Greek waters, so a boat kept ashore does not pay it. For questions about TEPAI, AADE's helpline is 1521, on working days 07:00–20:00 Greek time.

Hull cover vs liability: what boat insurance covers

The compulsory cover is third-party liability. It pays other people, including those on board, for death, injury, damage to their property and pollution that you are liable for, up to the limits. It never pays to repair or replace your own boat. That is the job of hull cover (often called "hull and machinery"), which is optional.

Optional covers to ask about

• Theft of the boat, or of the outboard engine on its own. Check the conditions about locks and where the boat is kept.
• Transport and launching: damage on a trailer, at the ramp or during lifting.
• Lay-up ashore: fire, theft and weather while the boat is in a boatyard for the winter.
• Personal accident for the skipper and the people on board.
• Towing and assistance at sea.
• Legal protection for disputes after an accident or with a marina or boatyard.

Terms to check before you sign

• Navigation area: outside it you may have no cover, so declare trips to other countries.
• Insured value: whether the policy pays an agreed value or the market value at the time of the loss.
• Excess: the part of each claim you pay yourself.
• Who may skipper: the licence the person at the helm must hold, and whether friends or family may take the boat out.
• Use: a private policy is not meant for charter or rental; professional use needs its own cover.
• Age and condition: an insurer may ask for a survey report for an older boat.

Insurers word these covers differently, with their own excesses and exclusions, so compare the terms and not only the price.

How to get a boat insurance quote in Greece

Leadinsure is an insurance agency (registered insurance agent) for individuals and businesses. No office visit needed: we arrange everything by phone and online. We ask the insurance companies we work with for proposals for your boat, explain their liability limits, hull cover, excesses and exclusions side by side, and check that the certificate meets the Greek minimums. There is no obligation, and you pay us no separate fee: our commission is already included in the premium. Please send us:

• the type of boat (sailing yacht, motor boat, inflatable, jet ski), its overall length and year of build;
• the engine type and power, and the top speed if you know it;
• the flag, and where the boat is kept, afloat or ashore;
• the waters where you sail, and whether the use is private, charter or rental;
• the value of the boat and engine, if you want hull cover;
• the skipper's licence and any claims in recent years.

Arrange the cover before the boat goes in the water: the law requires it in port and at anchor too, not only at sea. Request a quote, email info@leadinsure.gr or call +30 28210 86065. We reply within 24 hours on working days. Office hours, Greek time: Monday to Friday 09:00–16:00 and 17:30–20:30, Saturday 09:00–14:00.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

The laws, decisions and official pages we checked for this guide. Many of them are in Greek.