Getting the Spanish PER (Patrón de Embarcaciones de Recreo) costs roughly €750 to €1,150 all in: €595 to €1,030 for a course with the compulsory practicals, about €90 in fees for the exam and the licence, and €25 to €30 for the medical. To skipper sailing yachts and boats up to 24 m, the sailing and extension practicals add about €500 to €600. The smaller PNB costs about €450 to €650 in total, and the navigation licence, which has no exam, €99 to €172.
These are VAT-inclusive prices published for 2026 by nautical schools in Mallorca, Valencia, Madrid and Andalusia, plus the official Balearic fees. Other regions charge similar fees: €60 to €65 for the exam and €30 to €37 for the licence.
PER prices in 2026: summary
The table above separates what you pay the school from what you pay the regional government. To read it:
- The full course is what schools advertise. It usually covers the theory and the compulsory safety, navigation and radio practicals, but not the fees or the medical.
- The fees go to the regional government: one to sit the exam and another to issue the licence once you pass.
- The sailing and extension practicals are optional. You only need them to skipper sailing yachts or boats over 15 m, or to cross between the mainland and the Balearics.
Some real examples:
- In Playa de Palma, a school advertises the PER with compulsory practicals from €595, with classroom or online classes from May to July. Exam, materials and licence are extra.
- A Mallorca academy lists its PER course from €650. On the same island, the PER with sailing practicals is advertised from €820, and with the extension to 24 m and the Balearics from €1,030.
- In Madrid, the full PER with every practical, compulsory and optional, is advertised from €1,030, with 48 hours of sailing and extension practicals on a passage.
- In Valencia you can book the compulsory navigation practicals alone from €180, if you prepare the theory yourself.
What the PER price includes
Theory course
It prepares you for the multiple-choice exam: boat terminology, safety, regulations, buoyage, weather, navigation and chart work. It can be in a classroom, with weekly classes over two or three months, or online. Online is much cheaper, around €150, but takes discipline. Note that the exam is in Spanish in most regions.
Safety and navigation practicals
These are 16 compulsory hours aboard a school boat with an instructor: harbour manoeuvres, anchoring, man overboard and navigation. Without them the licence won't be issued, even if you pass the exam.
Radio course
12 hours for the short-range radio operator certificate, also compulsory. Many schools teach it over a weekend and include it in the full course price.
Fees and medical
The exam fee is paid before each sitting. In the Balearics it is paid with form 046 from the Balearic tax agency. Paying the fee doesn't register you: you must also file the application within the deadline. The medical is done at any driving-licence medical centre.
PER, PNB or navigation licence: which one you need
| Licence | Typical total cost | Max length | Distance offshore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navigation licence | €99 – 172 | 6 m (and jet skis) | 2 miles, daylight only |
| PNB | €450 – 650 | 8 m | 5 miles from a port or shelter |
| PER | €750 – 1,150 | 15 m | 12 miles from the coast |
| PER with extension | €1,250 – 1,700 | 24 m | Also between the mainland and the Balearics |
- The navigation licence is enough to rent a motorboat or jet ski on holiday. There's no exam: the 6-hour course is all you need.
- The PNB falls short as soon as you want to go a bit further or rent a boat over 8 m.
- The PER is the licence most people get. For a normal leisure boat in the Mediterranean, it covers what you'll actually do.
You'll find what each licence allows in our guide to boating regulations in Spain.
Real example: full PER in Mallorca
Say you take the PER in Mallorca with a classroom course and want to be able to skipper sailing yachts:
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| PER course with compulsory practicals and radio | €600 – 700 |
| Sailing practicals | €275 |
| Exam fee | €60.31 |
| Licence issue fee | €30.17 |
| Medical certificate | €25 – 30 |
| Book and materials | €30 – 50 |
| Total | €1,020 – 1,135 |
Add about €300 for the extension to 24 m and crossings to the mainland. If you fail the exam, each new sitting costs another exam fee.
How to save without cutting corners
- Study the theory online and pay a school only for the practicals. It's the cheapest route if you're disciplined.
- Compare what each price includes. A €595 course without fees, medical or book can end up dearer than a €700 one that includes nearly everything.
- Do the sailing and extension practicals together with the compulsory ones if you know you'll need them. Many schools combine them in one passage.
- Check the exam calendar before enrolling, so you don't pay for months of classes and miss a sitting by a week.
How to choose a nautical school
Ask before you enrol:
- What does the price include: fees, medical, book, radio, practicals?
- How many students per boat during the practicals?
- What share of students pass first time?
- Do you teach in English, or help foreign students with the Spanish exam?
- Do you run the sailing and extension practicals yourselves or with another school?
On Nautify you can find nautical schools in Mallorca, Barcelona, Alicante and other areas, and contact them directly.
Conclusion
The PER costs €750 to €1,150 in total, and about €500 to €600 more with the sailing and extension practicals. What really varies between schools isn't the fee, which is fixed, but what the course includes and how many real hours at sea you get. If you only want to rent a motorboat on holiday, the navigation licence or a licence-free boat is enough. If you live in Spain and plan to own or rent a proper boat, the PER is the best investment.
