If you are taking a New Zealand-registered yacht offshore, an International Voyage Certificate (IVC) is not optional. It is a regulatory gatekeeper that determines whether your vessel may legally depart New Zealand waters for an international passage.
This applies equally to private owners, buyers post-purchase, and yachts departing NZ under delivery.
An IVC is issued by Maritime New Zealand. It certifies that:
The vessel is seaworthy for the intended offshore voyage
The safety equipment meets MNZ offshore requirements
The skipper and crew meet minimum competency and training thresholds
It is not a courtesy document. Border agencies, insurers, and foreign ports assume compliance. Departing without one exposes the owner and skipper to enforcement action and insurance problems.
You need an IVC if all three apply:
The yacht is NZ-registered
The voyage is international
The vessel is departing NZ under its own power
There are no practical loopholes. If the yacht is NZ-flagged and sailing offshore, an IVC is the default assumption.
MNZ focuses heavily on people, not just boats.
The skipper must demonstrate offshore competence, typically via:
RYA or IYT Ocean Yachtmaster, or
Documented offshore experience acceptable to MNZ
Experience claims without structure or evidence are routinely challenged.
Minimum expectations include:
At least one additional crew member with relevant offshore or coastal experience
Advanced Sea Survival: minimum 2 crew or 30% of crew (whichever is greater)
Marine First Aid: same numerical threshold as sea survival
Pre-departure drills completed and documented (MOB, fire, abandon ship, flooding)
These are not box-ticking exercises. Assessors do verify competence.
MNZ’s focus is whether the boat is appropriate for the intended voyage, not whether it is generally “well kept”.
Expect scrutiny of:
Hull, steering, propulsion, and rig integrity
Redundancy in navigation and communications
Liferaft, EPIRB, PLBs, flares, storm gear
Bilge pumping capacity and emergency systems
A coastal-equipped yacht will not pass by optimism alone.
Application lodged with MNZ
Vessel Adequacy Assessment conducted by an approved assessor
Crew drills completed and signed off
IVC issued once all deficiencies are rectified
Timelines vary. Delays are common if the boat or crew are marginal.
For owners planning:
Immediate offshore departure
Delivery to another country
Sale outside New Zealand
…the IVC process can become a non-trivial constraint. It adds:
Inspection delays
Training requirements
Equipment upgrades
Administrative friction
This is why experienced operators often consider alternatives.
In many cases, re-registering the vessel under a non-NZ flag is simpler and faster than obtaining an IVC.
Key points:
A non-NZ-registered yacht does not require an IVC to depart NZ
Flag selection depends on ownership structure, insurance, and future cruising plans
This is common for yachts being delivered offshore or sold internationally
Re-registration is not a loophole—it is a lawful change of jurisdiction. It must be done correctly to avoid insurance or customs issues.
Whether proceeding via:
Full IVC compliance, or
Re-registration and offshore delivery
the process benefits from operators who deal with MNZ, assessors, and offshore passages routinely.
Yacht Delivery Solutions works with NZ-registered and foreign-flagged yachts departing New Zealand for Australia, the South Pacific, and Asia. Our role is operational, not aspirational:
Pre-departure readiness
Regulatory pathway selection (IVC vs re-flag)
Conservative weather and routing decisions
Professional offshore execution
IVCs are mandatory for NZ-registered yachts sailing offshore
The process is predictable but not lightweight
For many owners, re-registration is the cleaner solution
Either path requires correct sequencing and professional handling
If you are planning to move a yacht out of New Zealand, the wrong assumption at the start can cost weeks—or more.
If you need clarity on which path applies to your vessel and timeline, address it before committing to departure dates.
