Your passport decides more than the town
The Professional Yachting Association set out the Schengen position in August 2026. EU, EEA and Schengen nationals can dockwalk, interview, daywork and sign contracts in France or Spain with no permit. British, Australian, New Zealand, American, Canadian and Brazilian passport holders get 90 days in any 180 without a visa. That stay covers training, but the PYA says it does not cover looking for work or doing daywork.
South Africans, Filipinos, Indians and others who need a Type C Schengen visa can take short courses on it, but the PYA calls dockwalking on that visa illegal. For anyone outside the EU, the route the PYA describes is a firm offer before entry. The yacht then arranges a seaman's book entry, a maritime contract or a French Type D long-stay visa. In the US, Superyacht Content says only US citizens, green card holders and people with work authorisation may legally walk the docks.
When each port hires
YPI Crew puts the Med season at roughly May to October and says green crew should look from February to June, just before it starts. Yotspot gives March to May for Antibes. For Palma it gives February to April and again October to November. Bluewater tells new crew heading to Antibes or Palma to arrive at the end of March or in April. Superyacht Content disagrees on Antibes and calls June to August the ideal time there. The other sources all say the best chance is before guests come aboard, so treat summer as a back-up.
For the Caribbean season, YPI Crew says to look from October to December. Dockwalk adds that many yachts return to Fort Lauderdale from mid-April to mid-June for maintenance before the summer. Crew also change in late autumn, when yachts finish cruising and many people gather for the Fort Lauderdale boat show at the end of October.
What kind of yacht you will find
Yotspot describes Antibes as the centre of Mediterranean yachting, with crew houses and training schools close together. It calls Palma a year-round hub with private and charter yachts and a strong refit trade, so there is work even out of season. According to Dockwalk, yachts in Fort Lauderdale spend the winter in Antigua, St Maarten, Grenada and St Barths, then go to the north-east US or the French Riviera for the summer.
YPI Crew warns that yachts doing two seasons prefer crew who already have a season behind them. They want less training and less risk of seasickness on the crossing. Its advice to green crew who miss out in autumn is to aim for a yacht wintering in Europe. One solid season and a reference will carry you into the next spring.
A plain recommendation
If you hold an EU or EEA passport, start in Antibes or Palma, arriving late March or April. Choose Palma if you may also want refit or winter work. If you are American or hold a green card, Fort Lauderdale in October to December or April to May lets you search legally on home ground. Everyone else should train where their visa allows, then apply through agencies and online boards, and only travel to work once an offer is in writing. We found no reliable current crew house prices for any of the three ports, so we have not given any.
What you need
- B1/B2 visa for US watersYotspot says non-US crew need a B1/B2 to work on a US-flagged yacht or on any yacht entering US waters. Dockwalk notes it may be issued for five to ten years, depending on the issuing country.
- No Visa Waiver for yacht workDockwalk says entering the US under the Visa Waiver does not let you work on a yacht. Crew who find a job that way must leave and apply for a B1.
- Count your Schengen daysNautilus says visa-exempt crew get 90 days in any 180-day period, counted back from the latest arrival. Overstaying can bring deportation, a fine or a ban.
- Stamp out when you joinOnboard Online says the yacht's agent, captain or purser can stamp crew out of Schengen onto the crew list, which pauses the 90-day count while you work aboard.
- No agency feesThe PYA says agencies working in France must not charge seafarers any fee for finding work. Shipowners or managers pay.
By location
| Antibes, France | EU, EEA and Schengen nationals may job-hunt freely, according to the PYA. Visa-exempt and visa-required nationals may train here but should hold an offer before seeking work. Arrive March to May. |
|---|---|
| Palma, Mallorca | The Schengen rules are the same as in France, so the passport position matches Antibes. Yotspot says refit work keeps Palma hiring all year, with peaks from February to April and October to November. |
| Fort Lauderdale, USA | Superyacht Content says only US citizens, green card holders and people with work authorisation may legally walk the docks. Foreign crew join yachts on a B1/B2. Peak hiring runs October to December and April to May. |
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Questions people ask
Can a British or Australian newcomer dockwalk in Antibes?
The PYA says no. Visa-exempt nationals have 90 days in any 180 and can train in that time, but looking for work or doing daywork on that stay breaks Schengen rules. The PYA's route is to get a formal offer first, then enter on a seaman's book entry, a maritime contract or a Type D visa.
Do I need a B1/B2 visa to start in Fort Lauderdale?
If you are not a US citizen or green card holder, you need one to work on a yacht in US waters. Dockwalk says the Visa Waiver does not cover yacht work. YPI Crew adds that Caribbean-season yachts mostly want crew who already hold a B1.
Is autumn a good time for green crew?
It is harder than spring. YPI Crew says crew who have just finished a season flood the market in autumn and dual-season yachts prefer them. It suggests green crew target yachts wintering in Europe.
Which port is best if I want winter work in Europe?
Palma. Yotspot says its refit trade keeps jobs available out of season. It names October to November as one of Palma's two best windows.
Should I pay an agency to find me a job?
No. The PYA says agencies operating in France may not charge seafarers any direct or indirect fee for placement or CV work. Shipowners or management companies pay them.
Sources
- SuperyachtNews (PYA): visa requirements for yacht training and job hunting
- YPI Crew: two major yachting seasons for junior crew
- YPI Crew: when to look for a winter season yacht job
- Yotspot: best destinations for yacht crew seeking work
- Superyacht Content: best and worst times for jobs in Fort Lauderdale
- Superyacht Content: best and worst times for jobs in Antibes
- Dockwalk: when and where to be for yacht crew jobs
- Dockwalk: a primer on US visas for foreign yacht crew
- Nautilus International: remember your Schengen allowance
- Bluewater: working on yachts
