Deck Officer, Management Level and Deck Officer, Operational Level

Regulators
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Nations
United Kingdom
Sectors
  • Transport

Regulatory or professional bodies

Primary regulator

Regulatory authority
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Address

Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG

Phone number
+44 (0)2038 172 200

Regulation

Regulation summary

The MCA, on behalf of the Secretary of State issues these Certificates to seafarers once they have met the qualifying conditions. The required training elements are set out in Chapter II/1, II/2 and II/3 of the Internationally recognised Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention and Code.

Regulation type

Licence

Reserved activities

This qualification is internationally recognised and allows you to work onboard a ship as an Officer of the Watch (Deck), Chief Mate or Master. These are ranks onboard a ship that are set out in the STCW Convention.


Qualifications and experience

New professionals

Routes to qualification

The full requirements to obtain a United Kingdom (UK) STCW Deck Officer Management or Operational Certificate of Competency can be found in MSN 1856, or subsequent publication.

To obtain a United Kingdom (UK) STCW Certificate of Competency you must:
• Meet the minimum age requirement;
• Complete the minimum period of seagoing service;
• Undertake ancillary technical and safety training;
• Complete the appropriate programme(s) of education and training meeting the minimum vocational and academic standard;
• Meet medical standards (including eyesight);
• If applicable, pass an oral examination conducted by a Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA) examiner.

If you are considering a seagoing career it is strongly advised that you undergo a medical and sight test, which includes testing of colour and visual acuity, before starting training.

Professionals from outside the UK

Recognition for professionals outside the UK
Some - qualifications from some countries may be recognised, but professionals from other countries will have to re-qualify
Summary of routes

The Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2015, implement the requirements of the International Convention and Code on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW) 1978, as amended (referred to as the ‘STCW Convention’ and ‘STCW Code’ respectively) including the provisions prescribing the mandatory minimum requirements for flag state endorsement for seafaring officers with non-UK certification working on board UK registered ships. In the UK, a flag state endorsement is known as a Certificate of Equivalent Competency (CEC). The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is responsible for issuing CECs.

If you are an officer intending to work onboard a UK registered vessel and you do not hold a UK Certificate of Competency (CoC), you must apply for a UK CEC before you join the ship. The CEC is not a qualification and is only valid when used in conjunction with the STCW compliant CoC that it endorses.

To be eligible for a UK CEC you must hold a valid, non UK, STCW compliant CoC issued by a country whose seafarer training is recognised by the UK. A list of those countries can be found on our website: go to www.gov.uk and search “MCA CEC”.

Applicants may have to provide additional evidence of:

• Standards of competency;
• Use and knowledge of the English language;
• Knowledge of UK Legal and Administrative Processes (UKLAP).


Legislation

Title of relevant act or charter

The Merchant Shipping Act

Title of relevant act or charter

The Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and watchkeeping) Regulations 2015

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