Guidance for
- Seafarers who hold Australian-issued STCW certificates of competency and proficiency
- Vessel owners, operators, and masters who employ Australian STCW certificated seafarers.
Purpose
This Marine Notice provides information on:
- maintaining continued professional competence
- certificates that seafarers should carry onboard
- applying to revalidate STCW certificates of competency and proficiency.
Continued professional competence
The Navigation Act 2012 and Marine Order 70 series set out the requirements of Regulation I/11 and Section A-I/11 of the STCW Convention for maintaining professional competence.
At least every 5 years, seafarers must show AMSA that they have:
- Undertaken relevant qualifying sea service, and
- performed the duties and functions of their role, and
- completed a continued competence course (which meets the required test of competence).
Seafarers can complete continued competence courses at any time during the 5-year validity period of the AMSA issued certificate of competency or proficiency. AMSA recommends completing continued competency courses well before revalidation of an AMSA issued certificate of competency or proficiency is required.
Carrying certificates on board
Regulation I/2 of the STCW Convention states that certificates required by the Convention must be carried in their original form on board the ship on which the holder is serving.
Certificates that seafarers must carry include:
- Certificates of competency
- Certificates of proficiency
- Certificates of recognition
- Endorsements
- Certificates of medical fitness (Regulation I/9 (3) of the STCW Convention).
Course completion certificates, including continued competence course completion certificates, are not required to be carried on board.
Apply to revalidate early
Seafarers can apply to revalidate in the 6 month period before a STCW certificate expires.
Submitting early will not shorten the new certificate’s validity.
If a seafarer applies to revalidate within 6 months of expiry, the new STCW certificate will be issued for:
- 5 years, plus
- any remaining time on the current STCW certificate (up to a maximum of 6 months).
AMSA recommends completing continued competency courses well before the AMSA Certificate of Competency or Proficiency is due to expire, and applying to revalidate as early as possible.