Exemption 8—Marine Safety (Temporary service)

This exemption enables masters and crew to temporarily perform functions and duties on a domestic commercial vessel without the required certificate of competency, in specific circumstances.

What this exemption will allow you to do

This exemption allows seafarers who do not hold a certificate of competency (COC) to:

1. perform duties or functions for a specified operation, or a specified period of time without any CoC
2. perform duties or functions while their COC application is being processed
3. perform duties or functions while their COC renewal application is being processed

The eligibility and application process for each of these situations differs, as outlined below.

Temporary service for specific operation or period of time (Division 2)

Seafarers who do not hold a CoC but want to perform duties or functions on a domestic commercial vessel on a temporary basis can apply for temporary service for a specified operation, or for a specified period of time up to 30 days.

Seafarers can apply for this kind of temporary service using AMSA 778 [1].

Temporary service exemption following training and final assessment (Division 3)

Seafarers who have completed their training and assessment for a CoC and applied for a new CoC can perform duties and functions on a domestic commercial vessel for up to 90 days while they wait their certificate to be issued.

This only applies to the following certificates of competency:

• Marine engine driver grade 3 near coastal
• Marine engine driver grade 2 near coastal
• Coxswain grade 2 near coastal
• Coxswain grade 1 near coastal
• Master less than 24 metres near coastal
• Master (inland waters) near coastal

There is no application process for this type of temporary service, however seafarers must be able to produce a copy of their CoC application if requested by a vessel owner or marine safety inspector.

Temporary service while waiting for a certificate of competency renewal application to be decided (Division 4)

Seafarers who have applied to renew their CoC can perform temporary service while they wait for us to issue their certificate. Temporary service is automatically available to seafarers for up to 90 days from their certificate expiry date.

There is no application process for this type of temporary service, however seafarers must apply for certificate renewal before their certificate expires, and they must continue to comply with the conditions of the expired certificate of competency.

• Marine Order 501 (Administration—National Law) [2]
• Marine Order 504 (Certificates of operation and operation requirements—national law) [3]
• Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency—national law) [4] 
• National Standard for Commercial Vessels [5] 

Related information

• Certificate of competency application (AMSA 426) [6]
• Fees, levies, and payments [7] 
• Domestic qualifications [8]
• Tenders and auxiliary vessels [9]

Superseded

• Exemption 08 – In force 1 July 2020 (PDF 160.86 KB) [10]
• Exemption 08 – In force 5 March 2020 (PDF 298.38 KB) [11]
• Exemption 08 – In force 1 July 2013 (PDF 191.36 KB) [12]
• Exemption 08 – In force 1 February 2018 (PDF 93.78 KB) [13]
• Exemption 08 – In force 1 July 2018 (PDF 297.46 KB) [14]