Eyesight and medical requirements for a domestic certificate
To be eligible for a certificate of competency, you need to meet the eyesight and medical requirements specified in the National Standard for Commercial vessels Part D Crew competencies.
Eyesight requirements for new certificates
If you're applying for a new certificate of competency, you'll need to submit a completed Eyesight test certificate form 542. There are two components of the eyesight test – vision (near and distance) and colour vision.
You are required to complete the eyesight vision test for all certificates of competency.
You must also complete the colour vision test for all certificates, other than Marine engine driver grade 3 near coastal and Marine engine driver grade 2 near coastal.
Medical requirements for new certificates
Declaration of medical fitness
If you are applying for a low complexity certificate of competency, you must complete the declaration of medical fitness in the Certificate of competency application form 426. This lets us know that you are medically fit to work at sea.
The low complexity certificates are:
- General purpose hand near coastal
- Coxswain grade 2 near coastal
- Coxswain grade 1 near coastal
- Marine engine driver grade 3 near coastal
- Master (inland waters)
- Master less than 24 metres near coastal
- Marine engine driver grade 2 near coastal.
Certificate of medical fitness for a marine qualification
If you're applying for a high complexity certificate of competency, you are required to submit a Certificate of medical fitness for a near coastal qualification form 559.
The high complexity certificates are:
- Mate less than 80 metres near coastal
- Master less than 35 metres near coastal
- Marine engine driver grade 1 near coastal
- Master less than 80 metres near coastal
- Engineer class 3 near coastal
Eyesight test requirements and medical requirements—all other application types
Other application types include:
- revalidation
- replacement
- equivalent
- removing restrictions
- adding endorsements
- change of name.
Low complexity certificates
If you are applying for a low complexity certificate of competency, you must complete the declaration of medical fitness in the Certificate of competency application form 426. This lets us know that you are medically fit, and that your eyesight meets the necessary standard, to work at sea.
If you are applying to have a daylight hours restriction removed, you must also get your eyesight tested by a qualified medical practitioner and get the practitioner to provide a certificate or statement stating that you do not suffer any greater abnormality in colour vision than could be tested by the Ishihara Test.
High complexity certificates
If you're applying for a high complexity certificate of competency, you'll need to submit a completed Eyesight test certificate form 542 and Certificate of medical fitness for a near coastal qualification form 559.
If you are applying to have a daylight hours restriction removed, and you do not meet the colour vision requirements of the eyesight test, you must also get your eyesight tested by a qualified medical practitioner and get the practitioner to provide a certificate or statement stating that you do not suffer any greater abnormality in colour vision than could be tested by the Ishihara Test.