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General Purpose Hand near coastal

This is a domestic Certificate of Competency for operating in Australian waters.
This certificate of competency lets you work as a deck and/or engine room hand on a vessel.

The General Purpose Hand near coastal will allow you to: 

  • assist with deck or engine work on vessels up to 100m long or 3000 GT, in the Australian exclusive economic zone, under general supervision of the master, chief engineer or delegated crew member.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a General Purpose Hand near coastal certificate you must: 

  • be at least 16 years old on the certificate issue date 
  • be able to speak and understand English, including written documents
  • Be medically fit for the duties, including eyesight 
  • Complete training 
  • Gain any needed sea service

For more information select what you need to apply for below.

Important disclaimer 

These instructions are summary information only. We make decisions about seafarer certificates under Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency — national law) 2022.  This document has full details of the eligibility and other requirements for certificate applications. 

New certificate

Renewal of Certificate

A General purpose hand near coastal certificate of competency is generally valid for 5 years. To keep working using your certificate you need to renew it every five years.

What do I need to do?

To renew your certificate you will need to:

Equivalent certificate

If you hold a General Purpose Hand certificate, issued by a State or the Northern Territory, in the five years previous to your application, you will be eligible to apply for a General Purpose Hand near coastal certificate.

If you hold any of the following AMSA certificates, you will also be eligible to apply for a General Purpose Hand near coastal certificate:

  • Navigational Watch Rating
  • Engine Room Watch Rating
  • Able Seafarer – Deck
  • Able Seafarer – Engine
  • Integrated Rating
  • Chief Integrated Rating

What do I need to do?

To get a General Purpose Hand near coastal you will need to:

Last updated: 

Monday 16 January 2023