Print or save

Check recognised STCW countries

Check if AMSA recognises your country or overseas STCW certificate, and what this means for your application in Australia.

Countries AMSA recognises under STCW

These countries meet the requirements of the STCW Convention and are recognised by AMSA.

  • Bangladesh
  • Belgium
  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Iran
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Jordan
  • Kiribati
  • Malaysia
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Pakistan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Romania
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America

This list is based on the latest IMO circular MSC.1/Circ.1164. It may change if a country’s STCW compliance status changes.

Getting an AMSA CoP or CoC

You cannot transfer or convert a certificate from a recognised country into an Australian-issued STCW certificate of proficiency or certificate of competency.

If you want an Australian certificate (either at the same level or a higher level), you must apply and meet all requirements, including completing training in Australia.

If your country is recognised

If you hold an STCW certificate issued by one of these countries, you can:

If you live overseas and are revalidating an AMSA-issued STCW certificate, you may also be able to:

If your country is not recognised

If your certificate was issued by a country not on this list, it is not recognised by AMSA under STCW.

This means you cannot apply for a certificate of recognition.

We also do not recognise medicals or any training completed in non-recognised countries for revalidation.

Next steps

Last updated: 13 April 2026