To be eligible for a domestic certificate of competency, you must hold a current HLTAID011 Provide First Aid certificate or another qualification we consider equivalent.
We do not accept expired first aid certificates.
Equivalent first aid qualifications
The following qualifications are considered equivalent to HLTAID011 Provide First Aid:
- HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting
- HLTAID013 Provide First Aid in remote or isolated site
- HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid
- ADAS or IMCA Diver Medical Technician certificate
- registration with the Medical Board of Australia as a medical practitioner
- registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency as a nurse, midwife or paramedic
- New Zealand first aid certificate unit standards 6400, 6401 and 6402, or refresher training certificate unit standard 6400.
Certificate nearing expiry
If your first aid certificate expires within 90 days of submitting your certificate of competency application, we may ask you to provide a new certificate.
Using an STCW course certificate
You may use a course completion certificate for one of the following STCW courses to meet the first aid requirement for a domestic certificate of competency:
- Elementary first aid under STCW regulation VI/1 and code section A-VI/1, table A-VI/1-3
- Medical first aid under STCW regulation VI/4 paragraph 1 and code section A-VI/4, paragraphs 1 to 3
- Medical care on board ship under STCW regulation VI/4 paragraph 2 and code section A-VI/4, paragraphs 4 to 6.
The course completion certificate must have been issued in Australia or by an AMSA-recognised country.
AMSA considers these certificates valid for 3 years from the date of issue. If a certificate shows a longer validity period, AMSA will still only recognise it for 3 years.
Documents we accept
You must provide the course completion certificate for the medical STCW course you completed. An STCW certificate of competency cannot be used to meet the first aid requirement.
The regulations
Domestic seafarer certifications under the national law are covered by Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency — national law) 2022.