If you hold valid foreign seafarer certificates under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a current Australian work visa you can apply for a certificate of recognition.
Please note: Below is a list of countries AMSA has an agreement with. However, application for a certificate of recognition will only be accepted from countries that have also given full and complete effect to the relevant provision of the convention. In determining these countries AMSA will be guided by the latest IMO circular MSC.1/Circ.1164.
Countries whose certificates we recognise
- 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
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
If your country is listed, you can apply for a certificate of recognition.
If your country is not listed, you cannot apply for a certificate of recognition and will have to meet the requirements for the issue of a new certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency.
Important disclaimer
These instructions are summary information only.
If you hold a Master, deck officer or engineering officer certificate of competency you must first apply for an assessment of your sea service using Seafarer form 419. Once we have assessed your application you will receive an assessment letter which will tell you how to proceed.
We will not process any applications that do not include true and certified copies of all required documents in their original form. If you have forgotten to provide any documents, or have not provided certified copies, you may need to pay a new application fee.