Use marine pilot service to revalidate your STCW certificate

On this page:

• Check if you are eligible
• Choose your revalidation option
• Without a marine pilot restriction (unrestricted)
• With a marine pilot restriction
• Remove an existing restriction
• Apply now

Check if you are eligible

You may be able to use your pilotage service to revalidate if you:

• are a licensed marine pilot working in an Australian port or a licensed coastal pilot working in the Great Barrier Reef or Torres Strait
• hold an AMSA-issued STCW certificate of competency (Master or Deck officer)
• have completed at least 30 months of port or coastal pilot service in the 5 years immediately before you apply.

You cannot use pilotage service to revalidate your STCW certificate if you are a port pilot working in overseas ports.

If you are not eligible to use pilotage service, you must meet the standard revalidation requirements for your certificate.

AMSA does not issue port pilot licences
Australian port pilots are licensed or authorised by the relevant state, territory, port authority or harbour authority for the port where they work. To renew your port pilot licence, you must contact the relevant issuing authority.

Choose your revalidation option

The options to revalidate your certificate of competency depend on the type of port licence you hold: 

• Port pilots and coastal pilots: Complete required STCW refresher training and hold a valid GMDSS radio operator certficate to get an unrestricted certificate
• Port pilots only: use pilotage service only and get a certificate with a 12 nm marine pilot restriction

Choose an option to check the requirements.

Option 1 - Revalidate your certificate without restriction

Choose this option if you want your certificate of competency revalidated without a marine pilot restriction.

You must:

• provide evidence of your pilotage service
• provide proof of medical fitness
• hold a valid GMDSS ROC or GMDSS Certificate of Recognition
• complete the required STCW refresher training

Provide evidence of your pilotage service

You must have completed at least 30 months of service as a port or coastal pilot in the 5 years immediately before you apply to revalidate.

You must provide evidence from your employer confirming your employment.

Provide proof of medical fitness

You must have a valid AMSA Certificate of Medical Fitness (303).

Hold a valid GMDSS radio operator certificate

You must provide evidence of a valid GMDSS radio operator certificate or GMDSS certificate of recognition.

If you hold an AMSA-issued GMDSS certificate, AMSA may revalidate the GMDSS certificate based on evidence of continued competence. Your evidence of pilotage service should confirm that you maintained competence in GMDSS operations, including keeping a radio watch.

If you hold a GMDSS Certificate of Recognition (restricted or unrestricted), you need to revalidate your primary overseas GMDSS certificate with the issuing administration before you apply to revalidate your GMDSS Certificate of Recognition with AMSA.

Complete STCW refresher training

You must have completed the required STCW refresher training in the 5 years before you apply to revalidate:

• Proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats other than fast rescue boats
• Advanced firefighting
• Security awareness training, if not already completed.

You must complete your training with an AMSA approved training provider.

Option 2 - Revalidate with a port pilot restriction (port pilots only) 

Choose this option if you want to use your pilotage service only and do not want to complete STCW refresher training.

Your revalidated certificate of competency will include a port pilot restriction.

This means you can only operate within a 12 nautical mile radius seaward of the port limits where you are licensed as a pilot.

Provide evidence of your pilotage service

You must have completed at least 30 months of service as a port pilot in the 5 years immediately before you apply to revalidate.

You must provide evidence from your employer confirming your pilotage service.

Meet employer medical fitness requirements

You will be required to meet the medical fitness requirements of your employer.

Remove a port pilot restriction

If your current certificate has a port pilot restriction, you can apply to remove the restriction when you revalidate.

To remove the restriction, you must meet the requirements set out in Option 1 - Revalidate your certificate without restriction.

Apply now

Before you apply, make sure you:

• meet all revalidation requirements
• complete any required refresher training
• prepare your supporting documents (including pilotage service evidence, course completion certificates, copies of GMDSS certificates or AMSA Certificate of Medical Fitness, as required).

Get ready to apply
Follow these steps to prepare your application

Apply to revalidate now