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Marine & Maritime

Your seafarer documents,
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⚓ Store my seafarer certs — it's free

STCW, Certificate of Competency, Flag Endorsements, GMDSS, DP — maritime careers demand constant certification. CertVault keeps every document current, organised, and shareable with any crewing agent or operator worldwide.

The complexity of maritime certification

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Maritime certification is governed by international IMO conventions, but issued and administered by individual flag states — meaning a seafarer working across multiple flag states may need multiple endorsements for the same underlying qualification.

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STCW revalidation, CoC renewal, medical certificates, and individual endorsements all run on different cycles. A single lapse can mean a seafarer is legally unable to sign on — a costly problem for vessel operators.

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Crewing agents and manning companies need to quickly verify that a seafarer's documents are current, authentic, and complete before placing them on a vessel. Manual document collection causes delays and errors.

Required certifications

Core maritime certifications

Requirements vary by role, vessel type, and flag state. These are the most commonly required certifications for seafarers worldwide.

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STCW Basic Safety Training

The foundation requirement for all seafarers — covers personal survival, fire prevention, first aid, and personal safety & social responsibilities.

⏳ 5 years (revalidation required)

Global — IMO convention, mandatory for all seafarers on internationally-trading vessels.

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Certificate of Competency (CoC)

Officer licence (OOW, Chief Mate, Master, Engineer) issued by a national maritime authority. Required to serve in a watchkeeping or command role.

⏳ 5 years (revalidation with STCW)

Issued per flag state — MCA (UK), AMSA (Australia), USCG (USA), NMA (Norway), and others.

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Flag Endorsement

Certificate of Recognition allowing a seafarer to serve on a vessel flying a flag other than the one that issued their CoC.

⏳ Tied to underlying CoC

Required when serving on vessels under a different flag state — covers Panama, Liberia, Marshall Islands, and all major flag states.

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GMDSS

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Required for officers responsible for radio watchkeeping and distress communications.

⏳ 5 years

Global — SOLAS requirement for vessels on international voyages.

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Seafarer Medical Certificate

Fitness-to-work medical examination confirming the seafarer is physically and mentally fit for sea service.

⏳ 2 years (1 year for seafarers over 55 in some jurisdictions)

ENG1 (UK/international), AMSB (Australia), USCG (USA), national equivalents worldwide.

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Dynamic Positioning (DP)

Certification for operators of Dynamic Positioning systems used on offshore vessels, FPSOs, drill ships, and crane vessels.

⏳ Annual simulator revalidation recommended

Nautical Institute DP standard, recognised globally by offshore operators and vessel managers.

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Advanced Fire Fighting

STCW endorsement for seafarers with firefighting responsibilities. Covers fire organisation, tactics, and equipment.

⏳ 5 years

Global — STCW requirement for designated firefighting duties.

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Medical First Aid / Medical Care

STCW medical training endorsements. Medical First Aid for all watchkeeping officers; Medical Care (higher level) for ships without a doctor.

⏳ 5 years

Global — STCW requirement based on vessel type and trading area.

Certification requirements change. Always verify with your flag state administration, vessel operator, or crewing agent.

Vessel types

Certifications vary by vessel type

🛢️FPSOs & Drill Ships

Floating production and drilling vessels — STCW, BOSIET, DP, OPITO required

🚢Bulk Carriers & Tankers

Deep sea cargo shipping — full STCW officer certification, CoC, Flag Endorsements

⚓Offshore Support Vessels

PSVs, AHTVs, and crew boats — STCW, DP, offshore medical, BOSIET

🚤Ferries & Passenger Ships

STCW, Crowd & Crisis Management, Passenger Safety, CoC with passenger endorsement

🏗️Crane & Construction Vessels

Heavy lift and pipelay — STCW, BOSIET, crane operator certification

🌊Diving Support Vessels

DSVs and saturation diving — STCW, IMCA Diver medical, diving supervisor certs

Who uses CertVault

Common maritime roles

Master (Vessel)Chief OfficerSecond OfficerThird OfficerChief EngineerSecond EngineerMarine EngineerElectro-Technical Officer (ETO)Able SeamanDeck HandBosunDynamic Positioning OperatorRadio OperatorBarge MasterOffshore Installation ManagerROV OperatorSaturation DiverDive Supervisor

How CertVault works for maritime

For Seafarers

  • ✓Store STCW, CoC, Flag Endorsements, medical certs and all other documents in one place
  • ✓Track expiry dates across all your certifications — STCW revalidation, medical, DP, and more
  • ✓Share your verified seafarer profile with any crewing agent or operator via a single link
  • ✓Your AI completeness check confirms your CV aligns with your uploaded documents
  • ✓Free for seafarers — no subscription required

For Vessel Operators & Crewing Agents

  • ✓Search verified seafarers by rank, certifications, flag endorsements, and availability
  • ✓View all documents with scan verification and expiry status before signing on
  • ✓Crew compliance board shows the full picture across your entire manning pool
  • ✓Manage vessel rosters, crew rotations, and sign-on/sign-off scheduling
  • ✓Nudge crew members to renew expiring documents before mobilisation

Frequently asked questions

What is STCW and why do seafarers need it?↓
STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) is an international IMO convention that sets minimum qualification standards for seafarers worldwide. All seafarers serving on internationally-trading vessels must hold valid STCW certificates. Basic Safety Training is the entry-level requirement; additional endorsements are required for watchkeeping officers and ratings.
How long does STCW certification last?↓
STCW revalidation is required every 5 years. To revalidate, seafarers must demonstrate sea service (at least 1 year in the preceding 5 years) and complete refresher/updating training. Some individual STCW endorsements (like Advanced Fire Fighting and Medical First Aid) have their own renewal requirements.
What is a Certificate of Competency (CoC) in maritime?↓
A Certificate of Competency (CoC) is an officer licence issued by a national maritime authority (such as the MCA in the UK, AMSA in Australia, or the US Coast Guard) certifying that the holder is qualified for a specific watchkeeping or command role. To serve on a vessel flying a different flag, you also need a Flag Endorsement or Certificate of Recognition from that flag state.
Do I need separate medical certificates as a seafarer?↓
Yes. Seafarers require a valid medical fitness certificate before signing on. ENG1 is the standard used in the UK and many other countries. AMSB (Australian Maritime Safety Bureau) issues medical certificates in Australia. The certificate is typically valid for 2 years (1 year for seafarers over 55 in some jurisdictions).
What Dynamic Positioning (DP) certification do I need?↓
The Nautical Institute DP certification is the global standard. There are two levels: DP Induction (entry-level awareness) and DP Operator (full operational certification). DP Operator requires completion of a DP logbook with verified sea time. Some operators require annual DP simulator revalidation. IMCA also operates a DP competence assurance scheme.
What is the best crewing platform for maritime operators and crewing agents?↓
CertVault is purpose-built for maritime crewing. Operators and crewing agents search verified seafarers in plain English ("marine engineer Class 2 with DP Operator and Marshall Islands flag endorsement"), see AI completeness scores on every seafarer, track STCW revalidation cycles and ENG1 medical expiry across the entire crewing pool, manage multi-vessel crew lists, and export per-flag compliance reports for inspections. Seafarers maintain their own documents; crewing agents save hours per placement.
How do maritime operators verify STCW, DP, and Flag Endorsement certifications when hiring marine crew?↓
On CertVault, every seafarer's profile shows their STCW basic and advanced endorsements, current Flag Endorsements (Marshall Islands, Liberia, Panama, Bahamas, etc.), DP certification level (Induction / Operator), GMDSS, sea-time logs and Certificate of Competency. The AI completeness score flags any unverified claims so hiring decisions are based on documented credentials rather than CV claims alone.
Can we manage multi-vessel crew lists and watchkeeping rotations on CertVault?↓
Yes. CertVault's vessel-aware workforce management supports multiple vessels per operator, with crew lists, sea-time tracking, and watchkeeping rotation schedules. The crew rotation calendar handles maritime patterns (4-on-4-off, 6-on-6-off, custom) and projects crew composition forward across the fleet.
For operators & contractors

Hiring maritime crew? Run your fleet on CertVault.

Crewing agents and maritime operators juggle STCW levels, flag endorsements, DP certs and sea-time logs across multiple vessels. CertVault is the AI workforce platform built for maritime compliance — search verified seafarers by competency, manage multi-vessel crew lists, and prove flag-state compliance on demand.

AI search by seafarer cert

Type queries like "marine engineer Class 2 with current DP Operator certification and Marshall Islands flag endorsement". AI ranks every seafarer by fit.

Multi-vessel crew lists

Switch between vessels, track sea time per seafarer, manage articles and watchkeeping rotation in one place.

Flag-state compliance proofs

Exportable per-flag compliance reports — Marshall Islands, Liberia, Panama, Bahamas, UK MCA — ready for inspection.

STCW + medical expiry alerts

60-day alerts for STCW revalidation (5-year cycle), ENG1 / AMSB medical (1–2 years), DP simulator revalidation, GMDSS.

Crewing-agent collaboration

Let crewing agents manage their seafarer pool inside your account. Shared visibility, controlled access.

ISM-ready audit trails

Timestamped records of every cert verification, sea-time entry, and crew assignment — ready for ISM audits and flag-state inspections.

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Always ready to sign on

Every cert, every endorsement, every medical — in one verified profile. Free for seafarers worldwide.

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