Recognition of Overseas Marine Qualifications
- Overseas certificates issued by "Flag" countries
- Marine radio
- Senior First Aid
- Elements of Shipboard Safety
- General information for all Certificates
Qualifications gained Overseas can be recognised in South Australia, but the process for recognition depends on whether or not the country that issued the certificate has an agreement in place with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The countries that have signed an agreement are on the AMSA website as "flag" countries - these countries have agreed to recognise each other's certificates, as they are issued under STCW 95 and all meet the same training requirements. DPTI will send a copy of your certificate to AMSA for certification.
Certificate holders from countries that are not "flag" countries will need to provide us with additional evidence. More information is set out further on this page.
Before we issue you with a certificate you will need to complete all of our paperwork and provide us with copies of training undertaken or equivalent:
- Marine Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency or equivalent.
- Certificate in Elements of Shipboard Safety or Occupational Health and Safety at Sea.
- Current Senior First Aid Certificate. We will not accept expired certificates.
Some applicants may have overseas equivalent certificates that cover the above requirements. We will accept these certificates if they meet the criteria set out on this page.
Overseas Certificates issued by "Flag" countries
If the issuing country is not in on the Australian Maritime Safety Authority list then the process may take more time to resolve. It is in your best interest to provide us with as much information as you can about the training you have undertaken. All documentation must be provided in English. We will only accept documents translated by a National Accreditation Authroity for Translators and Interpreters Ltd. (NAATI) translator.
We will contact the issuing country's authority to obtain confirmation that it is a valid certificate.
You may elect to undertake Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) from a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). If RPL is sought and obtained, you can elect to apply for s South Australian Certificate of Competency.
You will be required to undergo an oral exam, conducted in the English language. A good understanding of written and verbal English is required.
Marine Radio
An overseas Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) certificate can be accepted in lieu of the Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP) if it has been approved by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Please contact the ACMA, National Licensing and Allocations Branch, to have your GMDSS certificates assessed.
If the GMDSS certificate is not approved you will need to undertake an Australian Marine Radio course.
GMDSS certificates are subject to revalidation so the certificate need to be current.
Senior First Aid (must be current)
An overseas Elementary First Aid certificate will be accepted if it is current and issued under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 95 (STCW95).
Some Elementary First Aid (STCW95) certificates may not have an expiry date. To determine the currency we use the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) guidelines of 3 years.
Any certificate that has been issued under STCW 78 for Elementary First Aid will not be accepted.
If the required first aid certificate is not current you will need to undertake a course.
Elements of Shipboard Safety
Certificates issude under STCW 95 will be accepted in lieu of Elements of Shipboard Safety if they include:
- Personal Survival Techniques.
- Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting.
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.
Any certificate that has been issued under STCW 78 for Fire Prevention and Basic Fire Fighting will not be accepted and you will need to undertake short courses as unfortunately they do not meet current requirements.
Sea service
You need to provide documented sea service to support your application. Statutory declarations will not be accepted. The sea service should include time at sea, timeframes, size of vessels, nature and area of operations, and duties undertaken. For engineering certificates you must also include propulsion power in kilowatts. Sea service will only be accepted if obtained in the last 5 years.
