In accordance with the international convention of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), unless an officer holds UK Certificates of Competency (CoC) the Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CEC) will be required.
Application for a Safe Manning Document (SMD) is required for each ship joining the UK Ship Register and should be made at the time of applying for registration and no later than two weeks prior to final registration.
Required Documents
Form: MSF 4227 - Safe Manning Document
Document: MSN 1767 - Hours of Work, Safe Manning and Watchkeeping – refers to appropriate manning levels for merchant ships refers to appropriate manning levels for merchant ships.
In addition to the application form, we need a covering letter containing your telephone, fax and email contact information; details of any sister ships on the UK Ship Register; and confirmation of the date the SMD is required. A General Arrangement plan is required unless a sister ship is already on the UK Ship Register.
To confirm manning levels are operationally viable and that working hours and rest periods meet regulations, we also require a typical seven-day voyage plan. Software will be provided for this purpose after the initial assessment of the application. Alternatively, monthly Hours of Rest records for the whole crew can be submitted using MSN 1767 Annex B.
Your application form together with support documentation can be emailed to: safemanning@mcga.gov.uk or sent to:
UK Ship Register
Seafarer Certification
Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG
United Kingdom.
The appropriate fee(s) can be paid by credit card or submitted electronically by BACS, details of which, along with our current fee structure, are available on this website.
Certificates of Equivalent Competency
Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CEC) are available to Merchant Navy officers holding a Non UK Certificate of Competency (CoC) issued in accordance with STCW 95 and is accepted ny the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
The documents that have to be produced in order for a CEC to be issued include:
- Passport or discharge book
- Non-UK CoC
Part of the process of issuing a CEC is that all applicants need to satisfy the requirements for knowledge of the English language. Masters must also satisfy the UK Legal and Administrative Processes (UKLAP) Grade 1 test.
Seafarers applying for CECs can download the application forms, each having its own unique identification number which allows the seafarer to track the status of their application.
For CEC applications, including information on the countries whose CoCs we accept, please click here
Further Information regarding English Language
| Tel: | +44 (0) 2380 329 254 |
| Fax: | +44(0) 2380 329 252 |
| email: | cec@mcga.gov.uk |
Exemption Certificates – Strategic Ships
Subject to CECs, there are no nationality restrictions associated with officers or crew sailing on UK ships except that in the case of strategic ships the Master must be a British, British Commonwealth, NATO or EU national, or a national of a state party to the EEA Agreement.
‘Strategic’ ships are defined as fishing vessels over 24 metres in length, Class 1 passenger ships of 500gt or more certified to carry more than 300 passengers, Ro-Ro ships and product tankers.
