STCW country guides

STCW sets the international minimum — what it does not set is the national training system, examination structure, national certificate requirements, or the administrative process through which a seafarer obtains their CoC. A Filipino AB following the MARINA pathway, an Indian deck cadet sitting DG Shipping MMD orals, a Ukrainian officer revalidating through Maradmin, and a Greek Master renewing through HRMM are all meeting the same STCW international standard, but through very different national routes. The guides below cover the per-country training system, issuing authorities, national certificates, sea-time rules, and contact information for the 25 countries that collectively supply the majority of the world's commercial seafarers.

For verification portals for the major flag-state administrations, see certificate verification. For the consolidated STCW chapter and certificate structure, see the STCW technical reference.

Country guides

• 🇧🇩Bangladesh

  Department of Shipping (DoS) certificate framework, BIMSA training centres, and the CDC requirement for Bangladeshi seafarers.

• 🇧🇷Brazil

  NORMAN regulations under Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil), HEBRAICA certificates, and offshore-sector pathways.

• 🇨🇳China

  Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) certificate system, exam cities, and China's role as a major deck and engine officer supplier.

• 🇪🇬Egypt

  Egyptian Maritime Safety Authority (EMSA) and the Suez Canal Authority training pipeline for Egyptian seafarers.

• 🇬🇪Georgia

  Georgian Maritime Transport Agency (GMTA), Batumi Naval Academy, and the Georgian officer-supply pipeline to European shipping.

• 🇬🇷Greece

  HRMM (Hellenic Republic Ministry of Maritime Affairs) certificates, merchant marine academies, and Greek officer pathways.

• 🇮🇩Indonesia

  Directorate General of Sea Transportation (DGST) certificate system, BPSDM KP training, and domestic vs international pathway differences.

• 🇮🇳India

  DG Shipping CoCs, INDOS numbers, Approved Training Institutes (ATIs), and the India MMD examination system.

• 🇰🇪Kenya

  Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) certificates, Kenya Ports Authority training arm, and East African seafarer pathways.

• 🇱🇰Sri Lanka

  Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and Sri Lanka Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) certificate system.

• 🇲🇲Myanmar

  Myanmar Mercantile Marine — certificates, training at the Myanmar Maritime University, and pathways for Burmese seafarers.

• 🇲🇺Mauritius

  Mauritius Shipping Division, Mauritius Maritime Training Academy (MMTA), and small-island-state seafarer supply.

• 🇲🇽Mexico

  Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR) merchant marine arm, UNAM nautical programmes, and Mexican seafarer certification.

• 🇲🇾Malaysia

  Marine Department Malaysia (MARINE) certificate system, ALAM academy, and pathways for Malaysian deck and engine officers.

• 🇵🇭Philippines

  MARINA CoCs, Philippine Maritime Education and Training (PMET) standards, and the world's largest seafarer-supply system.

• 🇵🇰Pakistan

  Directorate General of Ports and Shipping Pakistan (DGPS), Pakistan Marine Academy, and Pakistani seafarer pathways.

• 🇵🇱Poland

  Polish Maritime Administration CoCs, Gdynia Maritime University, and Poland's role in European officer supply.

• 🇷🇴Romania

  Romanian Naval Authority (ANR) certificates, Constanta Maritime University, and Romanian officer supply to EU and global fleets.

• 🇷🇺Russia

  Rosmorrechflot (Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport) CoCs, maritime academies in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok.

• 🇹🇭Thailand

  Marine Department Thailand (กรมเจ้าท่า) certificate system, MUIC and KMITL maritime programmes, and Thai seafarer pathways.

• 🇹🇷Turkey

  Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs (DGMA) CoCs, Istanbul and İzmir maritime faculties, and Turkish seafarer supply.

• 🇹🇿Tanzania

  Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) certificate system, Dar es Salaam Maritime Institute, and Tanzanian seafarer pathways.

• 🇺🇦Ukraine

  State Inspection for Safety on Maritime and River Transport (Maradmin), Odesa maritime academies, and Ukrainian officer supply.

• 🇻🇳Vietnam

  Vietnam Maritime Administration (VINAMARINE) certificates, Vietnam Maritime University (VMU), and Vietnamese seafarer pathways.

• 🌐Visa matrix (cross-flag)

  Cross-reference matrix: which seafarer nationalities can work under which flags without a national certificate — recognition agreements and bilateral MoUs.

See also

• · Certificate verification — official flag-state portals.
• · CoC revalidation — five-year revalidation cycle.
• · Basic Safety Training — universal BST requirement.
• · STCW technical reference — White List and convention structure.
• · Career pathways reference — rank progression tables.
• · Training centres directory — accredited academies by country.
• · Maritime careers hub — pathways by vessel type and role.
• · Certifications database — all STCW certificates indexed.

Flag-state caveat: National STCW implementation varies — training requirements, exam formats, certificate fees, and processing times change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with the issuing flag-state administration before committing to a training programme or a vessel assignment. IMO White List status is maintained at IMO GISIS.