Renewing STCW certificates
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STCW certificates
New Zealand STCW certificates are issued in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978, as amended (STCW).
The following New Zealand STCW certificates and tanker certificates of proficiency or tanker endorsements must be renewed every five years:
- Watchkeeper Deck <500GT Near-Coastal
- Watchkeeper Deck
- Chief Mate <3000GT
- Chief Mate
- Master <500GT Near-Coastal
- Master <500GT
- Master <3000GT
- Master
- Chief Mate Yacht
- Master Yacht <500GT
- Master Yacht
- Electro-technical Officer (ETO)
- Marine Engineer Class 3 (MEC 3)
- Marine Engineer Class 2 (MEC 2)
- Marine Engineer Class 2 endorsed as chief engineer (MEC 2 ECE)
- Marine Engineer Class 1 (MEC 1)
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System radio operator (GMDSS)
- Basic tanker endorsement or certificate of proficiency for oil and chemical tankers
- Basic tanker endorsement or certificate of proficiency for liquefied gas tankers
- Advanced tanker endorsement or certificate of proficiency for oil, chemical and liquefied gas tankers
Medical fitness
To renew a certificate, you must provide evidence of medical fitness, including eyesight, hearing and speech, to the standards included in the STCW Manila amendments. This evidence must be provided as a valid STCW seafarer certificate of medical fitness carried out by an approved medical practitioner.
You must also meet fit and proper person requirements.
Sea service
You must provide evidence of having completed approved sea service for 12 months during the previous five years or three months in the six months immediately before renewal.
If you do not meet the sea service requirements, alternatives to sea service may be available. These may involve a practical competency assessment, further training or approved sea service and functions appropriate to the certificate held immediately before taking up the new rank.
MNZ is also able to accept appropriate experience in certain non-seagoing positions, if they are considered to be equivalent to sea service.
Certificate renewal sea service fact sheets [PDF: 192kB, 3 pages]Additional requirements
The STCW Manila 2010 amendments require evidence of additional training and/or sea service for:
- deck officers working on board ships fitted with an electronic chart display information system (ECDIS)
- holders of tanker endorsements
- engineer officers working with high voltage (HV) systems
- holders of GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) certificates
- leadership and management skills
- security awareness training.
Ancillary certificates of proficiency
Seafarers may require ancillary (additional) proficiencies for New Zealand certificates of competency and certificates of proficiency, and for some endorsements.
Our guidance document is under review. Contact us for further information:
Email enquiries@maritimenz.govt.nz
Call 0508 22 55 22 or +64 4 473 0111.
Find out more
Renewal of STCW certificates and tanker certificates/endorsements [PDF: 232kB, 20 pages]
Transitioning to new certificates
If you have an old certificate, refer to the transition information on MNZ's website to identify the new SeaCert certificate or certificates it aligns with, and find out what you need to do to transition.