Published on Australian Maritime Safety Authority (https://www.amsa.gov.au)
With this certificate you can perform the duties or functions of:
To be eligible for a Master less than 500 gross tonnage certificate of competency you must meet medical, sea service and course requirements. The requirements depend on whether you are getting a certificate for the first time or revalidating an existing certificate. Each requirement and how to prove that you meet them is explained in these instructions.
This certificate is issued under Marine Order 70 (Seafarer certification) 2014 and Marine Order 71 (Masters and deck officers) 2023, made under the Navigation Act 2012.
These instructions are summary information only. We make decisions about seafarer certificates under Marine Order 70 (Seafarer certification) 2014, Marine Order 71 (Masters and deck officers) 2023, Marine Order 72 (Engineer officers) 2014, Marine Order 73 (Ratings) 2014 and Marine Order 74 (Masters and deck officers – yachts) 2015. Please refer to these marine orders for full details of eligibility and other requirements for certificate applications.
To obtain this certificate, you need to:
Prior to the initial issue of a certificate of competency and certificate of recognition you must obtain a Certificate of medical fitness in Australia. As per Marine Order 76 (Health—medical fitness) 2017 you can only perform the duties of a seafarer on a relevant vessel if you are medically fit to perform those duties.
The medical examination can be organised by contacting Sonic HealthPlus. We strongly recommend that you complete the medical examination before you commence training to ensure that you are medically fit for a seagoing career.
To book a medical examination, you can:
Read more about medical fitness.
You will need to complete these courses:
These courses must be completed with an approved training organisation.
All the certificates and training you complete and provide evidence of must comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
You will need to provide evidence that you have completed one of the following options:
You will need to hold or have held any of the following certificates:
You will then need to complete 36 months sea service as an officer in charge of a navigation watch. This service must have been completed on ships greater than or equal to 24 metres. You must have completed this service while holding either one of the above certificates, or one of the following certificates:
Of these 36 months sea service, 24 months must have been completed on voyages of at least 24 hour duration
Of these 36 months sea service, 12 months must have been completed while holding one of the following certificates:
You must have completed at least 24 months sea service as an officer in charge of a navigation watch on ships greater than or equal to 24 metres.
Of these 24 months, at least 12 months must have been served as Chief mate or Master while holding one of the following certificates:
Read more about sea service.
You will need to complete this sea service and then submit a Seafarer form 419 to us so we can assess your sea service and issue you with an AMSA assessment letter. This letter is the evidence you need to prove that you have met the sea service requirements for your qualification. This letter will also instruct you to complete your oral examination.
As per your assessment letter, you will need to book and successfully pass an oral examination. Read more about booking an oral examination.
You must provide evidence that you hold, or have held, one of these certificates:
You will need to hold one of the following valid certificates:
If you are serving on an ECDIS equipped ship, you will also need to hold an ECDIS endorsement.
You will need to lodge a formal application using the Seafarer form 419 to be assessed towards the requirements for a Master less than 500 gross tonnage certificate of competency.
You will need to fill out the Seafarer form 419, attach all required supporting documents and lodge it at a participating Australia Post retail outlet.
You will need to pay the fees for your application at the post office at the time of lodgement.
You will need to fill out the Seafarer form 419, attach certified copies of all required supporting documents including a colour passport-style photograph and send the paperwork to us by email to STCW.applications@amsa.gov.au. When we receive your email, we will let you know how to pay the fee for your application via AMSA online portal.
To revalidate your certificate, you need to:
You will need to provide evidence that you are medically fit to perform duties in the capacity of Master less than 500 gross tonnage. As per Marine Order 76 (Health—medical fitness) 2017 you can only perform the duties of a seafarer on a relevant vessel if you are medically fit to perform the duties.
To revalidate your current certificate, you will need an AMSA medical completed on form 303. If this form is completed outside Australia, it must be completed in a country that holds an agreement with us.
You can organise a medical examination by contacting Sonic HealthPlus.
To book a medical examination, you can:
Email: seafarermedicals@sonichealthplus.com.au
We will accept a Certificate of medical fitness completed in a country we have an agreement with for revalidation purposes.
You will need to print the relevant medical paperwork and make an appointment with a medical examiner. The medical examiner must be approved by the administration of the country which has an agreement with us.
Read more about medical fitness.
You will need to provide evidence that you have completed sea service performing functions for your current certificate for either:
All certificates and training must comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and be with an organisation we have approved.
If you are revalidating your certificate and you are an overseas permanent resident, some STCW short courses may be completed in a country we have an agreement with.
If you are serving on an ECDIS equipped ship, you will need to hold an ECDIS endorsement.
If you already have the required sea service, you will need to:
These continued competence training courses are valid for up to 5 years.
It is a requirement of the STCW Code that seafarers, every five years, provide evidence of having maintained the required standards of competence in firefighting and sea survival at the appropriate level, as well as fast rescue boats. Currently AMSA considers this requirement as one of the criteria for issue or revalidation of an Australian seafarer certificate issued under the Navigation Act, as specified in the Marine Order 70 series. In the case of revalidation, this is considered every five years. An Australian seafarer certificate will not lapse or expire if, during the five year period of the certificate’s validity, STCW training has not been maintained by the seafarer.
However, AMSA nonetheless strongly recommends seafarers maintain the currency of their STCW Code training over the life of their Australian seafarer certificate, as this is often enforced by foreign Administrations and companies operating foreign flagged vessels. This simply means that seafarers need to be conscious of the period that has elapsed since they last completed STCW Code training requirements and ensure they renew their training five years from this date, even if the five year period does not coincide with the renewal date of their Australian seafarer certificate.
If you do not have the required sea service, you will need to complete the full STCW short courses in:
You will also need to complete one of the following options:
Read more about registered training organisations and revalidating your current certificate.
You will need to hold one of the following valid certificates:
If you are serving on an ECDIS equipped ship, you will also need to hold an ECDIS endorsement.
You will need to lodge a formal application using the Seafarer form 419.
You will need to fill out the Seafarer form 419, attach all required supporting documents and lodge it at a participating Australia Post retail outlet.
You will need to pay the fees for your application at the post office at the time of lodgement.
You will need to fill out the Seafarer form 419, attach certified copies of all required supporting documents including a colour passport-style photograph and send the paperwork to us by email to STCW.applications@amsa.gov.au. When we receive your email, we will let you know how to pay the fee for your application via AMSA online portal.