Important message from AMSA

Between November 2021 and February 2022, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is anticipating a very high number of revalidation applications from seafarers with Certificates of Competency (CoC), Certificates of Proficiency (CoP) and Certificates of Safety Training (CoST) issued under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

About 4,000 certificates for masters, deck and engineer officers, integrated ratings and others will expire during this short four-month window. Most of these certificates require a combination of continued competence refresher training in sea survival and firefighting, and medical fitness certificates.

To avoid a situation where AMSA’s own internal processing systems, external medical examination clinics and registered training organisations (RTOs) are overwhelmed by last-minute applications and bookings, AMSA is encouraging early revalidation applications through a concerted campaign targeting impacted seafarers.

AMSA is encouraging medical examination clinics and RTOs to prepare for a steady increase in bookings between June and December 2021 as a direct result of this concerted campaign. Medical examinations clinics and RTOs are also encouraged to reach-out through their own databases to impacted seafarers, similarly encouraging early bookings.

The key message to impacted seafarers is: Professional qualifications take time, so does the revalidation process – book your continued competence refresher training courses and medical examination in advance.

For more information, please feel free to contact SCSApplications@amsa.gov.au and visit the AMC Search website to book a place on a course.

Please note: A certificate holder may revalidate up to 6 months prior to their certificate expiring and have this period carried forward on their revalidated certificate.