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When ships are registered in the German register, one of the main tasks
of the BSH in connection with the issue of certificates of competency or proficiency,
radio operator’s certificates and endorsements of recognition is the issuing of
endorsements of recognition for foreign marine radio operator’s certificates.
The BSH regularly issues endorsements of recognition for marine radio operator’s
certificates to all co-operation states of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The processing time is normally one week and depends on the time it takes the
responsible Flag State to confirm the validity and authenticity of the certificate.
If it has been issued by a state that is on the White List but which
has not (yet)
signed a co-operation agreement, endorsements of recognition are issued on a
case-by-case basis, after careful evaluation.
For service on board German-flagged ships, the qualification
of mariners must conform to SOLAS, Chapter IX (ISM Code), the STCW Convention,
and the German regulations concerning the training of ship’s officers (Schiffsoffizier-Ausbildungsverordnung),
ship safety (Schiffssicherheitsverordnung), medical fitness of mariners (Seediensttauglichkeitsverordnung)
and health care (Krankenfürsorgeverordnung) as well as Regulations of Safe Manning:
Additional information
General
- Crew members must have valid certificates of competency and/or proficiency,
marine radio operator’s certificates and, where necessary, endorsements
of recognition.
- Masters and officers must have adequante competences endorsed in their
certificates of competency.
- Crew members must have a valid (German) medical fitness certificate.
- Endorsements of recognition are required for foreign navigational and
engineering certificates of competency.
- To obtain an endorsements for a navigational certificate of competency,
an endorsed radio operator’s certificate must be available.
- Endorsements of recognition are not required for certificates of competency
according to Regulation II/4 (navigational watch); Regulation III/4 (engine-room
watch); Chapter V (tankers / (ro-ro) passenger ships ), Chapter VI (basic
safety training, survival craft / advanced fire-fighting).
According to the ISM Code, companies are required to verify the validity
and authenticity of certificates of competency and proficiency as well as radio
operator’s certificates. To comply with this requirement, IMO offers a special
service on its web pages where the contact adresses of the Flag States are
listed.
The BSH is the German authority in charge of verifying certificates of competency
and proficiency as well as radio operator’s certificates that have been issued
in Germany, and also confirms their validity and authenticity. Application form „Verification“
Endorsements of foreign navigational, engineering or radio operator’s certificates
require verification of the certificates by the Flag State.
- Certificates of competency for navigational and engineering service
according to Regulations II/1, II/2, II/3, III/1, III/2 and III/3 as well
as radio operator’s certificates issued by the BSH according to Regulation
IV have a maximum validity of five years.
- Certificates of Competency for navigational service according to Regulations
II/1, II/2, and II/3 include the qualification to serve on board vessels
with ARPA equipment, unless a limitation excluding service on board ARPA
equipped vessels has been entered in the certificate of competency.
- German Certificates of Competency for navigational service according
to Regulations II/1, II/2, and II/3 include the proficiency in medical first
aid according to Regulation VI/4, although this is not explicitly stated on
most German Certificates of Competency.
- German Certificates of Competency for engineering service according
to Regulations III/1, III/2, and III/3 include the proficiency in medical
first aid according to Regulation VI/4, although this is not explicitly
stated
on most German Certificates of Competency.
- Members of the ship’s crew who are in charge of providing medical first
aid according to Regulation VI/4 are required to participate in recognized
training courses every five years, which are integrated the German „Krankenfürsorgeverordnung“
(Medical Care Regulations). The institutions offering such courses also
issue certificates of attendance to the participants.
- Certificates of Competency issued by the BSH according to Regulation
II/4 (navigational watch) and Regulation III/4 (engine-room watch) have
unlimited validity.
- Certificates of Competency issued by the SeeBG according to Chapter
VI STCW have unlimited validity.
Masters
Masters must have EU nationality and hold a valid German or recognized foreign
Certificate of Competency. Before starting service on board a ship, a master
who does not hold a valid German Certificate of Competency has to attend a recognized
training course under Art. 2a, Schiffsbesetzungsverordnung (national regulation
on safe manning), in order to prove that he has the required knowledge of German
maritime law regulations that are relevant to his tasks and of the German language.
Officers at management level
Under Art. 21, para. 3, Schiffsoffiziersausbildungsverordnung (ships' officers
training ordinance), officers on board German flagged vessels must hold a valid
German or recognized foreign Certificate of Competency. A prerequisite for recognition
of a foreign Certificate of Competency is participation in a recognized training
course on German maritime law. Management level includes: First Officer, Chief
Engineer Officer, Second Engineer Officer.
Tanker shipping / (ro-ro) passenger shipping
Certificates of competency
issued by the BSH according to Chapter V (tankers / (ro-ro) passenger ships)
have a maximum validity of five years. Exceptions: certificates of competency
for service personnel on (ro-ro) passenger vessels have unlimited validity.
The validity of a certificate of competency for service on board (ro-ro) passenger
vessels can only be extended if the holder of the certificate has attended a
recognized training course.
Endorsements of recognition for certificates of competency for navigational
and engineering service that have been acquired abroad are issued by the Waterways
and Shipping Directorate North in Kiel, in exceptional cases and upon request,
certificates of competency for navigational and engineering service can also
be issud by the Waterways
and Shipping Directorate Northwest in Aurich.
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