Other flags
Governing: STCW regulation I/10; Transport Malta endorsement service; RMI MI-105/MI-118. Builds on: L3.2.
Why this matters to UK officers
Malta and the Marshall Islands are not Red Ensign flags, but both are major registers for large commercial and private yachts. If you hold a UK CoC and join one of their yachts as an officer, you will almost certainly need their endorsement of your UK certificate, just as a foreign officer needs a UK FSE (Lesson 3.1).
Malta
Transport Malta's Merchant Shipping Directorate issues an Endorsement Certificate for Officers Serving on a Maltese Ship, attesting recognition of a competency issued under STCW. Only officers are eligible.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Documents | Application form, photo ID, fee, CoC, GMDSS and tanker certificates where applicable, medical fitness certificate |
| How | By post to Transport Malta, Lija, or online through the Transport Malta seafarers portal |
| Stated timeline | Vetting, assessment and approval each 1 day; overall service delivery up to 2 months |
Transport Malta also recognises the PYA's sea service verification (the PYA says it is authorised by both the MCA and Transport Malta), which helps if you are working towards a Maltese yacht certificate.
CAUTION — Two months The Maltese service page gives up to two months for delivery. Ask the yacht's manager whether a temporary document is available and apply as soon as the contract is signed.
Marshall Islands
International Registries, Inc. (IRI) administers the Marshall Islands (RMI) register. Its officer licensing page describes two routes:
| Route | Who |
|---|---|
| MI-105 Equivalency Endorsement | Holders of CoCs from major maritime nations whose education and examination systems RMI finds acceptable |
| MI-105E Professional Examination | Those without an acceptable national certificate; RMI multiple-choice written exams incorporating STCW material |
Detailed requirements are in MI-118 (Requirements for Merchant Marine Personnel Certification) and MI-118E (certification by examination). RMI certificates issued by examination are valid for five years. RMI also issues its own Master (Yachts) Unlimited Tonnage certificate.
A pattern across flags
| Step | Typical requirement |
|---|---|
| 1 | Valid CoC from an accepted administration |
| 2 | Supporting STCW certificates (basic training, GMDSS) |
| 3 | Valid seafarer medical |
| 4 | Photo, passport, fee |
| 5 | Sometimes a national law exam (as the UK's UKLAP) |
| 6 | A temporary document while processing |
| 7 | Endorsement expiry tied to the underlying CoC |
TIP — One folder per flag Keep scans of every flag endorsement you have held. Crew agents and management companies ask for them, and a previous endorsement can speed up the next.
After you revalidate your UK CoC
Every endorsement that rests on your UK CoC needs updating when the CoC is revalidated. Send the new CoC to each flag that has endorsed you. Lesson 4.2 puts this into the renewal timeline.
WARNING — Sailing without the endorsement Serving as an officer on a foreign-flagged yacht without that flag's endorsement leaves the yacht out of compliance with its safe manning document. It is the officer's problem as much as the yacht's.