Engineers on Malta Yachts

Every officer holding a non-Maltese STCW CoC needs a Malta Flag State Endorsement, applied for on the Seafarer Portal under MS Notice 92 Rev.2 (28 Jun 2022). The fee is €60 (€30 reissue, plus €25 courier), and deck officers must be endorsed together with a GOC or ROC. You may serve for up to 3 months on the application acknowledgement, so apply before you join.

Commercial Yachting Notice 15 (24 Apr 2026) is a decision flow: recognised STCW CoCs get an endorsement, while non-STCW yacht certificates used outside the CYC 17.2.5 limits, dual deck/engine roles and CoCs from non-recognised administrations need written confirmation from the Yachts Section. A law-firm summary dates the notice 6 May 2026; the TM list says 24 Apr 2026. The notice also cites CYC "17.6" for dual roles, where the CYC 2025 dual-role paragraph is 17.5.

No current TM-published list of recognised administrations was found. The undated EMSA DONA profile lists the EU plus 36 other states, including the UK, USA and Australia, but not the Marshall Islands, South Africa or Cayman; AML (Jul 2025) speaks of 40, including Brazil. Holders of RMI, SAMSA or Cayman CoCs should ask the Yachts Section for written confirmation before accepting a job.

The fifth edition of the Commercial Yacht Code took effect on 1 July 2025 (MS Notice 194, 30 May 2025), revoking MS Notice 164 and CYC 2020. A yacht certified to CYC 2020 must comply by its first renewal survey after 31 December 2025. Quote the edition when applying for a Minimum Safe Manning Certificate.

TM's CYC web page still says "15+ metres", but CYC 2025 §3.1.1 applies from 24 m Load Line length, with the Small Commercial Yacht Code 2024 covering 12–24 m. TM's manning page also says commercial yachts of 24 m or less are exempt from the MSMC, while CYC 17.1.5 says "all yachts". The web pages appear to predate the sCYC; go by the Code.

CYC 2025 §17.3.1 accepts one SRC holder on yachts under 300 GT in Sea Area A1. CY Notice 15 (24 Apr 2026) says deck STCW CoCs are endorsed together with a GOC or ROC. An officer holding only an SRC may meet the yacht's radio requirement and still have the endorsement held up; ask TM, or get the ROC.

MS Notice 107 Rev.1 (8 Oct 2024) accepts a certificate from a practitioner "authorised … in the jurisdiction where the certificate is issued", which implies the UK ENG1 is accepted, but no TM document names it. Under CYC 17.8 the medical is renewed every 2 years, and every year from age 61.

The CYC 2025 excludes pleasure yachts not in commercial use (§3.1.8); private yachts of 500 GT and over "shall comply as far as reasonable and practicable" (§1.13.2). No TM document found says whether they need an MSMC, endorsed officers or STCW crew. Ask the Yachts Section before relying on either answer.

MS Notice 118 Rev.2 (23 Sep 2026) makes the Seaman's Record Book digital only, issued through the Seafarer Portal for €60 (plus €25). It has not been confirmed whether existing paper books stay valid, so keep your paper book and service testimonials until TM says otherwise.

The consolidated S.L. 234.17 (as amended by LN 26/2021) lists only OOW (Yachts) <3000 GT and Master (Yachts) <500 GT. TM Model Course 2.01 (2022 ed.) and the PYA (10 Aug 2022) say Malta issues Master (Yachts) <3000 GT, and Chief Mate (Yachts) <3000 GT is its entry grade. No amending Legal Notice was found; the certificates are issued, but their legal basis is unconfirmed.

OOW (Yachts) <3000 GT counts service on vessels of 15 m or 80 GT (S.L. 234.17 and the 2020 Framework). Master (Yachts) <500 GT needs 24 m or 80 GT, and Master (Yachts) <3000 GT needs 24 m LOA or 80 GT (Model Course 2.01). Time on a 20 m yacht may count towards OOW but not towards a Master grade.

The CYC 2025 manning notes test individual engine power (the 300 kW and 500 kW thresholds) and give no aggregate formula, so twin 450 kW engines still pass "no engine over 500 kW". MCA Y-ticket limits, by contrast, are set on total propulsion power. Check both on the same yacht: one per engine for the manning table, one combined for the ticket.

The endorsement box in the CY Notice 15 (24 Apr 2026) flowchart lists STCW engineer CoCs but omits III/3, the grade that covers MCA Y4, Y3 and the SV Chief Engineer <3,000 kW. It is not known whether this is intended. If you hold a III/3 CoC, ask the Yachts Section which route applies before you join.

On Short Range motor yachts under 500 GT, CYC 2025 §17.4.4 requires an AE with a full AEC unless two of three apply: unmanned machinery spaces, a maker or approved-station maintenance agreement, and no engine over 500 kW. If you rely on the maintenance agreement, keep a current copy aboard; an expired one may lose the exemption.