Interim service
Governing: STCW Reg. I/10.5 and Art. VIII; CISR 504 §5; MSN 051 §4; BSN 2025-015 §7; BVI MC 10/2025 Reg. 7(4)–(5); MPM §14; MSN 050 §3. Builds on: L3.1.
The rule
STCW lets an officer serve for up to three months on documentary proof that an endorsement application has been made. Each flag in the Group turns that into a receipt.
| Flag | Document | When issued | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayman | CRA, a formal letter emailed once all documents are received | On receipt | "not exceeding three months" (CISR 504 §5) |
| Isle of Man | Confirmation of Receipt of Application, emailed to the applying company | When the application is acceptable | Serve 3 months without the endorsement on board (MSN 051 §4) |
| Bermuda | Electronic statement of receipt | "Immediately on receipt" (BSN §7(2)); web page says "within one working day" and "within 24 hours" | Up to three months |
| BVI | CRA printed from SeafarerHQ | After approval and payment | Reg. 7(4): 3 months while recognition is pending |
| Gibraltar | Not found in retrieved material | – | Presumed 3 months under I/10.5 [unconfirmed] |
Bermuda calls three months "ample time" for processing. The IoM says its endorsement is "often issued on the same day" and normally within a few days.
What to carry
- The CRA, paper or electronic, as issued.
- Your original underlying CoC. The CRA without it proves nothing.
- The CRA's issue date. Three months runs from issue, not from joining.
The IoM's PSC guidance treats "documentary proof that an application for an endorsement has been submitted" as acceptable, and failure to produce one as a deficiency that can justify detention (MSN 050 §14).
Dispensations
A CRA covers the capacity your CoC already allows. A dispensation lets you serve one grade higher.
| Point | Cayman (MPM §14) | Isle of Man (MSN 050 §3; MSN 054) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | STCW Art. VIII | STCW Art. VIII |
| Maximum period | 6 months | 6 months ("generally" for yachts) |
| Scope | Specified seafarer, specified ship, one grade up | Specified seafarer, specified period |
| Master / chief engineer | Only genuine force majeure, normally death or incapacity, until the next port where a qualified relief can join | Not stated |
| Not a ground | "Logistical challenges in crewing a vessel" | Not stated |
| Apply to | By email, with full circumstances and crewing steps | marine.survey@gov.im |
Each dispensation must be reported to the IMO annually (MPM §14). Gibraltar lists a dispensation fee of £87. How the flags handle a crew member who simply fails to join, as opposed to an under-qualified one, is covered in Manning Rules on Red Ensign Yachts.
WARNING — A CRA is not a dispensation If your CoC does not cover the post, no CRA fixes it. "We couldn't find anyone" does not meet the exceptional-necessity test.
TIP — Diary the three months If the endorsement has not arrived by week ten, chase it. After three months the CRA is only paper.