Consolidation
Governing: all notices in this course. Builds on: L1.1–L4.2.
One-page comparison
| Cayman | Isle of Man | Bermuda | BVI | Gibraltar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK CoC | Endorse | As-is | As-is (notice) | Unclear | As-is |
| UK CEC | Not usable | IoM endorsement | Not usable | Not stated | As-is |
| Who applies | Applicant signs; payer named | Company or agent | Owner or manager | Seafarer | Applicant (GSF-01) |
| Channel | CISR 504, email | MAVIS | BOSS | SeafarerHQ | GSF-01, email |
| Interim | CRA ≤3 months | CRA 3 months | Statement 3 months | CRA 3 months | Unconfirmed |
| Medical | Govt-issued, White List/MLC | MLC/STCW/ILO 73 | Closed list | Unconfirmed | Govt-recognised, MLC/STCW/ILO 73 |
| Fee | US$380 | £253 | Not published | Not published | £87 |
Worked cases
1. MCA Master (Yachts) <3000 GT joining a Cayman yacht. A UK CoC, but Cayman endorses everything. File CISR 504 with CoC, GMDSS certificate, passport, medical with at least 3 months left, and the LAP declaration. Fee US$380. Serve on the CRA until the endorsement arrives.
2. South African chief engineer with a UK CEC: Gibraltar yacht, then IoM yacht. Gibraltar accepts the CEC as-is. For the IoM the company files through MAVIS for an IoM endorsement; the CEC does not exempt him. South Africa is on MSN 051 Appendix 1, so the endorsement can be based on his national CoC.
3. American officer with a USCG MMC joining a Bermuda yacht. The USA is on BSN 2025-015 Appendix 1, so the manager files in BOSS. The US medical is not on BSN 2022-007; he needs an ENG1 or another listed certificate.
4. Maltese OOW (Yachts) <3000 GT, trained at XONE, joining an IoM yacht. On MSN 051 Appendix 1. The company files through MAVIS; CRA for 3 months; fee £253. Were she promoted on a Maltese Chief Mate (Yachts) CoC, the IoM list would not cover it, although Cayman's would.
5. Officer holding only a Liberian CoC. Liberia is on none of the five lists. There is nothing to endorse; the route is a CoC from a listed country.
The decision sequence
- Which flag? That decides whether a UK CoC or CEC works as-is.
- Which document is being recognised? A CoC issued by a listed country; not another flag's endorsement or a CEC (Gibraltar's CEC rule apart).
- Yacht-limited? Check the exact title against that flag's yacht list.
- Who files, and through what? Company-only at the IoM and Bermuda.
- Interim cover: the CRA, three months, carried with the original CoC.
- Medical, GMDSS, English, LAP: each checked against that flag's rule.
Still unconfirmed
- BVI: whether UK CoCs need an endorsement; medical rules (MC 02-2024 not retrieved); fees; the Annex A yacht list.
- Bermuda: endorsement fee; whether non-UK yacht-restricted CoCs are endorsed; the web page's wording on UK CoCs.
- Gibraltar: CRA wording and validity; processing time; accepted foreign yacht CoCs.
- Cayman: processing time; who signs the LAP declaration (MPM §7 against CISR 504).
TIP — Three questions first Which flag? Which certificate, by exact title? Who files? Answer those and the rest is paperwork.
CAUTION — Lists move Every figure here is dated. Check the flag's current notice before you rely on a fee, a list or a portal.