Orientation
Governing: MI-118 §3.1–3.2 and Annex 7; STCW Regulation I/10. Builds on: L1.1.
The principle
STCW Regulation I/10 allows a flag to recognise a certificate issued by another Party, provided it has satisfied itself about that Party's training and certification system. The RMI does this through Memorandums of Undertaking with specific administrations, all of which appear on the IMO "White List". Those administrations are listed in MI-118 Annex 7.
If your issuing administration is on the list, you can apply for a CoE without sitting an RMI examination. If it is not, the endorsement route is closed and you are looking at an RMI CoC by examination (MI-118E) or a certificate from a listed administration.
Who is on the list
Annex 7 runs to roughly a hundred entries. For yacht crew the ones that matter most are:
| Administration | Notes in Annex 7 |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Footnote includes the Isle of Man |
| Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar | Listed separately beneath the UK footnotes |
| United States | Listed |
| Australia | Listed |
| South Africa | Listed |
| New Zealand, Canada, Ireland | Listed |
| France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Greece, Croatia, Poland | Listed |
| Philippines, India, Ukraine | Listed |
Other administrations appear too. The list is described as "dynamic": countries can be added or, in special circumstances, deleted.
CAUTION — Check the live list The MI-118 revision history shows Annex 7 was last updated in December 2017, and the printed table contains duplicated names. Before you rely on it for an unusual nationality, have your filing agent or Seafarers' Documentation confirm the position.
What makes a certificate acceptable
Being from a listed country is necessary but not sufficient. Under §3.1.2 the certificate must:
- have been obtained in full compliance with the issuing government's rules, including a comprehensive examination;
- be current and valid in all respects;
- carry the STCW endorsement (the "endorsement attesting the issue of a certificate", or equivalent); and
- not be revoked, expired, altered, illegible or otherwise doubtful.
Grade is not automatic
The Administrator is not obliged to mirror your grade. §3.1.3 lets it refuse the same grade if the national standard is lower than the RMI's own examination standard, or treat the certificate as equivalent to a lower RMI grade. §3.1.4 says a certificate covering several grades will be endorsed at the grade that reflects your actual experience, and §3.1.5 carries across any limitation on the national certificate.
Verification
Every foreign CoC is subject to verification with the issuing authority (§3.2.2). MI-280 goes further and tells filing agents to confirm validity with the national authority themselves and attach the evidence to the MI-105. If a certificate turns out to be fraudulent, the issuing nation is told, the application is refused, fees are forfeited, and the applicant can be barred for at least two years with an administrative penalty of USD 500 (§2.10).
WARNING — Online verification cuts both ways MCA, USCG and AMSA certificates can be checked online in minutes. A doctored scan will be found, and the consequences follow you across every flag that shares information.