Masters and officers who hold a foreign STCW certificate of competency or a certificate of proficiency in advanced training for tanker ship cargo operations and wish to serve on vessels flying the Finnish flag must have an endorsement issued by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency.
By issuing an endorsement, the flag state recognizes the original STCW certificate of competency issued by another flag state. The endorsement must always be presented together with the original certificate of competency. It is valid as long and has the same limitations as the original certificate.
All masters' and officers' certificates issued in accordance with the STCW Convention as well as the following certificates of proficiency can be endorsed:
- Certificate in advanced training for oil tanker cargo operations (V/1-1.3)
- Certificate in advanced training for chemical tanker cargo operations (V/1-1.5)
- Certificate in advanced training for liquefied gas tanker cargo operations (V/1-2.3)
Certificates of ratings need not be endorsed.
When applying for endorsement at the management level, i.e. master (II/2), chief mate (II/2), master near-coastal voyages (II/3) chief engineer (III/2), second engineer (III/2) chief engineer on ships of less than 3000 kW (III/3) or second engineer on ships of less than 3000 kW (III/3), an examination in Finnish maritime legislation must be passed. For detailed information on the exam, please contact the Finnish maritime colleges providing such exams. The exam may be taken in English.
The holder of deck officer's (II/1) or watchkeeping engineer's (III/1) endorsement has to pass an examination in Finnish maritime legislation to be able to work in management level duties (master, chief mate, chief engineer or second engineer officer) if the ship's minimum safe manning document allows it.
Applying for an endorsement
Attach the required appendices to the application
Appendices needed for the application:
- Copy of STCW certificate and endorsement pages, if any
- Copy of certificate on examination in Finnish maritime legislation, when applying for endorsement at the management level, i.e. master, chief mate, master near-coastal voyages, chief engineer, second engineer, chief engineer or second engineer on ships of less than 3000 kW
- Copy of valid seafarer's medical certificate
- Copy of passport identity page
- One original passport photograph by post (photo must follow the passport photograph quality requirements set by the Finnish police (External link)). Please write your name and date of birth on the back of the passport photograph.
Processing of the application
Your application is transferred to the processing list. If you pay an express processing fee (200 euro), Traficom will strive to process your application within 1-2 working days.
The normal processing time is usually 1 - 2 weeks.
If additional information is required to support your application, you will be sent a request for additional information.
Decision
If you can be issued the endorsement, you will receive it by post within 1 - 2 weeks.
If you do not send the required additional information or the conditions for issuing the endorsement are not met, a decision will be made not to issue you the endorsement. The fee for a negative decision is the same as for an issued endorsement.
The fee for an endorsement is 150 euro. The fee for a renewal of an endorsement is 110 euro.
In case of urgency, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency can issue a certificate of received application (CRA) to the applicant for a fee of 50 euros. If the CRA is needed urgently, the fee is 250 euros. The CRA entitles the applicant to serve on a ship flying the Finnish flag until the endorsement is granted, 3 months at the most. If the application is turned down, the right to serve on board the ship ends at the next port of call.