GovWire

This Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN) explains how to apply for a United Kingdom (UK) Certificate of Equivalent Competency (CEC). A CEC is the UKs name for a flag state endorsement (FSE) as set out in Regulation I/10 of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.

Any officer working on board a UK-registered vessel who does not have a UK Certificate of Competency (CoC) must have a FSE/CEC. You can apply for a FSE/CEC if you have a CoC from an administration recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). You may have to provide additional evidence of competency, knowledge of English language and UK Legal and Administrative processes (UKLAP).

Notice to all owners, masters, officers, ratings and those concerned with maritime training.

This notice replaces MSN 1867 on 10 January 2023.