Countries with which Norway has agreements for maritime certifications
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If you are holding a Certificate of Competency (CoC) according to STCW, and are to be employed on board a Norwegian vessel, the Shipping Company is to apply the Norwegian Maritime Authority for an endorsement. Endorsement is a document, which together with your National CoC, gives you the right to work on board Norwegian vessels. You will get the same rights and limitations in the endorsement as in your national CoC. It is not possible to add any rights in the endorsement. Endorsements can only be issued when the national CoC is issued by an administration which Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has an agreement with.
The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has approved certifications from the following countries in addition to all EU Member States:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Turkey
- UK
- Ukraine
- Vietnam
Additionally, a unilateral agreement allows seafarers with a U.S.-issued and Jordanian-issued certificates to serve on vessels registered in the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) as long as their certificates have been endorsed by NMA.
The NMA may consider agreements with other countries if Norwegian shipping companies demonstrate the need to employ a significant number of seafarers from those countries. Requests with supporting documentation must be submitted to the NMA.
Agreements with other flag States
Norwegian seafarers are generally eligible to serve on ships registered in EU member states, and they may receive endorsements in line with Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention and Directive 2008/106/EC regarding minimum training standards for seafarers.
Norway also has agreements with the following flag States, which accept Norwegian certificates:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Hong Kong
- Marshall Islands
- Panama
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Vanuatu
"Stateless" seafarers from the Baltic countries
According to a 2007 letter from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, seafarers in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania who are stateless or classified as “aliens” should be treated equivalently to EEA citizens of those countries.
They do not need an exemption from nationality requirements to serve as captains on Norwegian vessels; an endorsement on their national certificate suffices.