Deck Officer Class 6

The D6 Certificate is only issued digitally. Log in to "my page" or download the NMA Seafarer app to see your certificate.

Here, you can also find your receipt by logging in to "My page for seafarers".

Select "application status" and "download receipt".

Seagoing service must be earned on deck on board cargo ships, passenger ships or fishing vessels of 8 metres in overall length and upwards. If you do not have sufficient seagoing service, you can complete a practical test.

Seagoing service earned on vessels under the legislation for vessels carrying 12 passengers or less, cannot be approved upon initial application, unless the vessel is registered as a cargo ship and is between 8 and 15 metres.

• D6 (right to operate under 15 meters)
• D6 (right to operate under 24 metres). You can apply for this certificate if you have 12 months of seagoing service as master or mate on cargo ships of between 8 and 15 metres in length where seagoing service was earned before D6 became subject to a certificate (1 January 2024).
• The D6 (limited) was issued on a transitional basis for those who had sufficient work experience and no diploma for the D6. It is now only possible to apply for renewal of D6 (limited). You cannot apply for a higher certificate on the basis of D6 (limited).

A diploma for D6 must be issued by a course provider which is approved by the NMA.
You can find approved course providers here.

This form must be used when carrying out a practical test. Remember that practical tests must be carried out on cargo ships.

The practical test is carried out together with an approved assessor. An assessor is a person who holds a certificate of qualification for assessor and has either a minimum valid D6 certificate, or can document being a teacher in all STCW Convention subjects relevant to the assessment.

The assessor can find information about conducting and registering the practical test here.

The course description for Deck Officer Class 6 has subjects that deal with the use of electronically approved maps, but the training does not meet the requirements for ECDIS. If you are going on board a vessel with an approved ECDIS, you need an approved ECDIS course.

You can sail with your D6 Certificate on vessels equipped with, for example, Coastal E because this is not ECDIS.

You can find approved seafarers' doctors here. A medical certificate for a Certificate for Deck Officer Class 5 Pleasure Craft (D5L) is not valid for an application for a D6 certificate.

Without a valid medical certificate, your D6 certificate will not be valid either.

A medical certificate is valid for up to 2 years and must be renewed if you are dependent on using the D6 certificate in your work.

If you have restrictions in your medical certificate, you must follow these even if you have a valid D6 certificate. The limitations of the medical certificate will not be visible in your D6 certificate.

If you do not meet the requirements for, for example, eyesight in the health certificate, you can find more information about what you can do here. 

As a minimum, you must have safety training for seafarers on smaller ships. The course has a minimum duration of 35 hours.

You can also use one of these: 

• Basic safety training
• Safety training for fishermen 
• Advanced safety training
• Safety training for seafarers on smaller ships

You can find approved course centers here.

You can find more information about safety courses here.

The expiry date in the certificate is the same date as the expiry date on your safety course. If you have safety training for fishermen, the expiry date on your certificate will be set five years from the date of issue on the safety course.

As a minimum, you need an SRC certificate issued after 2002. You may also have a valid ROC/GOC certificate. You must apply for a radio certificate from Telenor Kystradio.  

The master/captain is the one who has the highest authority on board.

Who this is, must be clarified at all times as long as the boat is in operation.

Employees who do not have a certificate of competence for cranes, anchor-handling or towing cannot be masters during such operations on board cargo ships/workboats under 24 m.

If the vessel is only to be operated from A to B, there is no requirement for the master to have a certificate of competence for anchor-handling and/or towing when the vessel does not participate in or carry out such operations.

It is up to the employer/shipping company to ensure that the employees have courses/certificates/training etc. in accordance with the regulations, e.g. how many need certificates of competence for the use of cranes, anchor-handling and/or towing.

This must be seen in the context of how often such operations are carried out and what is most practical in terms of personnel on board. 

Among other things, the shipping company is responsible for ensuring that those who work on board Norwegian ships meet the qualification requirements set out in the Act of 16 February 2007 relating to Ship Safety and Security (the Ship Safety and Security Act) and the Regulations of 22 December 2011 No. 1523 on qualifications and certificates for seafarers (the Qualifications Regulations).

"Shipping company" is defined in Section 4 of the Ship Safety and Security Act. Section 4 of the Ship Safety and Security Act stipulates that the ship's owner is considered to be a shipping company when the ship does not have a safety management certificate, which is the case, among other things, for rescue vessels with a gross tonnage of less than 500. (The term "ship" is explained in the preparatory works for the Ship Safety and Security Act, which states that "It shall be a floating facility with buoyancy. The facility must be intended for and be able to move on or through the water.", cf. NOU 2005: 14 point 7.1.3.2.)  

Avinor is therefore considered a shipping company when it owns a rescue vessel, and the term "shipping company" is to be understood in the same way when it is used in the Qualifications Regulations because the Regulations are authorised by the Ship Safety and Security Act.

Cargo vessels under 8 meters
 

• Driver's license requirements:  none (We recommend that the person in question has the boating license)
  
  
• Health certificate: there is no requirement for a health certificate from us, but the company's/employer must consider the person in question to be in a state of health.
  
  
• Safety course: at least safety course for seafarers on smaller ships. 

Guidance on D6 Certificates and courses on anchor-handling, towing and lifting operations – Norwegian Maritime Authority

• Regulations on qualifications and certificates for seafarers - Lovdata
  
  
• Regulations on life-saving appliances on ships - Lovdata