Information for training providers, shipping companies and seafarers on STCW Code A-VI/1-4 amendments adopted by MSC.560(108)

From 1 January 2026, safety training in accordance with the STCW Code A-VI/1-4 must include training to:

«Contribute to the prevention of and response to violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault. » 

This means that both basic safety training and refresher courses must be revised to include this new topic.

Personnel who already hold valid safety training in accordance with Annex II table A-VI/1-4 of the Regulations on qualifications and certificates for seafarers may continue to use this training until it is due for renewal. 

Training providers may continue to deliver courses under current approvals until 1 January 2026, but are strongly encouraged to update their course plans as soon as possible to align with the new requirements.

Approved training providers must revise their course plans to comply with the new requirements by 1 January 2026. 

For seafarers attending basic safety training, courses conducted after 1 January 2026 will be updated to meet the new requirements. 

The new training requirement, which aims to prevent and respond to violence and harassment – including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault – must be included in basic safety training, refresher courses for basic safety training and refresher courses for advanced safety training.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) considers this training so important that it will also be added to the refresher courses for both basic and advanced safety training.

Seafarers who already hold basic and/or advanced safety training will receive this training under the new requirements when the attend refresher courses. There will be no requirement for seafarers on NOR/NIS-registered vessels to document completion of training under the new requirements earlier than at their next scheduled refresher course.

The NMA does not consider it practical to require all seafarers to document completion of training under the new requirements by 1 January 2026. Such a requirement would create significant challenges for seafarers, shipping companies and training centres due to the large number of participants within a very limited timeframe before the new year. Training centres offering safety training have also not had sufficient time to update their courses to meet the new requirements, and therefore full implementation from 1 January 2026 would not be feasible.

The NMA has decided that by 1 January 2031, as described in the section “Actions required”, all seafarers must have completed training in accordance with SASH – STCW Code, table A-VI/1-4. This includes both Norwegian and foreign seafarers on NOR and NIS vessels, in line with the transitional provisions of Article VII (2) of the STCW Convention.

Please note that other flag States may adopt different approaches to implementing this new requirement.