With covid-19 situation, all the maritime training institute in India are shut down. This has forced seafarers not be able to renew their certificates and COCs. In order to provide relaxation to the seafarers, DG shipping have extended validity of all the documents who are expiring before 31st December 2020 to 31st December 2021.
(i) All Certificates of Competency and Certificates of Proficiency for all Seafarers (including the training certificates required under Chapter V or VI of the STCW Convention, or their Refresher Training as prescribed under the STCW Convention, as amended or as per the guidance provided in the Maritime Labour Convention, as amended); and the associated endorsements issued by or under the authority of the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), which have expired or are expiring on or before 31″ December 2020, who comply with the provisions of the STCW Convention as amended in 2010, which is attached to this order as Annex 1, Shall be deemed to be REVALIDATED till 31″ December 2021, irrespective of whether the seafarer is / was on ship at the time of expiry or not. However, this interim revalidation is only for the purpose of allowing the seafarer either with existing expired or expiring certificates to join ships but not for issuance of new CoCs or new endorsements.
For issuance of new CoCs or new endorsements, the existing requirements will continue to be applied.
(ii) No application is required to be made for the aforesaid interim revalidation.
(iii) Notwithstanding the above, whenever the revalidation of the expired certificate is to be carried out, the normal processes / fees will be applicable and the new validity date shall be for a period of five years from the original date of expiry of the Certificate. No benefit shall accrue to the Seafarer concerned by this Order; in terms of the cycle of the validity period or the fees payable.
Official Circular Is Here
