Finland and Canada have agreed to recognise each other's seafarer certificates for officers. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) and Transport Canada signed an STCW undertaking in London on 4 November 2026.
The signing took place during the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council meeting. An STCW undertaking is the formal deal flag states need under STCW Regulation I/10. Without it, they cannot recognise each other's certificates of competency.
Traficom department head Juha-Matti Korsi signed for Finland. Transport Canada Director General Joanna Manger signed for Canada. Traficom published the news on 5 November 2026.
What the agreement covers
According to Traficom, the deal lets Finnish certificate holders work in officer roles on Canadian-flagged ships. It also lets Canadian certificate holders work in officer roles on Finnish-flagged ships.
It covers certificates of competency for officers. It also covers advanced tanker cargo certificates of proficiency. You still need an endorsement from the flag of the ship you join. The original certificate alone is not enough.
Traficom's general endorsement rules say ratings' certificates do not need a Finnish endorsement. Only masters and officers, plus advanced tanker proficiency certificates, need one for Finnish-flag ships.
How to get a Finnish endorsement
Hold a foreign STCW officer certificate and want a Finnish-flag ship? Apply to Traficom for an endorsement. Traficom explains the steps on its Apply for endorsement of STCW certificate page.
Apply in My e-Services, or use the paper form.
Attach a copy of your STCW certificate, a valid seafarer's medical certificate, a passport identity page, and one passport photo by post.
Management-level endorsements need an exam in Finnish maritime legislation. That covers master, chief mate, chief engineer, second engineer and near-coastal or lower-power roles.
The exam may be taken in English.
Normal processing is about one to two weeks. An express option is available for an extra fee.
The fee is €130 via the e-service and €190 on paper (as listed by Traficom).
A Certificate of Receipt of Application (CRA) can let you serve for up to three months while the endorsement is processed.
How to get a Canadian endorsement
Transport Canada issues a Canadian endorsement when Canada has a reciprocal arrangement with the country that issued your certificate. An authorized representative (usually the shipowner or manager) applies on your behalf.
Transport Canada's page sets out four steps. First the company applies. Then it gets a Confirmation of Receipt. That paper can allow work on a named ship for three months. For management level, the company completes on-board familiarization and sends it to Transport Canada. Then the endorsement is issued.
As of early November 2026, Transport Canada's public list of reciprocal countries had not yet been updated to show Finland. Traficom's announcement is the Finnish authority's own record of the signing. Ask your company or Transport Canada if your case is ready to file.
What officers should do now
If you hold a Finnish CoC and want a Canadian-flag job, ask the shipowner or crewing company to sponsor a Canadian endorsement. You cannot usually apply alone.
If you hold a Canadian CoC and want a Finnish-flag job, start the Traficom endorsement early. Leave time for the maritime-legislation exam if you need a management-level role.
Keep your original CoC valid. An endorsement only lasts as long as the original certificate.
Do not pay a private agent a "recognition fee" that is not a real Traficom or Transport Canada fee. Check fees on the official pages.
Compare pay for senior deck roles in Crewboard's Master salary guide.
Read how China and Saudi Arabia also signed a certificate MoU, and how India is testing digital certificate sharing.
Official help lines and certificate checks are on Crewboard's useful links page. Open jobs from employers are on external vacancies.
Cover photo: IMO Headquarters in London during an IMLI anniversary event on 22 April 2024. The Finland–Canada undertaking was signed at the IMO in London on 4 November 2026. Photo: International Maritime Organization (imo.un)/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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