The UK has changed where ratings send their applications for an Able Seafarer certificate. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) updated its forms and guidance on 1 November 2026.
Applications for Able Seafarer Deck and Able Seafarer Engine certificates now go to the Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS). This is the MCA office that keeps the UK records of ships and seafarers. Before, applications went to the MCA's local marine offices.
An Able Seafarer certificate is the STCW certificate for an AB. On deck it is called a Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) under STCW regulation II/5. In the engine room it is a CoP under regulation III/5.
What changed
You send the application form and scanned documents by email to Seafarers.registry@mcga.gov.uk, as the MCA page for the AB Deck certificate says.
For AB Deck, the form is MSF 4310. For AB Engine, the form is MSF 4284. Both forms were updated on 1 November.
The MCA has no counter service. You cannot hand in the application in person.
The RSS may choose your application for a random check. Then it asks you to send your original documents to the RSS.
The MCA also updated its two rules notices for ratings, MSN 1862 for deck ratings and MSN 1863 for engine ratings. The only change noted is the new place to send AB applications.
The rules to get the certificate did not change. The change is only about where you apply.
Who can apply
These are the main conditions from the MCA guidance for rating certificates. For AB Deck:
You are at least 18 years old.
You have 18 months of sea service in the deck department while holding a Navigational Watch Rating certificate (STCW II/4). It is 12 months if you followed an approved training programme.
You have STCW basic safety training.
You have an Efficient Deck Hand (EDH) certificate. EDH is a course and exam at an MCA-approved training centre.
You have a Certificate of Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSC&RB). This is the lifeboat certificate.
You have a valid ENG1 medical certificate or an accepted foreign medical certificate.
For AB Engine:
You are at least 18 years old.
You have 12 months of engine room sea service with an Engine Room Watch Rating certificate (STCW III/4). You also need an MCA-approved engine course. Or you have 6 months of service as an engine room watch rating and approved training.
You have a completed Training Record Book. This is a book where your officers sign off the tasks you learned on board.
You have STCW basic safety training.
You have a valid ENG1 or an accepted foreign medical certificate.
AB pay depends on the ship type and the contract. You can compare it on the Crewboard salary page for AB (Able Seaman). If you want to start a career on deck in the UK, read about the UK Seafarer Deck Rating apprenticeship.
What to do now
Download the new form from the MCA page: MSF 4310 for AB Deck or MSF 4284 for AB Engine. Do not use an old copy of the form.
Scan your discharge book or discharge certificates, your STCW basic training certificates and your ENG1. Also scan your course certificates: EDH and PSC&RB for deck, or the engine course for engine.
For AB Engine, also scan your signed Training Record Book.
Pay the fee in pounds by card or bank transfer through GOV.UK Pay. The form says the fee is £34 for a UK return address. The MCA does not take cash or cheques.
Email the form, the scans and your payment details to Seafarers.registry@mcga.gov.uk.
Keep your original documents safe.
The RSS may ask for originals. If you send them from outside the UK, tell the courier that the papers have no value. Otherwise you may have to pay import tax.
If your company is approved by the MCA, it may issue some rating certificates for you. Ask your company first.
For questions about rating certificates, the MCA Seafarer Training and Certification Branch is at +44 20 3817 2200.
Cover photo: civilian mariners and a US Navy sailor handle mooring gear on the submarine tender USS Frank Cable in Guam in 2010. The photo is illustrative. Photo: US Navy, Corey Hensley, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Sources: UK MCA: How to apply for Able Seafarer, Rating certificates and EDH requirements (updated 1 Nov 2026), UK MCA: How to apply for a UK Certificate of Proficiency for Able Seafarer Deck, form MSF 4310 (updated 1 Nov 2026), UK MCA: How to apply for a UK Certificate of Proficiency for Able Seafarer Engine, form MSF 4284 (updated 1 Nov 2026), UK MCA: MSN 1862 (M) Amendment 1, UK requirements for deck ratings, UK MCA: MSN 1863 (M+F) Amendment 1, UK requirements for engine room ratings.
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