Seafarer documentsEndorsements and recognition
Flag state endorsement (recognition of a certificate)
- STCW I/10
- Full entry
- Checked 6 October 2026
- Document type
- Endorsement of recognition
- Validity
- As shown on the issued document
- Names in other countries
- 46 countries
Contents6
1 What it covers
Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate (STCW I/10) attests recognition of another administration’s certificate for service under the issuing flag. It is needed by holders of a foreign certificate obtaining authorisation to serve under the relevant flag. Validity: as shown on the issued document.1
2 Validity and renewal
Document validity. The expiry date, if the issuing system sets one, is shown on the document itself. This reference does not calculate personal expiry dates.
Maximum period. The endorsement is valid for no more than 5 years and never longer than the certificate it recognises; it ceases to be valid if that certificate is withdrawn, suspended or cancelled.1
3 Which positions
The need follows from the ship and the duties on board, not from the title of the position. In this reference the document appears in the requirements of these positions:
4 Names in 46 countries
How national systems name this document. The original name is given where the source has it; the English name is our editorial rendering.
Same document
| Country | Name in the issuing country |
|---|---|
| South Africa | Endorsement recognising a foreign certificateIssued by: South African Maritime Safety Authority · source |
| Estonia | välisriigi meresõidudiplomi tunnustamise kinnituslehtEndorsement Attesting Recognition of a Foreign Maritime DiplomaIssued by: Transpordiamet · source |
| Bulgaria | Endorsement Recognising a Foreign Certificate for Seagoing Servicesource |
| Germany | AnerkennungsvermerkEndorsement attesting recognition of a foreign certificateIssued by: BSH · source |
| Vietnam | Giấy công nhận Giấy chứng nhận khả năng chuyên mônEndorsement Attesting Recognition of a Certificate of CompetencyIssued by: Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration; historical issuer Vietnam Maritime Administration · source |
| Ireland | certificate of equivalent competencyIssued by: Department of Transport / Marine Survey Office · source |
Related document
Show all 46 countries
Same document
| Country | Name in the issuing country |
|---|---|
| Thailand | Certificate of RecognitionIssued by: Marine Department · source |
| United Kingdom | Flag State EndorsementIssued by: Maritime and Coastguard Agency · source |
| Algeria | Visa attestant la reconnaissance d’un brevet d’aptitudeEndorsement Attesting Recognition of a Foreign Certificate of CompetencyIssued by: Administration chargée de la marine marchande · source |
| Pakistan | Recognition of a foreign certificateIssued by: Mercantile Marine Department / Directorate General Ports and Shipping · source |
| Norway | Endorsement issued by the Norwegian Maritime AuthorityEndorsement attesting recognition of a foreign certificateIssued by: Norwegian Maritime Authority / Sjøfartsdirektoratet · source |
| Panama | Endorsement of Recognition of Certificates under Regulation I/10Issued by: Panama Maritime Authority · source |
| Liberia | Endorsement LicenseIssued by: Liberia Maritime Authority / Deputy Commissioner · source |
| Marshall Islands | Certificate of EndorsementIssued by: Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator · source |
| Malta | Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate of CompetenceIssued by: Transport Malta – Merchant Shipping Directorate · source |
| Cyprus | Endorsement attesting the recognition of a non-Cyprus CertificateEndorsement Attesting Recognition of a Non-Cyprus CertificateIssued by: Shipping Deputy Ministry · source |
| Bahamas | Bahamas Flag State EndorsementIssued by: Bahamas Maritime Authority · source |
| Singapore | Certificate of Endorsement attesting recognitionIssued by: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore · source |
| Hong Kong | GMDSS Certificate of Equivalent Competency with EndorsementIssued by: Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) · source |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong LicenceIssued by: Hong Kong Marine Department · source |
| Japan | 承認証Recognition CertificateIssued by: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism · source |
| Myanmar | Certificate of RecognitionIssued by: Department of Marine Administration · source |
| Belgium | Visa attestant la reconnaissanceEndorsement attesting recognition of a foreign certificateIssued by: FPS Mobility and Transport / Scheepvaartcontrole · source |
| Canada | Canadian endorsement attesting the recognition of a foreign certificateIssued by: Transport Canada Marine Safety and Security · source |
| Brazil | Reconhecimento de Certificado de CompetênciaRecognition of Certificate of Competency (DPC-1033)Issued by: Marinha do Brasil, Diretoria de Portos e Costas · source |
| Malaysia | Certificate of Recognition (COR)Issued by: Malaysia Marine Department · source |
| Sri Lanka | Endorsement attesting recognitionIssued by: Merchant Shipping Secretariat / Director General of Merchant Shipping · source |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Endorsement attesting the recognition of a certificateIssued by: Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS) · source |
| Belize | Officer Endorsement CertificateIssued by: International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE) · source |
| Bermuda | Bermuda Issued EndorsementIssued by: Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority · source |
| British Virgin Islands | BVI Flag State Endorsement (FSE)Issued by: Virgin Islands Shipping and Maritime Authority · source |
| Brunei | Endorsement of Recognition (EOR)Issued by: Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam · source |
| Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands EndorsementIssued by: Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands · source |
| Colombia | Refrendo de ReconocimientoEndorsement attesting recognitionIssued by: Dirección General Marítima (DIMAR) · source |
| Cook Islands | Certificate of EndorsementIssued by: Maritime Cook Islands · source |
| Ecuador | Reconocimiento de TítuloRecognition of a certificateIssued by: Dirección Nacional de los Espacios Acuáticos (DIRNEA), Armada del Ecuador · source |
| Iceland | Áritun til staðfestingar á viðurkenninguEndorsement Attesting RecognitionIssued by: Samgöngustofa · source |
| Jamaica | Jamaican endorsement attesting the recognition of a certificateIssued by: Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) · source |
| Qatar | Endorsement attesting recognition of certificate of competencyEndorsement Attesting Recognition of a Certificate of CompetencyIssued by: Ministry of Transport – Ship Registry and Seafarers Affairs Department · source |
| Qatar | Endorsement attesting recognition of GMDSS operator certificateEndorsement Attesting Recognition of a GMDSS Operator CertificateIssued by: Ministry of Transport – Ship Registry and Seafarers Affairs Department · source |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Endorsement of Certificate of Competency for GMDSSIssued by: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Maritime Administration · source |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate Under the Provisions of the Regulation I/10Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate Under the Provisions of Regulation I/10Issued by: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Maritime Administration · source |
| San Marino | Endorsement Attesting RecognitionIssued by: San Marino Maritime Navigation Authority · source |
| Saudi Arabia | Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of Foreign Certificate of CompetencyEndorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Foreign Certificate of CompetencyIssued by: Transport General Authority – Maritime Transport Sector · source |
| Slovenia | overitev o priznanjuEndorsement Attesting RecognitionIssued by: Uprava Republike Slovenije za pomorstvo · source |
| Uruguay | Refrendo de reconocimientoEndorsement attesting recognitionIssued by: Prefectura Nacional Naval, Dirección Registral y de Marina Mercante (DIRME) · source |
| Vanuatu | STCW endorsement attesting recognitionIssued by: Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority (VMSA); Vanuatu International Shipping Registry (VISR) · source |
Related document
| Country | Name in the issuing country |
|---|---|
| Gibraltar | Gibraltar endorsementIssued by: Gibraltar Maritime Administration · source |
| Isle of Man | Isle of Man EndorsementIssued by: Isle of Man Ship Registry · source |
| Jamaica | Endorsement to work onboard a Jamaican yachtIssued by: Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) · source |
"Related document" is a national document of its own system that relates to this type but is not automatically equal to it.
5
Same code STCW I/10: one code is not always one document. The certificate itself and the limitations written in it show which one you hold. Other types under this code: Documentary Proof of Application for a Recognition Endorsement1
6 Frequently asked questions
Who needs the Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate?
Holders of a foreign certificate obtaining authorisation to serve under the relevant flag. In this reference it appears in the requirements of 18 positions; whether you need it depends on the ship and your duties.1
How long is the Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate valid?
The expiry date, if the issuing system sets one, is shown on the document itself. This reference does not calculate personal expiry dates. The endorsement is valid for no more than 5 years and never longer than the certificate it recognises; it ceases to be valid if that certificate is withdrawn, suspended or cancelled.1
What else is the Endorsement Attesting the Recognition of a Certificate called?
Also known as Certificate of Endorsement attesting the Recognition of a Certificate of Competency (STCW I/10). National names in 46 countries are listed on this page.