Eligibility for a flag-state seaman book rests on four things: your age, a valid seafarer medical certificate, STCW Basic Safety Training, and identity documents. Under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, Standard A1.1(1), no person under 16 may be employed on a ship, and a seafarer medical certificate is valid for a maximum of two years — one year if you are under 18. Each flag then sets its own thresholds on top of that: the Liberian Registry requires 16 for Ordinary Seaman, 18 for Able Seafarer, and at least 20 for Bosun certification. You do not need sea service to get your first book, and you do not need to be a citizen of the flag state.
Seaman Books is a documentation consultancy in Business Bay, Dubai, not a flag administration. We check your file against the flag’s own published criteria and tell you where it fails before any fee is quoted. The check is free and answered within 24 hours.
The four eligibility gates
| Gate | What it means | Where the rule comes from | Varies by flag? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | A floor set by international law, then a higher floor per rank set by the flag | MLC 2006 Standard A1.1(1) for the floor; flag notices for rank thresholds | Yes — by flag and by rank |
| Medical fitness | A current seafarer medical certificate from an examiner the flag recognises | MLC 2006 Regulation 1.2 / Standard A1.2; STCW Regulation I/9 | Only in whose form and whose examiner |
| STCW training | Basic Safety Training, plus security training, in date | STCW Regulation VI/1 (Code Tables A-VI/1-1 to A-VI/1-4) and Regulation VI/6 | Mostly no. Not required for a Bahamas SRB |
| Identity and documents | A valid passport, a compliant photograph, the flag’s own application form | Flag-specific | Yes |
Nationality is not a gate. Every flag in this table operates an open registry: it issues seafarer documents to seafarers of any nationality who meet its document requirements. You do not have to be Panamanian to hold a Panamanian seaman book.
Sea service is not a gate for a first book, either. A record book is where sea service gets recorded once you start working — it is not something you produce to obtain one. If a provider asks a first-time applicant for sea service evidence, ask which flag requires it and where that flag publishes the requirement. See also seaman book requirements for new applicants and the CDC application documents checklist.
Minimum age for a seaman book
The international floor is 16. MLC 2006 Standard A1.1(1) prohibits the employment of any person under 16 on a ship. Two further limits apply to seafarers over 16 but under 18: night work is prohibited (Standard A1.1(2)–(3)) and work likely to jeopardise health or safety is prohibited (Standard A1.1(4)).
| Flag | Rank / document | Minimum age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberia | Junior Ordinary Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, General Purpose Trainee | 16 | Liberian Registry RLM-118 Rev.04/2026 |
| Liberia | Able Seafarer; electro-technical ratings | 18 | RLM-118 Rev.04/2026 |
| Liberia | Bosun | 20 | RLM-118 Rev.04/2026 |
| Bahamas | Seafarers generally | 16 | BMA MN032 Rev.1, 26 Jan 2024 |
| Bahamas | Master, Chief Engineer, Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch | 18 | BMA MN032 Rev.1 |
| Bahamas | Any seafarer, night work | No work at night under 18 | BMA MN032 Rev.1 |
Panama, Palau, Belize, Honduras and St Kitts & Nevis publish no minimum age on any retrievable official source. For those five this page states the MLC floor of 16 and nothing more, and we confirm the flag’s own threshold for your rank at the point of enquiry.
If you are under 18, say so at the start of the check. Two things change: your medical certificate is valid for one year rather than two, and several ratings are closed to you until you turn 18 or 20. That is a scheduling problem, not a rejection.
What makes your medical certificate valid
This is the single most common reason a complete-looking file stalls. The certificate exists, and it expires mid-process.
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How long is a seafarer medical certificate valid? | A maximum of two years | MLC 2006 Standard A1.2; BMA MN028 citing STCW Regulation I/9 |
| And if I am under 18? | One year | MLC 2006 Standard A1.2; BMA MN028 |
| How often is colour vision assessed? | Every six years | MLC 2006 Standard A1.2; BMA MN028 |
| Whose examiner? | One the flag recognises. Panama requires a certificate under STCW Section A-I/9; the Bahamas requires its own medical form; Liberia requires an exam completed within the 24 months before application | AMP form F-76 TIT V.03; BMA Bulletin 107 Rev.04; LISCR RLM-118 |
| Does an STCW medical satisfy MLC? | Yes — a medical certificate issued in accordance with STCW is accepted | MLC 2006 Standard A1.2(3) |
The practical rule the check applies: your medical must be valid on the day the flag issues, not on the day you apply. If it expires soon, renew it first.
Which STCW certificates you need — and which ones actually expire
Basic Safety Training is four separate certificates, not one. STCW Regulation VI/1, via STCW Code Tables A-VI/1-1 to A-VI/1-4:
| Element | STCW Code table | Needs a five-yearly refresher? |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Survival Techniques (PST) | A-VI/1-1 | Yes — A-VI/1.2.1.1.1 |
| Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF) | A-VI/1-2 | Yes — A-VI/1.2.1.1.2 |
| Elementary First Aid | A-VI/1-3 | No |
| Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR) | A-VI/1-4 | No |
Two of the four need refreshing, not all four. Seafarers must provide evidence of having maintained the required standards of competence every five years, and the refresher obligation attaches to Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting — along with survival craft and rescue boats, fast rescue boats, and advanced fire fighting where those are held. Elementary First Aid and PSSR are not in that list. Source: BMA MN020 (21 November 2025) §7.3, citing STCW Code A-VI/1.2.1.1.1 and A-VI/1.2.1.1.2; the same four table numbers are independently confirmed on Panama’s own Ordinary Seaman requirement sheet (27 May 2025).
Security training is two different certificates
STCW Regulation VI/6 distinguishes security awareness — for all seafarers serving on ISPS-regulated ships, STCW Code Table A-VI/6-1 — from designated security duties (STSDSD), a different and higher certificate. They are not interchangeable, and a provider that treats them as one will file the wrong certificate.
Is STCW required for the book itself?
Not always, and the Bahamas is the exception worth knowing. BMA Bulletin 107 Rev.04, which governs the Bahamas Seafarers’ Record Book, requires a passport and a medical certificate and does not mention Basic Safety Training at all. Liberia does require it for the SIRB. Panama requires all four A-VI/1 elements for rating certification. If your STCW is the gate, we enrol you with accredited centres — see STCW certifications and STCW renewal.
Officers: eligibility for a flag-state endorsement of your CoC
If you hold a Certificate of Competency from your own country and are joining a foreign-flag ship, you do not usually need a new CoC. You need that flag’s endorsement of the one you already hold — and eligibility for it turns on something outside your control.
The flag must have a recognition undertaking with the country that issued your CoC. STCW Regulation I/10 governs this. The Bahamas states it plainly: the issuing country needs to have an STCW I/10 with The Bahamas, and it publishes its list of recognised countries. If your issuing country is not on the flag’s list, no amount of paperwork makes you eligible — you need a different flag.
The maximum validity of the endorsement is five years, and it cannot outlast the underlying CoC (BMA MN017, citing STCW Regulation I/2.8.4). The CoC underneath it revalidates at five-year intervals, requiring a valid medical certificate and evidence of continued competence (BMA MN014).
The first question the check asks an officer is which country issued your CoC. Everything else follows from the answer.
Eligibility by application type
The four routes are assessed differently, and mixing them up is the most common filing error we see.
| Route | You are eligible if | What the check needs from you | What it is not |
|---|---|---|---|
| New application | You meet the age floor, hold a current medical, hold the STCW the flag requires, and hold a valid passport. No sea service needed | Rank sought, nationality, date of birth, medical date, STCW certificates and dates, intended vessel type, joining date if fixed | Not a renewal, even if you once held a book that has since expired past the flag’s re-application window |
| Renewal | You hold the book being renewed — current or expired — and your medical and STCW are in date | Flag, book number, expiry date, current medical and STCW status | Not the route if the book is lost or stolen. That is a replacement |
| Replacement | Your book is lost, stolen or damaged, and you can evidence the original issue | Flag, book number if known, police report or sworn declaration, proof of original issue | Not a renewal. It runs through the issuing administration on a different route and is time-critical against a joining date |
| CoC endorsement | Your CoC’s issuing country holds an STCW I/10 recognition undertaking with the flag, and your CoC is valid | Issuing country, CoC grade and number, expiry, flag required, vessel type | Not a new CoC. No agency can issue you a Certificate of Competency |
Start the renewal conversation three to six months before expiry — see seaman book renewal and the 90-60-30 renewal timeline. For a lost book, see the global replacement process and CDC replacement from Dubai.
Flag-state eligibility at a glance — with the verification link
Every row names the administration, links its own published position, and gives you the public route to verify any document you receive without coming back through us.
| Flag | Administration | Record-book validity | Age published? | Public verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberia | Liberian Registry (LISCR) | Five years — first issue of a SIRB (RLM-118 Rev.04/2026). Supernumeraries 18 months | Yes — 16 / 18 / 20 by rank | seafarer.liscr.com |
| Bahamas | Bahamas Maritime Authority | No expiry date. The BMA recommends a fresh application after about ten years to refresh the photograph (Bulletin 107 Rev.04) | Yes — 16 general, 18 for Master / Chief Engineer / OICNW | public.bahamasmaritime.com |
| Panama | Autoridad Marítima de Panamá | Not published. MMC-331 (March 2026) describes the libreta’s design and QR code and states no validity period | No | AMP Gente de Mar online enquiry |
| Palau · Belize · Honduras · St Kitts & Nevis | — | Criteria confirmed with the administration at the point of enquiry | — | — |
Where “five years” comes from, and why it is not universal. Liberia publishes five years. The Bahamas publishes no expiry. Panama publishes nothing. Any page — ours or a competitor’s — that tells you seaman books are valid for five years across the board is stating something the issuing administrations do not. To compare the flags on cost and acceptance rather than eligibility, see the flag-state comparison.
What we cannot do
Being explicit about this is part of the check, and it is the fastest way to tell an honest provider from a dishonest one.
We cannot issue your seaman book. No agency can. Flag-state administrations issue seafarer documents. We prepare, verify and file the application, and we show you how to verify the result independently — which is why every row in the flag table above carries a verification link rather than our word
We cannot obtain your national document. An Indian CDC from the Directorate General of Shipping, a Philippine SIRB or SID from MARINA, a UAE Seafarer’s Discharge Book from the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, a UK certificate from the MCA, a US Merchant Mariner Credential from the National Maritime Center — each is issued by that country’s own authority through its own process, to its own nationals and residents. There is no agency route into it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something that does not exist.
We cannot guarantee a government outcome. We can tell you whether your file meets the flag’s published criteria, and which criterion it fails. The decision is the administration’s.
Further reading: how to verify a seaman book online · seaman book scams and how to spot fake maritime document services · fake or invalid CDC risks.
Or see your result instantly
The same nine questions, answered in your browser. It gives you an indicative position on screen straight away — the blocking items, what to close and in which order, and a flag-by-flag table with each administration’s published criteria and its own verification link. When you are ready, one button fills the form above for you. Nothing is sent until you send it.
Send your check to our documentation team
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Atomiq Management Consultancies EST. · #903 Regal Tower, 1501 Al Mustaqbal Street, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE · 09:30–18:00
Dubai: +971 52 943 5973 · dubai@seamanbooks.com · India: +91 8175056856, +91 9451739422 · Crewing and bulk: maritime@atomiqgroup.com
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Atomiq Management Consultancies EST. · #903 Regal Tower, 1501 Al Mustaqbal Street, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE · 09:30–18:00
Dubai: +971 52 943 5973 · dubai@seamanbooks.com · India: +91 8175056856, +91 9451739422 · Crewing and bulk: maritime@atomiqgroup.com
Check your Flag State Seaman book eligibility
Answer nine short steps and a member of our documentation team sends you a written eligibility position within 24 hours — which flags you qualify for, which criterion is short, and what to fix. You can upload your documents on the last step to skip a round of emails. Prefer an answer on screen right now? The instant checker is directly below.
Flag State Seaman Book Eligibility Check
Nine short steps. A written eligibility position, reviewed by a person, within 24 hours. No fee is quoted until you have it.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for a seaman book?
Any seafarer who meets four conditions: the minimum age, a current seafarer medical certificate, the STCW training the flag requires, and a valid passport. Under MLC 2006 Standard A1.1(1) no person under 16 may work on a ship. Nationality is not a condition — open registries issue to seafarers of any nationality.
What is the minimum age for a seaman book?
Sixteen is the international floor, set by MLC 2006 Standard A1.1(1). Flags then set higher thresholds by rank: Liberia requires 16 for Ordinary Seaman, 18 for Able Seafarer and at least 20 for Bosun; the Bahamas requires 16 generally and 18 for Master, Chief Engineer and Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch. Seafarers under 18 may not work at night.
Do I need sea service to get my first seaman book?
No. A record book is the document your sea service gets recorded in once you start working, not a document you need sea service to obtain. First-time applicants apply on the strength of their training file. Sea service evidence applies to some renewals and to officer endorsements.
How long is a seafarer medical certificate valid?
A maximum of two years, and one year if you are under 18. Colour vision is assessed every six years. These figures come from MLC 2006 Standard A1.2 and are restated by the Bahamas Maritime Authority in MN028 citing STCW Regulation I/9.
Are seaman books valid for five years?
Not universally, and this is widely stated wrongly. The Liberian Registry publishes five years for a first-issue SIRB. The Bahamas Maritime Authority states a Bahamas Seafarers’ Record Book has no expiry date and recommends re-applying after about ten years to refresh the photograph. Panama publishes no validity period. Check the issuing administration, not a provider’s summary.
Do I need STCW certificates to be eligible for a seaman book?
It depends on the flag. Liberia requires Basic Safety Training for the SIRB and Panama requires all four A-VI/1 elements for rating certification, but Bahamas Bulletin 107 — which governs the Bahamas Seafarers’ Record Book — requires a passport and a medical certificate and does not mention Basic Safety Training.
Which STCW certificates expire and need a refresher?
Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting require five-yearly evidence of maintained competence, along with survival craft and rescue boats, fast rescue boats and advanced fire fighting where held. Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility are not on that refresher list.
Do I need to be a citizen of the flag state?
No. Panama, Liberia, Palau, the Bahamas, Belize, Honduras and St Kitts & Nevis all operate open registries and issue seafarer documents to seafarers of any nationality who meet the document requirements.
I am an officer with a CoC from my own country. Am I eligible for a flag endorsement?
Only if that flag holds an STCW Regulation I/10 recognition undertaking with the country that issued your CoC. The Bahamas publishes its list of recognised countries. An endorsement cannot exceed five years and cannot outlast the CoC underneath it.
My seaman book was lost abroad. Am I eligible for a renewal?
No — that is a replacement, not a renewal, and it runs through the issuing administration on a different route. It generally requires a police report or a sworn declaration plus proof of the original issue. Tell us the flag and the book number if you have it; if you have a joining date, say so, because this route is time-critical.
Can Seaman Books issue my seaman book?
No, and neither can any agency. Flag-state administrations issue seafarer documents. Seaman Books prepares, verifies and files the application, and shows you how to verify the result independently through the administration’s own lookup.
Is the eligibility check really free?
Yes. You get a written eligibility position within 24 hours and no fee is quoted until you have it. The check exists because an incomplete file — a medical expiring mid-process, a lapsed STCW certificate, a photograph in the wrong format — is the largest single cause of delay, and it is cheaper to catch before filing than after.
More questions: seaman book FAQ.
