Endorsements

Certificates of Competency and Cayman Endorsements

Crew members of Cayman-registered vessels may hold any nationality or residency provided they are holders of Certificates of Competency issued by one of the STCW 1995 "white list" countries recognised by Cayman and for which, where appropriate, it issues Endorsements attesting to the recognition of such Certificates.

Cayman will consider seafarer medical (fitness) certificates issued by most countries provided that these are issued in accordance with IMO/ ILO (medical) fitness requirements (ILO 147).

In addition to the “white list” countries, Cayman will also issue (on a case-by-case basis) Endorsements for Certificates of Competency from other countries including, but not limited to, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Slovak Republic and Sri Lanka.

Applying for an Endorsement

To apply for a CI Endorsement, complete the required form and send it preferably by courier to our Head Office in George Town. Clients may also send an e-mail to crew.compliance@cishipping.com to request advice and assistance. All supporting documents should be attached as required. A list of supporting documents that need to be submitted with the application is indicated in the application form. Nevertheless, here is a short-list of what one may need. Please note that not all documents are required for every application, as it is dependent upon the type of vessel one will be serving on.

• Application pages 1 through 3 (pages must be an original; not a photocopy)
• 2 Specimen Signatures (on page one)
• Certified copy of Certificate of Competency and STCW Endorsement from the issuing maritime administration
• Current Medical Fitness Certificate (within last 2 years; must be valid for at least another 3 months at the time of application)
• 3 passport sized-photos (with applicant’s name on reverse side)
• Record of Sea Service (copied from SDB or official document – curriculum vitae or resume will not be accepted as a documentary evidence of sea service)
• Copy of Passport – consisting of photograph and particulars of holder (include signature page)
• Global Maritime Distress Safety System or GMDSS Certificate and Endorsement by relevant maritime administration (Deck Officers)
• Advanced Fire-fighting Certificate (not necessary if included in the certificate of competency)
• Other certificates/endorsements that are applicable (i.e. tanker training, passenger ship training, etc.)

Even though, we are doing our best to issue an Endorsement in the shortest possible time, it may take longer than 5 working days from the day an application has been received, depending on the work load in the Office. A period required for issuing our Endorsement will also depend whether all required supporting documents and the relevant fees have been included.