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Guidance on how to apply for a yacht rating certificate

Updated 23 November 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/yacht-rating-certificate-msf-4340/guidance-on-how-to-apply-for-a-yacht-rating-certificate

Sea service evidence and documents to obtain a Rating issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are detailed below. Failure to provide all the required evidence may result in your application being delayed or even rejected. 

Completed application form

  • Pay the appropriate fee 
  • Sign the declaration  
  • Countersignature 

Countersignature

Your counter signatory must:

  • have known you for at least 2 years

  • be able to identify you, for example they’re a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)

  • be ‘a person of good standing in their community’ or work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession

Copy of passport, attested by a responsible person in a recognised profession

  • Passport photograph, cropped to 4:3 ratio

ENG1 or accepted equivalent

Must have two forms of sea service evidence

  • Discharge Book or Certificates of Discharge

  • Sea Service Testimonials

STCW basic safety training certificates:

  • Personal Survival Techniques (STCW Code A-VI/1-1)*

  • Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (STCW Code A-VI/1-2)*

  • Elementary First Aid (STCW Code A-VI/1-3)*

  • Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (STCW Code A-VI/1-4)*

*Certificates will be accepted from either an MCA Approved Training provider or a country on the IMO Whitelist

Sea Service Evidence:

  • At least 6 months onboard Yacht service which includes at least 2 months of actual seagoing service 
  • All vessels need to be at least 15 metres in Load Line Length. 

If either of the following licences are held then this may result in a reduction in sea service: 

  • RYA Offshore CoC 
  • RYA Ocean CoC 

Potential Reduction

  • Yacht service reduced to 2 month actual seagoing service  

  • Yacht Rating TRB does not need to be completed 

Complete Training Record Book 

  • Annex B of MSN 1862 should be completed**  

  • Onboard Training tasks should be signed as completed by a UK CoC or UK FSE holder. 
  • Details of the signing officer should be documented in Annex C 

**All tasks should be completed, where appropriate, and failure to comply will result in the delay of your application/issue of your licence. 

Applications should be emailed to [email protected]

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