STCW Courses Complete List India: Which Ones You Need, Where & Cost 2026
STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) courses are mandatory certificates that every seafarer must hold. Without them, you cannot legally sail. Here’s the complete breakdown of what you need at each career stage.
Mandatory for ALL Seafarers: Basic Safety Training (BST)
These 4 courses are the foundation of STCW — required before anyone can join a ship:
| Course | Code | Duration | Approx Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Survival Techniques | STCW II/1 | 2 days | ₹4,000-8,000 |
| Fire Prevention & Firefighting | STCW II/2 | 2 days | ₹4,000-8,000 |
| Elementary First Aid | STCW II/3 | 1 day | ₹3,000-5,000 |
| Personal Safety & Social Responsibility | STCW II/4 | 1 day | ₹3,000-4,000 |
Combined BST package: Most institutes offer all 4 together — ₹12,000-20,000 for 5-6 day course. Get this done before your first joining.
For Deck Officers
| Course | When Required | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMDSS (General Operator Certificate) | Before OOW watchkeeping | 25 days | ₹25,000-35,000 |
| Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSCRB) | Officer level | 3 days | ₹8,000-12,000 |
| Advanced Firefighting (AFF) | Officer level | 2 days | ₹8,000-10,000 |
| Medical First Aid (MFA) | Chief Officer + | 2 days | ₹7,000-10,000 |
| Radar (Operational Level) | OOW | 5 days | ₹12,000-18,000 |
| Radar (Management Level) | 2nd Officer + | 5 days | ₹15,000-22,000 |
| ECDIS (Operational) | All deck officers now | 5 days | ₹15,000-25,000 |
| ARPA | OOW | Included in Radar usually | — |
For Engine Officers
| Course | When Required | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSCRB) | Officer level | 3 days | ₹8,000-12,000 |
| Advanced Firefighting (AFF) | Officer level | 2 days | ₹8,000-10,000 |
| Medical First Aid (MFA) | Chief Engineer + | 2 days | ₹7,000-10,000 |
| High Voltage Safety | When applicable | 3 days | ₹10,000-18,000 |
For Ratings
| Course | Requirement | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Safety Training (all 4) | Before first ship | ₹12,000-20,000 |
| Proficiency in Survival Craft | After sea time | ₹8,000-12,000 |
| Security Awareness | All crew | ₹3,000-5,000 |
Important Tanker-Specific Courses
If you’re sailing on tankers (crude, product, chemical, LNG):
- Tanker Familiarization (Basic): ₹5,000-8,000
- Advanced Crude/Product Tanker: For officer level — ₹15,000-25,000
- Advanced Chemical Tanker: ₹15,000-25,000
- Basic LNG Tanker: ₹20,000-35,000
Where to Do STCW Courses — DG Approved Institutes
All STCW courses must be done at DG Shipping approved institutes. Top ones:
- STCW Excellence Centers (Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata, Vizag)
- AMET University Chennai
- Vels University Chennai
- TSMIT (Tamil Nadu Seafarers Maritime Institute)
- Many regional approved centers
Verify approval: Always confirm the institute is DG-approved before paying. Check at dgshipping.gov.in → Approved Institutes.
STCW Revalidation — Don’t Miss This
Most STCW certificates must be revalidated every 5 years. BST, PSCRB, AFF, MFA all require refresher courses.
Missing revalidation = lapsed certificate = cannot join ship.
Set calendar reminders 6 months before every certificate expiry.
Confused about which STCW courses you need for your specific rank and vessel type? Ask SailorGPT — get a personalised STCW checklist based on your profile.