Marshall Islands officer certificates are issued based on two methods: by equivalency endorsement or professional examination.

Applicants who do not hold acceptable national certificates or who desire original Marshall Islands certificates must pass written examinations given by the Marshall Islands Administration. The examinations incorporate new material required by various conventions and are in a multiple-choice examination. These examinations also incorporate new material specified by the STCW Convention, as amended 1995. Certificates issued by examination are valid for a term of five (5) years.

The specific requirements for a Marshall Islands certificate are contained on the certificate application form and in Requirements for Merchant Marine Personnel Certification (MI-118). Although the MI-118 has application forms attached, they are not set up to be used on-line. You may print out what you need and fill it in manually. If you want to print out a certain page, be sure to request the exact page number that is shown in the lower left hand corner of your computer screen ('Page x') and not 'current page' when in the print window. If you want to be able to fill out the forms on-line, you will need to go to the 'Automated Forms' section under Maritime Services.

Completed applications should be submitted to:

Office of the Maritime Administrator
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Seafarers' Identification and Certification
11495 Commerce Park Drive
Reston, Virginia 20191-1507 USA
Tel: 703-620-4880 Fax: 703-476-8522
E-mail: Seafarers@register-iri.com

Specific instructions for Receiving/Filing Agents can be found in the MI-280, Receiving/Filing Agents Manual.