How to become a seafarer in Canada: the Candidate Document Number, the marine medical certificate, Marine Emergency Duties training, and the Transport Canada certificates of competency for deck, engineering, and rating roles, with sea time earned certificate by certificate.
Applies in: CA
This guide covers how to become a seafarer in Canada: a person who works on board a Canadian vessel in a position that requires a certificate. The system is document-first. Before any certificate, you need a Candidate Document Number. Before most work at sea, you need a marine medical certificate. Before a certificate of competency, you need the training courses, sea service, and examinations that the Marine Personnel Regulations set for that exact certificate. There is no single seafarer licence. Deck, engineering, fishing, and rating certificates are separate, graded by vessel size, voyage type, and propulsion, and each one has its own table of requirements in the regulations. This guide states the document steps only as Transport Canada states them, gives sea-time figures only where a regulation or bulletin states them for a named certificate or pathway, and makes no hiring promise.
Before getting any Canadian Maritime Document, a person must apply for a Candidate Document Number (CDN). Transport Canada states that a CDN is a unique number that groups your information in its database and helps with record keeping and document identification, and that without one it cannot process an application to issue a certificate, endorsement, or related document. Applicants complete form 82-0701E, Application for a Candidate Document Number, and include two identity documents from the list on the CDN page, which includes a passport, a Seafarer's Identity Document, a Canadian Maritime Document, a permanent resident card, a certificate of Indian status, a firearms licence, a driver's licence, a provincial health care card, a birth certificate, and work, student, visitor, or temporary resident permits issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, among others.
Submit the form in person at the nearest Transport Canada Marine Safety Service Centre office, bringing the identity documents, after calling or emailing the office to check whether an appointment is needed or walk-in service is offered. If you live in a remote area or cannot visit an office, you may apply by email to the closest service centre, with documents certified by a guarantor from the listed professions, including a judge, dentist, pharmacist, veterinarian, police officer, notary public, lawyer or notary, physician, or dean or director of a university or college, who must print their name, function, and practice number and sign the photocopied identity documents, having seen the originals. Transport Canada's bulletin states that only Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents are entitled to apply for a Canadian Maritime Document. Do not pay for training or a medical examination until the CDN step and the entitlement question are settled for your status.
A marine medical certificate proves that a seafarer meets the medical and physical standards required by Canadian law. Seafarers must hold either a Marine Medical Certificate or a Provisional Medical Certificate and show it when asked. To apply you must be at least 16 at the time of examination, meet the marine medical standards for vision and hearing, and meet the general physical and mental fitness requirements, including lifting and carrying 22 kilograms, wearing breathing apparatus and personal life-saving equipment while climbing ladders, fighting fires and abandoning a vessel in an emergency, and working in tight spaces and moving through openings 600 millimetres by 600 millimetres or less, plus the specific fitness requirements for the position wanted on a vessel.
Before arranging any examination, consult the Marine Medical Examiner Search tool to confirm the examiner's current designation status. Contact a Marine Medical Examiner, bring a complete list of current medications and any relevant diagnostic imaging and specialist reports, and tell the examiner if you have previously been found unfit or fit with limitations. During the examination the examiner decides whether you are fit, fit with limitations, or unfit. If fit or fit with limitations, the examiner gives a provisional medical certificate valid for up to 6 months after the examination; if unfit, the examiner explains the decision in writing. The Transport Canada Marine Medical Unit reviews the examination report and may agree with the examiner or arrive at a different decision, and may ask for additional information by mailed request-for-information letter, which must be answered fully and promptly. Validity for a person deemed fit without limitations is 2 years for international voyages on vessels subject to the STCW Convention and up to 5 years for Canadian domestic voyages, with a maximum of 1 year for a person under 18, and shorter terms or geographic and duty limits for a person deemed fit with limitations. Transport Canada charges no fee for issuing the certificate; the examiner charges for the examination and the cost varies. Cannabis, alcohol, and drug use must be disclosed honestly at the examination: the use of cannabis or any potentially performance-impairing substance is not permitted within 48 hours before shipboard duties, and use is one factor the examiner and the Marine Medical Unit consider.
Marine Emergency Duties (MED) training is the safety foundation for every certificated role. Transport Canada's MED training publication, TP 4957E, sets the course standards under the STCW Convention, including the 2010 Manila Amendments, and describes two streams: training for crews of domestic vessels and applicants for certificates not subject to the Convention, and training that fully complies with the Convention for crews of large vessels and applicants for certificates subject to it. The courses cover personal survival techniques, fire prevention and firefighting, proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats other than fast rescue boats, and advanced firefighting, at the level the certificate requires. Other training certificates named in the regulations include marine basic first aid and marine advanced first aid, ship management practices using a simulator, and specialized training for tankers, passenger vessels, and fast rescue boats, each required only for the certificates whose tables list it.
Courses must be taken at a recognized institution offering an approved training program or course, as listed in Transport Canada's publication on recognized institutions and approved training courses, TP 10655. Timing matters: under section 103 of the Marine Personnel Regulations, MED, simulated electronic navigation, and propulsive plant simulation courses must have been completed within the 5 years before the certificate application, unless a refresher course or qualifying service equivalency applies as described in the FAQ above. A course completed for a certificate remains valid for life once that certificate has been obtained, except for MED, simulated electronic navigation, and propulsive plant simulation courses, first-aid courses, tanker courses, and passenger-carrying vessel courses. Plan training close enough to the application that the five-year rule does not force a refresher, and keep every training testimonial, because the examiner asks for the training certificates the certificate table requires.
The Marine Personnel Regulations list the certificates the Minister may issue. On the deck side they include Master Mariner, Master Near Coastal, Master 3,000 and 500 Gross Tonnage Near Coastal and Domestic, Master 150 Gross Tonnage Domestic, Master Limited, Chief Mate and Chief Mate Near Coastal, Watchkeeping Mate and Watchkeeping Mate Near Coastal, Chief Mate 500 and 150 Gross Tonnage Domestic, Chief Mate Limited, the four Fishing Master classes, and a Certificate of Service as Master of a Fishing Vessel of Less Than 60 Gross Tonnage. On the engineering side they include First, Second, Third, and Fourth-class Engineer for motor ships and steamships, Watchkeeping Engineer for motor-driven fishing vessels, and Small Vessel Machinery Operator. Ratings include Able Seafarer, Bridge Watch Rating, Engine-room Rating, and Ship's Cook, plus proficiency certificates for fast rescue boats and for survival craft and rescue boats other than fast rescue boats, and endorsements for tanker familiarization and specialized tanker training, passenger safety management, and chief and second engineer endorsements.
Entry routes differ by stream. For deck officers, the National Occupational Classification profile states completion of secondary school, completion of a deck officer cadet program from an approved nautical institute or one to three years of experience as a member of a deck crew, and a deck officer certificate of competency issued by Transport Canada, with progression from one level to the next requiring additional experience, training, and testing. For marine engineer officers, the profile states completion of secondary school, completion of a three-year cadet program in marine engineering from an approved marine training institute or about three years of experience as an engine room crew member and six months of formal training, or about three years as an engine mechanic and six months as an engine room crew member, for fourth-class certification, with a Transport Canada certificate of competency required and progression through four levels requiring additional experience, training, and testing. Sea service is credited as the regulations tables state for each certificate: for example, the Royal Canadian Navy equivalency bulletin states sea-service credits for naval members, including 60 days for a Bridge Watch Rating for a boatswain at Qualification Level 3 and 1,080 days for an Officer of the Watch, counted at 8 hours per day for one day of sea service, and those are pathway credits, not general entry figures. Read the table for the exact certificate, in the regulations, before choosing a school program or a first sea-going job, because a program that does not deliver the sea service and courses that table requires will not lead to that certificate.
Each certificate table sets the examinations as well as the service and courses. The First-class Engineer example shows the pattern: written examinations at the first-class level in applied mechanics, thermodynamics, electrotechnology, and naval architecture, an examination on ship management practices using a propulsive plant simulator, a written examination on general engineering knowledge, a written examination on engineering knowledge of motor vessels or steamships, and an oral examination, in the order the table sets, after providing the required training certificates. Deck certificates follow the same pattern at their level: written and oral examinations on navigation, seamanship, and the subjects the table lists, after the required courses and sea service. Apply with the CDN, the training testimonials, the sea-service record, and a valid marine medical certificate, through a Transport Canada Marine Safety Service Centre, and expect the examiner to check each requirement against the table for the certificate sought.
Renewal follows the same document discipline. A Master, Mate, or Engineer certificate is renewed on qualifying service, refresher training plus examinations, or ship management plus MED refresher courses, as section 106 and 107 set out. Keep a continuous record of sea service, training testimonials, and medical certificate renewals, and arrange the medical renewal examination 4 to 6 months before expiry. A certificate that lapses is not restored by sea time alone after the fact: the renewal section's service windows run backwards from the application date, so a gap in service or training can force the examination route. If a medical decision goes against you, the reconsideration route runs 30 days from the provisional certificate or refusal letter, then to the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada, as set out on the medical certificate page.
This guide states no training course fee, school tuition figure, examination fee, or certificate fee, because no official page states a fee figure. It states no single sea-time figure for becoming a seafarer, because sea service is set certificate by certificate in the regulations tables, and the only day-counts stated are the Royal Canadian Navy pathway credits and the renewal service windows quoted above, each labelled as such. It states no program duration for any cadet program beyond the three-year descriptions in the occupational profiles, no wage or employment figure, and no hiring promise. It states no medical threshold beyond the fitness components quoted from the medical certificate page. Where no figure is stated here, the guide points to the Marine Personnel Regulations table or the Transport Canada page that owns it. Confirm the certificate table, the recognized institution list, and the current medical requirements before enrolling or sailing.
Transport Canada's Ship Safety Bulletin on the Candidate Document Number states that only Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents are entitled to apply for a Canadian Maritime Document, and that applicants must submit evidence of Canadian citizenship or nationality status in addition to confirming identity. Every Canadian Maritime Document, including a certificate of competency, an endorsement, a medical certificate, and a training certificate, requires a Candidate Document Number first, and Transport Canada states that without a CDN it cannot process an application to issue a certificate, endorsement, or related document. If your status is anything other than citizen or permanent resident, confirm with a Transport Canada Marine Safety Service Centre whether any document is available to you before paying for training or a medical examination, because the bulletin states the entitlement limit in those terms and this guide does not soften it.
A Candidate Document Number, or CDN, is a unique number that groups your information in Transport Canada's database and helps with record keeping and document identification. You must have a CDN before applying for a Marine Medical Certificate or any other Canadian Maritime Document. Applicants complete Transport Canada form 82-0701E, Application for a Candidate Document Number, and include identity documents: the CDN page lists two identity documents, drawn from a list that includes a passport, a Seafarer's Identity Document, a Canadian Maritime Document, a permanent resident card, a driver's licence, a provincial health care card, a birth certificate, and other listed documents. Submit the form in person at the nearest Transport Canada Marine Safety Service Centre office, bringing the identity documents, or by email if you live in a remote area or cannot visit an office, in which case the documents must be certified by a guarantor from the listed professions. Call or email the office first to check whether an appointment is needed or walk-in service is offered.
A marine medical certificate proves that a seafarer meets the medical and physical standards required by Canadian law, and seafarers must hold either a Marine Medical Certificate or a Provisional Medical Certificate and show it when asked. To get one you must be at least 16 when you apply, meet the marine medical standards for vision and hearing, and meet the general physical and mental fitness requirements, including being able to lift and carry 22 kilograms, wear breathing apparatus and personal life-saving equipment while climbing ladders, fight fires and abandon a vessel in an emergency, and work in tight spaces and move through openings 600 millimetres by 600 millimetres or less, plus the specific fitness requirements for the position wanted on a vessel. Before arranging an examination, confirm the examiner's current designation status on the Marine Medical Examiner Search tool, because an examination by a person who is not designated may invalidate the certificate. In most cases a person deemed fit without limitations receives a certificate valid for 2 years for international voyages and up to 5 years for Canadian domestic voyages, a person under 18 receives a maximum validity of 1 year, and a provisional certificate issued after the examination is valid for up to 6 months. Transport Canada does not charge a fee for issuing the certificate, but the examiner charges for the examination and the cost varies between providers.
Marine Emergency Duties, or MED, training covers emergency, occupational safety, security, medical care, and survival functions, including personal survival techniques, fire prevention and firefighting, proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats, and advanced firefighting. The level and combination of MED courses required depends on the certificate sought, as set out in the tables to the Marine Personnel Regulations for each certificate. Under section 103 of the regulations, a certificate or endorsement requiring successful completion of a marine emergency duties course, a simulated electronic navigation course, or a propulsive plant simulation course may only be issued if the course was completed within the 5 years before the application date. If the course was completed more than 5 years before the application, the regulations accept a refresher training course completed within the 5 years, or qualifying service of at least 12 months on board within the 5 years, or at least 3 months within the 12 months before the application, supported for MED by a testimonial attesting to competent participation in emergency drills. Transport Canada's MED training publication describes two streams: training for crews of domestic vessels and applicants for certificates not subject to the STCW Convention, and training that fully complies with the Convention for crews of large vessels and applicants for certificates subject to it. Take the stream that matches the certificate you seek, at a recognized institution.
Sea time is set certificate by certificate in the Marine Personnel Regulations, and there is no single national figure. The regulations list the certificates the Minister may issue, from Master Mariner and the Master and Chief Mate grades, through Watchkeeping Mate, the Fishing Master classes, the four classes of Engineer for motor ships and steamships, and the ratings including Able Seafarer, Bridge Watch Rating, and Engine-room Rating, and the tables to sections 123 to 182 set the sea service, courses, and examinations for each one. As an illustration of how progression works, a First-class Engineer applicant who holds a Second-class Engineer certificate must acquire at least 15 months of qualifying service while holding that certificate, including at least 9 months of sea service as engineer in charge of the watch or in charge of the machinery on vessels of at least 3,000 kilowatts. For entry, the National Occupational Classification profiles describe the usual routes: a deck officer cadet program from an approved nautical institute, or one to three years of experience as a member of a deck crew, for deck officers; and a three-year cadet program in marine engineering from an approved marine training institute, or about three years of experience as an engine room crew member plus six months of formal training, for fourth-class marine engineer certification. For a Royal Canadian Navy pathway, Transport Canada's bulletin gives the sea-service credits that apply to naval members, such as 60 days for a Bridge Watch Rating for a boatswain at Qualification Level 3, and those figures are credits for that pathway only, not general entry figures. Confirm the sea service, courses, and examinations for the exact certificate you want in the regulations table for that certificate before enrolling in a program.
Renewal is service-based or training-based. For a Master, Mate, or Engineer certificate, the holder must acquire the service set out in the renewal section, or complete refresher training in marine emergency duties and pass the examinations the section sets, or complete ship management and MED refresher courses. The service route for deck certificates requires at least 12 months of sea service as master or mate in charge of the deck watch within the 5 years before the renewal application, or at least 3 months of such sea service within the 12 months immediately before the application, or at least 24 months of service in listed marine-related shore positions within the 5 years, or an equivalent prorated combination. First aid courses, tanker courses, and passenger-carrying vessel courses do not remain valid for life once a certificate is obtained, unlike most other courses, and MED courses remain subject to the five-year rule. To renew a marine medical certificate, arrange an examination 4 to 6 months before the current certificate expires. If Transport Canada determines you are unfit or fit with limitations, you have 30 days from receiving the provisional certificate or refusal letter to ask for reconsideration, and if the decision does not change you may ask the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada to review it.
Figures not stated in this guide: all training, examination, and certificate fees; any single sea-time figure for becoming a seafarer; all program durations beyond the occupational-profile descriptions; all wage and employment figures; and all medical thresholds beyond the fitness components quoted above. Check the Marine Personnel Regulations table for the exact certificate and the Transport Canada pages linked above before enrolling or sailing.