STCW Certification
STCW certification is the first thing almost every superyacht crew member needs before they can legally work aboard. Here's what it actually covers, how long it lasts, and — because this trips people up constantly — why renewing it usually doesn't mean sitting through the full course again.
What's in STCW Basic Safety Training?
STCW Basic Safety Training is four modules, usually delivered together as a single 5-day course:
- Personal Survival Techniques (PST) — sea survival, life rafts, immersion suits
- Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF) — extinguishers, breathing apparatus, shipboard fires
- Elementary First Aid (EFA) — CPR, wounds, casualty handling
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR) — shipboard procedures and safety culture
Every crew department needs it — it's the shared prerequisite underneath deck, interior, galley and engineering training, not a department-specific course.
How long does STCW certification actually last?
This is the part most people get wrong: STCW Basic Safety Training doesn't uniformly expire after 5 years. Only two of the four modules do — Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting need revalidating every 5 years. Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities don't expire once you've completed them. Crew and providers still talk about “renewing STCW” as a single event because those two expiring modules are what actually gate your ability to keep working.
STCW renewal: why it's a 2–3 day course, not another 5 days
Because only PST and FPFF need updating, providers run a dedicated STCW Refresher (sometimes called an STCW Update) course that only re-covers those two modules — you don't redo Elementary First Aid or PSSR, and you don't pay for or sit through a full second 5-day course. That's a real, sourced comparison, not a rule of thumb:
Fastest — if you have qualifying sea time
STCW Basic Training Revalidation
1 day · $749 · MPT
Needs a valid STCW Basic Training certificate plus 1+ year of qualifying sea service in the last 5 years, shown via your seaman's discharge book — that's what gets it down to a single day, on the assumption you've kept current with monthly fire and safety drills onboard.
Don't let your STCW Basic Training certificate expire. This revalidation pathway only works while your existing certificate is still valid — once it lapses, you can't revalidate at all and have to retake the full 5-day initial course instead. Book your renewal before the expiry date to keep the 1-day, $749 route open.
Shortest general refresher — no sea time required
STCW 95/2010 Refresher Training — 2 Day Package
2 days · £429 · South West Maritime Academy
Provider details →For comparison — the full initial course
STCW Basic Safety Training
5 days · from £850 · UKSA
You'll sometimes see this shorter route called revalidation rather than refresher, particularly for active seafarers who've logged substantial recent sea time — some providers and flag states treat documented, qualifying sea service as evidence you've kept the skills current, which can streamline the process further. MPT's course above is a concrete example: 1 day instead of 2–3, provided you can show 1+ year of qualifying sea service from the last 5 years. Exactly how much sea time counts, and what it changes, varies by provider and flag state, so confirm your own eligibility before booking rather than assuming a specific number applies to you.
What does STCW certification cost?
The full initial course generally runs £700–£1,300 (or the EUR/USD equivalent) depending on provider and country. The 2–3 day refresher is considerably cheaper — the examples above run £429–£550, or $749 for the 1-day sea-time revalidation route. See every STCW course we track, including both full and refresher options, with sourced pricing side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is STCW certification?
STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Basic Safety Training is the internationally recognised, MCA-regulated safety certification required of almost all superyacht and commercial crew. It covers four modules: Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities. It's normally the first course anyone takes before working aboard.
How long does STCW certification last?
Two of the four modules — Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting — need revalidating every 5 years. Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities don't expire once completed. In practice, most crew and providers refer to the whole STCW Basic Safety Training certificate as a '5-year' qualification because those two modules are what keep it current.
Can I renew STCW without retaking the whole 5-day course?
Yes. Because only Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting expire, providers run a shorter 'STCW Refresher' or 'STCW Update' course that only re-covers those two modules — typically 2–3 days, not the full 5 days of the initial course. You'll need to show your existing certificates to book onto a refresher rather than the full course.
Does sea time affect STCW renewal?
Yes, at some providers. MPT in Fort Lauderdale runs a 1-day 'STCW Basic Training Revalidation' instead of the usual 2–3 day refresher, provided you can show a valid STCW Basic Training certificate plus at least 1 year of qualifying sea service in the last 5 years (via your seaman's discharge book) — the shorter length assumes you've stayed current through monthly fire and safety drills onboard per ISM/flag requirements. Exactly how much sea time counts, and what it changes, varies by provider and flag state, so confirm your own eligibility directly with a training provider before booking.
Where can I do an STCW refresher course?
Most major crew training hubs — the Isle of Wight, Antibes, Palma, Fort Lauderdale — run STCW refresher courses alongside the full initial course. Compare providers and prices below.
Compare STCW courses and refreshers
Full initial courses and short renewal courses, side by side, with sourced pricing and dates.
Compare STCW & Safety Certification courses