Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Sachgebiet S 12
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg


Weitere Kontaktmöglichkeiten

Phone: +49 40 31 90-71 25
Fax: +49 40 31 90-50 10
Mail: zeugnisse@bsh.de

Certificates for seafarers

Masters, chief engineer officers, ship's officers and ratings must provide evidence of their competence with certificates.

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) is responsible for the initial issuance and validity extension of certificates for seafarers. The BSH also issues the Seafarer's Card.

Exception: The Seemannsamt Rostock is exclusively responsible for the initial issuance of certificates of competency as Navigational Watchkeeping Officer (NWO), Engineering Watchkeeping Officer (TWO) and Electro-technical Officer (ETO), if the applicants were graduates of the maritime university / technical college in Warnemünde. If the training did not correspond to the standard training course, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency is responsible.

Please also refer to our information on employment opportunities for refugees in maritime shipping.

Your questions in connection with recreational shipping will be answered by the Deutsche Segler-Verband and the Deutsche Motoryachtverband (in German only).