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Norwegian Maritime Directorate defers renewal of seafarers certificates
The question of having to renew or update seafaring certificates during the COVID-19 crisis is an issue for fishers in all countries.
With most testing and certificate issuing facilities closed in lockdown circumstances and now only gradually reopening, a backlog has occurred which could become problematic for the marine industry.
Due to challenges in connection with the coronavirus, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate has decided to grant a general extension of the validity of personal certificates for a period ahead. This has been granted to all current certificate holders without it being necessary to apply for the extension.
It is on the basis of inquiries to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate that they have seen that seafarers will have problems completing update courses etc. that are necessary for the renewal of personal certificates. The reason for this may be canceled courses, quarantine or travel restrictions to the course location.
As a result, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate has decided to grant a general extension of the validity of personal certificates for a period ahead, so that seafarers can legally carry out their work.
The validity of Norwegian Certificates of Proficiency and Certificate of Competence, which expires in the period up to 1 November 2020, is granted a general extension of up to 6 months. It is not necessary to apply for this extension.
“The reason for the extension being set at six months is that one wants to give enough time for the situation to normalize again to avoid challenges with capacity in connection with new courses,” says the Directorate.
Source: Fiskerlaget
