Ukrainian Certificates: your peace of mind

Crewdentials' Top Tips: 

• In early 2023, the Ukrainian Shipping Administration made some major changes to the way they issue seafarer qualifications. This has had a knock on effect, meaning you'll have to verify some certificates differently to others
• The best verification experiences we’ve had so far are for STCW modular issued since February 2023 and COCs as these can normally be done via the MARAD portal
• National Training Institutions across Ukraine are approved to issue STCW modular certificates
• Some of the National Training Institutions (NTZ) have their own portals (for example IMTC and Admiral) but we have had mixed results...

So, what do you need to know? 

STCW Modular Certificates issued since February 2023

Use this portal for immediate verification results:  vrf.marad.gov.ua/check-document

You need to input this info into the boxes: 

• Document type: NTZ certificate
• Document number: this should be evident on the face of the certificate (by the way - if you use Crewdentials tech we will give you digital data to copy and paste. No need to type!)
• Name of the NTZ: Choose from the list
• Document name: The copy of the certificate should have both a Ukrainian and English translation but some don't translate to the commonly used STCW terms. We’ve put together a list of the most common (see the table below)

STCW Modular Certificates issued prior to February 2023

You are unlikely to get an immediate result so you'll need to log in and fill in a longer form

Top tips: 

• all boxes need to be complete, otherwise you go back to the start (spoken from painful experience!!)
• There seem to be 5 boxes for names, what we have done which seems to work is put the seafarer’s name into both the “Name/name/middle name” box and then the “Name (in English) and Last Name (in English)" boxes.  
• Once submitted - don’t press the icon of a circle with a diagonal line through - this will cancel the request (again, spoken from painful experience)

COCs

Officers are issued with a Diploma (COC) which doesn't expire, and they also require an Endorsement to the COC (which expires after 5 years)

Use this portal for immediate results: vrf.marad.gov.ua/check-document

You need to input this info into the boxes: 

• Document type: choose one of the following: 
  • Diploma (for COC) (example below)
  • Diploma of GMZLB (for GMDSS licence)
  • Diploma Confirmation (for COC Endorsement) example below; or
  • Confirmation of the GMZLB (for GMDSS Endorsement)
• Document number: this should be evident on the face of the certificate (by the way - if you use Crewdentials tech we will give you digital data to copy and paste. No need to type!)

You can also try vrf.marad.gov.ua/search-document

COCs issued pre February 2023

Seafarers with qualifications issued before January 2023 had the opportunity to exchange their certificates for those issued under Resolution 1499

We have had mixed results trying to verify Diplomas (COCs) dated before 2023. We believe that the best way of verifying these is through logging in and filling in the longer form, following the guide above

As we find more tips we will add to this guide.

And now for the lawyer bit: written to help fellow compliance specialists based on my own experiences, but with no liability. If you have any tips to add please get in touch!

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