Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Coastguard
Agency
- Working at sea: certification, health and safety
- Ships and cargoes: construction, operation and navigation
- Find marine (M) notices
- Seafarer certification: working on a UK registered vessel
- Seafarer medical certification and advice
- UK Ship Register
- Commercial fishing and fisheries
- Apply for a boatmasters' licence
- Civil Hydrography Programme
- Coastguard search and rescue
- All MCA services and information
Featured
When visiting your local coastline please take care and follow the rules and social distancing guidelines according to the guidance for your area.
Winter Coastal Safety Campaign Launched
Press release
HM Coastguard, in partnership with the RNLI, will be reminding everyone to stay safe over the winter period
State-of-the-art technology is bringing a new edge to the search and rescue work of HM Coastguard.
Coronavirus Guidance
Press release
For commercial seafarers and recreational boat users
Volunteering for MCA
Guidance
Information about volunteering for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Latest from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
What the Maritime and Coastguard Agency does
We work to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea. We produce legislation and guidance on maritime matters, and provide certification to seafarers.
MCA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Transport.
Documents
News and communications
- Foreign flagged ships detained in the UK during January 2021
- Foreign flagged ships detained in the UK during December 2020
Research and statistics
See all research and statisticsPolicy papers and consultations
- Consultation on a revised code of practice for the safety of fishing vessels of less than 15m length overall
- Consultation Load Line Length (LLL) policy clarification: hullform, cut-outs, extension and steps
Transparency and freedom of information releases
- Second generation UK search and rescue aviation programme (UKSAR2G)
- DfT: prompt payment data 2020 to 2021
Our management
Contact MCA
HM Coastguard and Marine Offices
United Kingdom
Emergency contact number for the nearest coastguard
999
Head office
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG
United Kingdom
Main switchboard
0203 817 2000
For General enquiries
Press office
Press enquiries
020381 72222 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)
Outside these hours, please dial the press enquiries number for emergency press enquiries only. You will hear a message giving details of how to contact the on call press officer.
Out of hours duty surveyor
Technical Enquiries
+44 (0)7810 528504
Note that this service is for Urgent Technical Enquiries that require action out of office hours only. This number must not be used for any urgent or routine enquires during normal office hours.
All enquiries during office hours, including, but not limited to, technical enquiries, enquiries on registration of ships or seafarer’s certification should use the contact details on the list provided here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency/about/access-and-opening
UK Ship Register
MCA HQ
Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG
United Kingdom
Merchant Ships
023 8032 9197
Small Ships
+44(0)29 2044 8813
Fishing Vessels
+44(0)29 2044 8855
Pleasure Vessels
+44(0)29 2044 8866
7:30am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Seafarer training and certification
Seafarer training and certification switchboard
0203 817 2200
Phone lines are currently closed for seafarer training and certification services please email the relevant department as per the below addresses.
Seafarer training and certification: deck training
Seafarer training and certification: boatmaster training
Seafarer training and certification: FSE/CEC
Seafarer training and certification: engineering training
Seafarer training and certification: exams section
Seafarer training and certification: revalidation team
Seafarer training and certification: safemanning team
Seafarer training and certification: smart team
Seafarer training and certification: STC courses
Make an FOI request
- Read about the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and how to make a request.
- Check our previous releases to see if we’ve already answered your question.
- Make a new request by contacting us using the details below.
Freedom of Information requests
Corporate information
Jobs and contracts
Read about the types of information we routinely publish in our Publication scheme. Find out about our commitment to publishing in Welsh. Our Personal information charter explains how we treat your personal information. Find out About our services.