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A single email set Alfie Allen on course for a seafaring career that has led him to win the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) Officer Trainee of the Year Award 2025.

• Updated: 3 February 2026

Guidance for applying for a Deck CoC for Commercial and Private Yachts.

• Updated: 7 November 2023

Apply for a boatmasters' licence to run a passenger-carrying or non-passenger carrying commercial vessel - apply, replace, renew or upgrade your licence

• Check if you need a licence

  You must have a boatmasters’ licence if you’re the master of certain…

• Before you apply

  Read the boatmasters’ qualifications and hours of work notice to find out:…

• How to apply

  You’ll need to: read the boatmasters’ qualifications and hours of work…

• Exemptions under the 2006 Boatmasters' Regulations

  You need to apply for a ‘Tier 2 Level 2’ licence before your exemption…

Recipients of the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service 2025 have been announced.

• Updated: 3 September 2025

Information on how to revalidate a UK CoC (and UK GMDSS at the same time).

• Updated: 29 January 2026

Find out what you need to do when hiring crew to work on a ship or yacht - qualifications, certificates of competency, crew agreements and crew lists

Guidance on where marine licensing applies and what the key terms mean.

• Updated: 18 November 2025

Quarterly statistics covering decisions made by Her Majesty's Government (HMG) regarding the licensing of controlled goods exports from the UK. Data relates to decisions made from 2008 onwards and information on licensing decisions is available by destination, by decision and...

• Updated: 16 April 2019

Three people have been awarded the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate of Merit by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan, Professor Peter Vaughan CBE QPM CStJ.

• Updated: 6 February 2026

Information on how to gain a UK CoC for working Deck and Engineering Officers working on board merchant vessels and yachts.

• Updated: 21 February 2023