The first question most people ask is "which certificate do I need?". There is an earlier question: who does the law accept as a seafarer at all? In Türkiye the answer is in Article 40 of the Seafarers and Maritime Pilots Regulation (Gemiadamları ve Kılavuz Kaptanlar Yönetmeliği), published in the Official Gazette on 29 August 2024. This article summarises that provision and the rules connected to it in plain language.
Four basic requirements
Under the regulation, four conditions must be met together:
- Citizenship: being a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye. The regulation also covers citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus who study or have graduated in maritime education in Türkiye or the TRNC, and foreigners of Turkish descent within the scope of Law No. 2527.
- Certificate-specific preconditions: meeting the age, sea training, education, sea service, language and other requirements set for the certificate grade you apply for.
- Health: documenting, under the regulation's health provisions, that your health is fit for sea service.
- Criminal record: not having been convicted of the offences listed in the regulation.
These four apply to every certificate. Further requirements are added depending on the certificate you apply for.
What the criminal record requirement covers
This is the most asked and least understood requirement. The regulation does not treat every conviction as a bar. Offences committed by negligence and suspended sentences are excluded. The offences that do count include prison sentences above a set limit, smuggling offences, certain offences committed within organised activity, and offences listed one by one by article number in the Turkish Penal Code. For the offences in Articles 188, 190 and 191 of the Turkish Penal Code, a security measure decision counts as a bar as well as a conviction.
The list is longer for master and unlimited master certificates. Offences such as embezzlement, bribery, theft, fraud and forgery count even if they were pardoned, and the applicant must not be deprived of public rights.
If you are unsure about your own situation, do not interpret this list on your own. Ask a lawyer who can read your criminal record alongside Article 40, or the harbour master's office you are registered with. This article gives general information and is not legal advice.
If a requirement is lost later
The regulation does not check these requirements only at the time of application. If the Administration establishes that a seafarer has lost at least one of them, all documents relating to the seafarer's status are cancelled or suspended. Once the obstacle is removed and the person applies, the documents are returned.
In practice this means the requirements are not a one-time gate but conditions you carry throughout your career. Health and criminal record remain relevant after the seafarer's book is issued.
Applications are electronic
Applications for seafarer procedures are made through the Seafarer Information System (GİBS) set up by the Ministry. Under the regulation, where information such as education, examinations, criminal record, medical report, civil registry and residence can be verified through electronic data from other public bodies, the applicant is not asked for separate documents for it.
In practice you do not need to carry paper for information the system can verify itself. We explain the steps of the seafarer's book application in a separate guide.
Certificate classes: where the ladder starts
The regulation divides seafarers into classes. In the deck class, the ratings are seaman, able seaman and deck bosun. In the engine class, they are oiler, able engine rating and engine bosun. Officer and master certificates sit above these in separate grades. There is also an auxiliary class: radio officers, electro-technical personnel, medical officers, cadets, and the auxiliary service staff made up of steward and cook.
On the deck and engine side, the first step of the rating ladder is the seaman and oiler certificate. The regulation defines two routes to the seaman certificate:
- completing the seaman training set by the Training Directive at an authorised training institution,
- or documenting, with a discharge certificate, that military service was completed as a deck private.
Both routes require at least secondary school graduation and passing the Administration's examination. The oiler certificate follows the same structure; there, the military route is defined as engine private.
The steward and cook certificates in the regulation, for those who want to work in hotel and catering, are covered in a separate article.
Age limits
The regulation sets a separate minimum age for each certificate, and it can differ even between two certificates in the same class. The age range an employer asks for in a job posting is a separate matter. That is why we do not quote figures here: nobody should give up because of a misread number. You can check your own case against the article for the certificate you plan to apply for.
After the requirements are met
Once the four basic requirements are met, the documents follow in order: a medical report from an authorised centre, the seafarer's book application through GİBS, mandatory training, and the position application. Which training is mandatory for you depends on the certificate you apply for and the type of vessel you will work on.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign national get a Turkish seafarer's book?
In the citizenship requirement, the regulation lists Turkish citizens, TRNC citizens under certain conditions, and foreigners of Turkish descent within the scope of Law No. 2527. For other cases, check the regulation's provisions on foreign seafarers and ask the harbour master's office.
I did my military service as a deck private. Does that count?
Yes. The regulation lists those who document service as a deck private with a discharge certificate among those who can apply for the seaman certificate. The Administration's examination still has to be passed.
Can I get the medical report from any hospital?
No. Seafarer medical examination documents are issued at authorised centres. Our medical certificate guide explains the details.