New STCW 2026 Requirements: What Shipping Companies and Seafarers Must Do

Key data

Spanish shipping companies and vessel owners have a specific obligation following the publication in the Official Gazette on April 17, 2026: to verify that their personnel comply with the new STCW Code standards. Spain thus incorporates the amendments adopted by the International Maritime Organization on June 8, 2023 through Resolution MSC.541(107), which update the minimum requirements for training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers.

This is not a minor administrative change. Maritime professional qualifications that do not conform to the new standards may become invalid, and operating with personnel not certified under the new framework can result in sanctions. For companies with fleets on international routes, the impact is immediate and operational.

What does this regulation establish?

The STCW Code (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) is the international framework that sets the minimum standards that any person working aboard a vessel must comply with. Spain, as an IMO member state and signatory to the STCW Convention, is obligated to incorporate its amendments into national law.

The 2023 amendments, adopted through Resolution MSC.541(107), modify Part A of the Code, which is the binding and mandatory part. The changes update:

• Minimum competency standards required of personnel aboard vessels.
• Training requirements that seafarers, officers and captains must demonstrate.
• Certification criteria for the issuance and recognition of maritime professional qualifications.
• New technical, safety or environmental requirements adapted to the evolution of the maritime sector.

The incorporation of these amendments into Spanish law means that the previous standards of the Code are updated. Qualifications issued under the previous framework must be reviewed to determine whether they remain valid or require additional training.

Economic and operational impact

The impact for shipping companies and vessel owners occurs at two levels:

Operational level: Any vessel operating on international routes under Spanish flag must have a crew certified in accordance with the current STCW Code. If any crew member does not meet the new standards, the company cannot assign them to that position without exposing itself to sanctions or vessel detention in a foreign port.

Training cost level: Companies will have to bear the cost of additional training or recertification of personnel who do not meet the new requirements. Maritime training centers, for their part, will have to invest in updating their programs to be able to issue qualifications valid under the new framework.

The most relevant economic risk is not the cost of training, but the invalidation of qualifications: if a qualification falls outside the new standards, the professional cannot perform their functions aboard, forcing the company to replace them or halt operations.

Who does it affect?

• Shipping companies and vessel owners: Obligated to verify that all their crew comply with the new competency and certification standards before assigning them aboard.
• Ship captains and officers: Must review whether their current qualifications remain valid under the new STCW Code or require additional training.
• Seafarers: Affected by the new minimum competency standards they must demonstrate to work aboard.
• Maritime training centers: Must adapt their training programs to the new requirements to be able to issue internationally recognized qualifications.
• Fleet managers and vessel operators: Must incorporate verification of updated STCW compliance in their personnel management processes.

Practical example

A Spanish shipping company with three vessels operating on international routes has a crew of 45 people including seafarers, officers and captains. Following the publication of the STCW amendments in the Official Gazette, the company must conduct an internal audit of qualifications to identify which crew members have certifications that may not conform to the new standards.

If, for example, several deck officers have qualifications issued under the previous framework and the new competency requirements include specific training in safety or environmental areas that was not contemplated in their original certification, the company will have to send them to an approved maritime training center to complete the additional training before assigning them aboard.

Failing to do so exposes the company to two specific risks: administrative sanctions in Spain and the possibility that the vessel may be detained in a foreign port if port state control authorities detect that the crew does not comply with the current STCW Code.

What should companies do now?

1. Audit all crew qualifications: Review the current qualifications of seafarers, officers and captains and compare them with the new standards of Resolution MSC.541(107) to identify possible compliance gaps.
2. Contact approved maritime training centers: Verify that the centers the company works with have already adapted their programs to the new STCW Code. A center that has not updated its training offering cannot issue qualifications valid under the new framework.
3. Plan necessary additional training: For personnel whose certifications do not conform to the new requirements, organize training with sufficient advance notice to prevent lack of qualification from blocking operations.
4. Update personnel management processes: Incorporate verification of updated STCW compliance in crew recruitment and assignment protocols.
5. Monitor the entry into force date: The regulation was published on April 17, 2026 but the effective application date has not been specified. Monitor the Official Gazette and communications from the Directorate General of Merchant Marine to learn the exact timeline for mandatory compliance.