New STCW 2024 Rules: What Shipping Companies and Shipowners Must Do

Key data

Shipping companies, shipowners and maritime training centers have new obligations following the incorporation into Spanish law of the 2024 amendments to the STCW Code (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers). The regulation was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London on May 23, 2024 through Resolution MSC.560(108) and published in the Official Gazette on April 17, 2026.

These amendments update the minimum standards that seafarers and merchant marine officers must meet to perform their duties aboard vessels flying the Spanish flag or calling at national ports. The application is of an international nature, which means it affects all maritime operations linked to Spain, regardless of the route or destination.

What does this regulation establish?

The 2024 amendments modify part A of the STCW Code, which contains the mandatory standards of competency, training and certification for seafarers. The specific changes introduced by this update are:

• Update of the minimum competency standards required of seafarers and merchant marine officers.
• Possible new training requirements to obtain or maintain nautical professional qualifications.
• Need for updating nautical professional qualifications already issued.
• Obligation to adapt the training programs of nautical schools and maritime training centers.

The STCW Code is the international regulatory framework of reference for the training and certification of seafarers. Its part A, which is what these amendments modify, is mandatory for all States party to the STCW Convention, including Spain. Part B, which is advisory in nature, is not affected by this resolution.

Economic and operational impact

The impact of this regulation translates into direct and indirect costs for maritime sector operators:

• Training costs: Shipping companies and shipowners will have to finance or manage the training update of their crew to comply with the new standards. The cost will depend on the number of crew members affected and the specific courses required for each new competency.
• Administrative costs: Review and update of the certification records of all crew members, as well as management of the procedures for revalidation of qualifications if applicable.
• Operational risk: A vessel with crew members who do not meet the new standards may face detention in port state control inspections, which implies operational stops and direct economic losses.
• Training centers: Nautical schools will have to invest in updating their programs and, possibly, in enabling new modules or courses to meet the new requirements.

The exact economic dimension will depend on the adaptation periods established, which as of the publication date of this regulation have not been specified.

Who does it affect?

• Shipping companies and shipowners with vessels under Spanish flag, who must ensure that all their crew complies with the new STCW standards.
• Foreign shipping companies and shipowners whose vessels regularly call at Spanish ports, as the regulation also applies to vessels arriving at national ports.
• Seafarers of the merchant marine who must update their training or revalidate their qualifications.
• Nautical officers (captains, pilots, chief engineers, marine engineers) who may be affected by the new competency standards.
• Maritime training centers and nautical schools that must adapt their programs to the new requirements of the STCW Code.
• CFOs and operations directors of shipping companies, who must budget for adaptation costs and plan the transition.

Practical example

A Spanish shipping company with a fleet of 10 coastal vessels and a workforce of 80 crew members must, following the publication of these amendments, conduct an internal audit of the qualifications and certifications of all its seafarers.

If the amendments introduce a new competency requirement for deck officers, for example, the shipping company will have to identify how many of its officers do not yet have the updated certification and plan their participation in courses approved by recognized nautical schools. Until those officers have the updated certification, the vessel could be detained in a port state control inspection, both in Spain and in any other State party to the STCW Convention.

This scenario makes verification of compliance an operational priority, not just an administrative one.

What should companies do now?

1. Audit the qualifications and certifications of all crew members to identify which personnel may be affected by the new competency standards of the STCW Code.
2. Contact reference maritime training centers to find out which courses or modules are already adapted to the 2024 amendments and which are in the process of being updated.
3. Plan training updates with sufficient advance notice of the deadlines established, avoiding last-minute accumulations that could generate operational problems.
4. Review contracts and agreements with crew members to determine who bears the costs of training and under what conditions, especially in the case of crew members with fixed-term contracts.
5. Stay alert to the publication of adaptation deadlines, which as of the publication date of this regulation have not been specified, and activate internal procedures as soon as they become known.
6. Nautical training centers should already begin reviewing their programs to ensure that their courses comply with the new standards and can issue valid certifications under the 2024 amendments.