How to become a seafarer in Poland after school

Official rules for school students and school leavers. Check every requirement with the maritime authority before you apply or pay.

Officer: maritime academy or college

A deck officer of the watch (international voyages) needs to complete studies or schooling at a recognised maritime education unit training at least to the operational level in the deck department.
Source: Regulation on training and qualifications of crew members of sea-going ships (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 item 1383), § 30

Rating: rating course

Junior deck rating, junior motorman and junior ship's cook certificates can be obtained from 16 years of age.
Source: Regulation on training and qualifications of crew members of sea-going ships (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 item 1383), § 4

Exams and certification

For the deck officer certificate you pass the operational-level exam for the deck department in international shipping.
Source: Regulation on training and qualifications of crew members of sea-going ships (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 item 1383), § 30
Practical exams are taken before the Central Maritime Examination Board (CMKE) when training did not follow the current framework programmes.
Source: Ministry of Infrastructure — maritime education units (MJE)

Documents in order

Students of a maritime education unit can get a seaman's book for their sea practice, confirmed by the rector of their university.
Source: Maritime Office in Szczecin — information card: documents required for a seaman's book
The seaman's book fee is 200 PLN, or 100 PLN for a secondary-school pupil or student going on the sea practice required by the curriculum.
Source: Maritime Office in Szczecin — information card: documents required for a seaman's book

Cadet training at sea

Deck officer cadets complete 12 months of supervised sea practice in international shipping, confirmed in the training record book by their maritime education unit.
Source: Regulation on training and qualifications of crew members of sea-going ships (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 item 1383), § 30
The sea practice must include at least 6 months of bridge watchkeeping under the supervision of the master or an officer of the watch.
Source: Regulation on training and qualifications of crew members of sea-going ships (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 item 1383), § 30

Approved training institutions

Only institutions from the official list of the maritime authority. The list changes: check that the institution is still approved before you pay.

Universities and maritime schools from the Ministry of Infrastructure list of recognised maritime education units (MJE). The list also includes training centres for short STCW courses, which are not shown here.

Pomeranian Voivodeship

Gdynia Maritime University (Uniwersytet Morski w Gdyni), Gdynia
Courses: Maritime university studies (recognised maritime education unit)
Post-secondary Gdynia Maritime School with the Officers' Training Centre of Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia
Courses: Post-secondary maritime school and officer training (recognised maritime education unit)
Maritime School Complex named after the Heroic Defenders of Westerplatte (Zespół Szkół Morskich w Gdańsku), Gdańsk
Courses: Maritime secondary school (recognised maritime education unit)

West Pomeranian Voivodeship

Maritime University of Szczecin (Politechnika Morska w Szczecinie), Szczecin
Courses: Maritime university studies (recognised maritime education unit)
Maritime School Complex named after Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski (Zespół Szkół Morskich w Świnoujściu), Świnoujście
Courses: Maritime secondary school (recognised maritime education unit)
Maritime School Complex named after Polish Fishermen and Seafarers (Zespół Szkół Morskich w Kołobrzegu), Kołobrzeg
Courses: Maritime secondary school (recognised maritime education unit)
Maritime School Complex in Darłowo (Zespół Szkół Morskich w Darłowie), Darłowo
Courses: Maritime secondary school (recognised maritime education unit)
West Pomeranian Centre for Maritime and Polytechnic Education — Maritime Technical School (Technikum Morskie), Szczecin
Courses: Maritime secondary school (recognised maritime education unit)
Post-secondary Maritime School in Szczecin (Policealna Szkoła Morska w Szczecinie), Szczecin
Courses: Post-secondary maritime school (recognised maritime education unit)

Official list

First job: starter vacancies

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Krew Guru numbers

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Changing your career as an adult? Read the career change guide

Checked: 26 Oct 2026. Rules change, so always check with the maritime authority: Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Poland (maritime offices issue seafarer documents)