How to become a seafarer in Sri Lanka 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 must be at least 18 when the certificate of competency exam starts.
- An engineer officer of the watch must also be at least 18.
- The Ocean University of Sri Lanka, a government university, offers a full-time B.Sc. in Marine Engineering lasting 4 years.
- Entry needs G.C.E. Advanced Level passes in the mathematics stream.
- Graduates can serve on board after completing an approved supplementary programme.
Rating: rating course
- A rating forming part of a navigational watch must be at least eighteen when the exam starts.
- One route is an approved pre-sea training programme with at least two months of approved sea service.
- The Ocean University's pre-sea deck rating (seaman) course is approved by the MSS and leads towards the CDC.
- Entry needs 6 passes in the G.C.E. (O/L) examination including Mathematics and English.
- There is also a pre-sea engine rating (motorman) course for those who want a CDC.
- Mahapola Ports & Maritime Academy of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority runs a pre-sea deck rating course for school leavers who sat the G.C.E. (O/L).
Exams and certification
- Officer certificates of competency are issued after an examination; the minimum age is counted on the exam start date.
- The Director-General may delegate the issue of certificates of proficiency to approved training institutes.
Documents in order
- First, complete an MSS-approved pre-sea course.
- Get a seafarer medical certificate (minimum age sixteen).
- Obtain the CDC from the Merchant Shipping Secretariat.
- Record on-board training in an approved training record book.
Cadet training at sea
- A deck cadet needs at least 12 months of approved sea service on ships of 500 GT or more as part of an approved training programme.
- During that service the cadet performs bridge watchkeeping under the supervision of the master or a qualified officer.
- An engine cadet needs workshop skills training and at least 12 months of sea service in the engine department.
Approved training institutions
The Merchant Shipping Secretariat's list of approved training institutes could not be retrieved from its website, so the institutions block is hidden.
First job: starter vacancies
Live vacancies on Krew Guru for starter positions. Vacancies without any sea experience are rare, so we do not promise a job without it.
No open starter vacancies right now. Upload your CV and we will send you matching vacancies.
Krew Guru numbers
89% of open vacancies on Krew Guru accept citizens of Sri Lanka.
Seafarer profiles from Sri Lanka on Krew Guru: 1,300+.
Checked: 26 Oct 2026. Rules change, so always check with the maritime authority: Merchant Shipping Secretariat (Director-General of Merchant Shipping), Ministry of Ports and Shipping