Becoming a seafarer in Turkey as a career change
Official rules for adults who already have a profession on shore.
Age limits
- Under STCW II/1, a candidate for officer in charge of a navigational watch must be at least 18 years old.
Entry through your shore profession
| Your profession on shore | Role at sea | Course | Where and on what terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook with a Ministry of National Education cooking certificate | Ship's cook | Ship's cook qualification from the Administration | Secondary-school graduates holding a cooking certificate approved by the Ministry of National Education can get the ship's cook qualification. They must prove insured work experience in the profession through Social Security Institution records. |
| Graduate in food and beverage services or gastronomy | Ship's cook | Ship's cook qualification from the Administration | Graduates of secondary food and beverage programmes or university gastronomy departments can get the ship's cook qualification without proving social security records. |
| Secondary-school graduate in any field | Deck officer of the watch | Authorized officer course following STCW A-II/1 | An adult with at least secondary education can become a deck officer of the watch through an authorized multi-semester course following STCW A-II/1, plus onboard sea training. |
| Former Navy or Coast Guard deck personnel | Deck rating or deck officer of the watch | Recognition of military deck service by the Administration | Military service as a deck private, proven by the discharge document, counts towards the deck rating qualification. Petty officers who leave the Navy or Coast Guard after long deck service can apply for the deck officer of the watch qualification. |
Minimum set of documents
- Minimum to start as a deck rating: secondary school, the deck rating course at an authorized institution, the Administration's exam, a health certificate fit for sea service and STCW basic training.
How to avoid scams
- Check whether a maritime training institution is authorized using the Ministry's e-Devlet service before you enrol.
- Recruitment and placement agencies must not charge seafarers for finding them a job; the seafarer pays only for the medical certificate, the seafarer's book and a passport.
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 Turkey.
Seafarer profiles from Turkey on Krew Guru: 1,000+.
Checked: 26 Oct 2026. Rules change, so always check with the maritime authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye — Directorate General of Maritime Affairs