Becoming a seafarer in Ukraine as a career change
Official rules for adults who already have a profession on shore.
Age limits
- Officer ranks are awarded from age 18.
- Under STCW, a deck or engine watch rating must be at least 16.
Entry through your shore profession
| Your profession on shore | Role at sea | Course | Where and on what terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult without maritime education | Deck or engine rating | Rating course at an approved training centre | Approved training centres run second-class able seafarer deck (STCW II/4) courses. A watch rating can qualify through special training that includes at least 2 months of approved seagoing service. |
| Electrician | Ship's electrician (rating) | Ship's electrician course (STCW III/7) | Approved training centres run ship's electrician courses under STCW III/7. |
| Cook | Ship's cook | Ship's cook course | Approved training centres run ship's cook courses. No seafarer under 18 may work as a ship's cook. |
| Graduate without maritime education | Officer (deck, engine or electro-technical) | Maritime professional pre-higher or higher education | Every officer rank requires a maritime education diploma, so an officer career needs maritime studies first. |
Minimum set of documents
- A medical fitness certificate.
- Basic safety training (STCW VI/1) at an approved centre.
- A seafarer's service book.
- A seafarer's identity document.
Costs and timing: official fees only
- The seafarer's service book blank costs 298,68 UAH.
- A new seafarer's identity document costs 1301,60 UAH with standard processing of 20 calendar days.
- Urgent processing costs 1967,20 UAH and takes 7 working days.
- Qualification document applications are processed in 7 working days.
How to avoid scams
- Mandatory training counts only under programmes approved by the state; check the training centre in the official list.
- Under the MLC 2006, recruitment fees must not be charged to seafarers.
- Private recruitment and placement services for seafarers must operate under a licensing or certification system.
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 Ukraine.
Seafarer profiles from Ukraine on Krew Guru: 21,500+.
Checked: 26 Oct 2026. Rules change, so always check with the maritime authority: State Service of Maritime and Inland Water Transport and Shipping of Ukraine (Shipping Administration)