Boatmaster (EU)

The Boatmaster is a deck crew member who is qualified to navigate a vessel on the inland waterways of EU Member States and has general responsibility for the craft, including crew, passengers and cargo. The qualification of Boatmaster confers the right to navigate large convoys and to operate any vessel as well as their convoys and machinery only by the associated, relevant extension thereto. In those waterway areas, sections where the law requires the certificate of “Exam for a critical stretch of waterway” as a condition to navigate a watercraft, the entry of the completed “Exam for a critical stretch of waterway” into the Boatmaster's qualification is a mandatory condition. 

The boatmasters' certificate can be supplemented by the following special permits:

The above additional qualifications will be registered on the Boatmasters' certificate.

To navigate a liquefied natural gas craft, candidate must also hold the associated, relevant qualified document >> Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Specialist.

For the issuance or renewal of a Union certificate of competency for Boatmasters, the proof of medical fitness shall be issued by a doctor authorized to perform medical examination of crew members operating on inland waterway vessels. The proof of medical fitness shall not be older than three months dated to the application for the Union certificate of competency to be issued. The Boatmaster’s certificate will be valid until the date of the next medical examination required, but not longer than 13 years. In case of having a large convoys supplement, the certificate is can not be valid longer than 5 years.

Minimum requirements for the issuance of Boatmaster’s qualifications

An EU certificate of competency can only be issued to a candidate who holds a radio operator's certificate attesting to his identity, verifies medical fitness and verifies payment of the processing fee, and who does not already hold an existing Union certificate of qualification of the same level in force, and

  • must be at least 18 years of age, have completed a training program of at least three years' duration approved by the shipping authority, based on the requirements for competence for management-level tasks, and have at least 360 days of navigation time completed as part of or after completion of training, or
  • must be at least 18 years of age, holds an EU Helmsman's Certificate of Qualification or a Certificate of Competence as a Helmsman recognized by the Union; has passed a qualifying test conducted by the Shipping examination center demonstrating that they meet the requirements for competences for tasks at that management level and have at least 180 days of navigation time, or
  • must be at least 18 years of age, have at least 540 days navigation time or have at least 180 days navigation time and can verify at least 500 days work experience as a deck crew member on board a sea vessel and have passed a qualifying examination conducted by a shipping examination center attesting that they meet the requirements for competence for tasks at that management level,  or
  • have at least five years work experience prior to enrolling in an approved training program, have completed a training program approved by the shipping authority of a duration of at least one and a half years, based on specified requirements for competences for management level tasks, have at least 180 days of navigation time as part of the approved training program and have completed at least 180 days of navigation time after completion,  or
  • prior to applying for a training program, have acquired at least 500 days work experience as a deck crew member on board a maritime vessel, have completed an approved shipping authority -approved training program of at least one and a half years, based on specified requirements for competences for management-level tasks, have at least 180 days of navigation time as part of an approved training program and at least 180 days of navigation time performed after its completion, or
  • have completed a vocational training program of at least three years' duration prior to applying for a training program, completed a training program approved by the shipping authority of a duration of at least one and a half years, based on specified requirements for competences for management level tasks, have at least 180 days of navigation time as part of the approved training program and completed at least 180 days of navigation time after completion.

In order to qualify as a Boatmaster, a theoretical and practical examination must be passed.

Conditions of the application for the Boatmasters’ examination organized by the Shipping examination centre:

  • verify identity
  • proof of completion of the required training program and/or proof of the required navigation time
  • proof of medical fitness (by means of a medical certificate issued not more than 3 months prior to application)
  • submission of 2 pieces of color, standard passport photos
  • payment of the full examination fee

Exam subjects (question banks can be accessed by clicking on the links)

An examinee who has not completed an approved training program based on operational level competence requirements and has not passed a competency assessment carried out by a shipping examination centre to verify compliance with the operational level competence requirements shall complete the Additional module, Category I competencies and Additional module, Category II competencies.

To pass the practical examination required to obtain a Boatmaster's qualification certificate on a simulator, the requirements of the exam are the same as those laid down in Regulation of 12/2022 (IV.14.) ITM Regulation under the conditions set out in Annex 4.

Dispensations >> (HUN)
Registration for exams >> (HUN)
Training bodies >> (HUN)
Examination fees >> (HUN)
Document application >> (HUN)

Application for the exams 

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