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Where to do your STCW

Sorted by who approves the certificate, never by what it costs. Two schools in the same city at the same price can hand you very different documents.

Check the approval, not the price

STCW Basic Training has to be refreshed every five years, and the refresher is only two days — if your original certificate makes you eligible to sit it. Buy the wrong one and you redo the whole course at full price, five years later, and the money you saved is gone.

Two schools in the same city, at much the same price, can hand you different certificates. No price list tells you which. That is why this list is sorted by approval and never by cost.

Ask any school one question, in writing: will this certificate make me eligible for MCA updating training in five years? No clear written answer, walk.

The full module on what to buy →

Showing 10 of 10. MCA-approved first, unconfirmed last.

  • Crew Training Solutions

    Palma de Mallorca

    MCA approvedMarshall Islands approved
    STCW, indicative
    €998
    Duration
    5 days
    PSA
    Security awareness included

    Security awareness sits inside the €998, so it is not comparable to a cheaper price that excludes it. The course itself is listed as Marshall Islands approved and 'MCA recognised' — recognised is not the same as MCA-approved, so ask which administration's certificate you will be issued.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • Professional Yachtmaster Training (PYT)

    Durban and Cape Town

    MCA approved
    STCW, indicative
    Not published
    Duration
    Run over up to 10 working days
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    The reason the 'avoid South Africa' advice is wrong. MCA-accredited, in both South African hubs. Prices are quote-only — they publish none, so ask.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • South West Maritime Academy

    Cromhall, near Bristol

    MCA approved
    STCW, indicative
    £850 inc VAT
    Duration
    5 days
    PSA
    Security awareness included

    States five MCA-approved certificates on completion, security awareness among them.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • UKSA

    West Cowes, Isle of Wight

    MCA approved
    STCW, indicative
    £850 (£1,050 residential)
    Duration
    5 days
    PSA
    Security awareness included

    Publishes course dates and remaining places openly, well ahead. Prices rise February 2027.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • Get Onboard Superyacht Academy

    Cape Town

    SAMSA approved
    STCW, indicative
    Not published
    Duration
    Not published
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    Accredited by SAMSA. No MCA approval stated.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • Sail & Power SA

    Cape Town

    SAMSA approvedRYA approved
    STCW, indicative
    Not published
    Duration
    9–11 days
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    SAMSA and RYA accredited. No MCA approval stated — ask before booking if you intend to refresh under the MCA.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • STC — Southern Africa

    Cape Town and Durban

    SAMSA approved
    STCW, indicative
    Not published
    Duration
    Not published
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    Listed as SAMSA accredited. No MCA approval stated.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • Bluewater

    Palma de Mallorca

    Unconfirmed — ask them
    STCW, indicative
    ~$1,200
    Duration
    5 days
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    Their crew-training FAQ does not state the approving administration. Advises going straight to PDSD, a one-day course that contains the security awareness syllabus.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • Bluewater

    Antibes

    Unconfirmed — ask them
    STCW, indicative
    Not published
    Duration
    Not published
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    Course page carried no published dates or price when checked.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

  • Certified Training

    Cape Town

    Unconfirmed — ask them
    STCW, indicative
    Not published
    Duration
    Not published
    PSA
    Security awareness — ask

    Runs weekly. Approving administration not confirmed at the time of checking.

    Their course page ↗Checked August 2026

South African prices are quoted as a market range rather than per school, because the schools above mostly do not publish them: R6,500 – R10,000 (roughly €365–€560) for STCW Basic Training, typically over 9–11 days.

This is not an endorsement list, and nobody here pays to be on it. It is a record of what each school states publicly, with the month it was checked. Approvals shown as unconfirmed are ones we could not verify from the school's own material — not a mark against them, and exactly the thing to ask about.

Prices are indicative and move. Confirm everything — price, dates, approval and what is bundled — with the school before you pay. Fort Lauderdale is not covered yet.

Where to train, course by course

The list above is our short list. This is everyone the MCA approves, course by course, taken from the MCA’s own lists. Pick the course first. The MCA approves schools course by course, so a school on one list may not be on the next.

30 providers for Full STCW basic training (all four elements).

Source: the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s approved training provider lists on GOV.UK. This copy was built on 8 October 2026. Approval can lapse between updates, so ask the school to confirm the course is MCA-approved when you book.

The 30 MCA lists used