Namibia
- Who issues it
- Ministry of Works and Transport, Directorate of Maritime Affairs (seafarer certification); Namibian Ports Authority (Namport), Port Captain (port permissions); Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) (maritime radiotelephone certificates).
- Buoyage
- IALA region A
Do you need a licence?
National recreational skipper thresholds are unconfirmed. In Namport ports, pleasure craft need registration and Port Captain permission. Movements require a Namport pilot unless exempt by law or a Port Captain permit. Section 68's conditional sport/recreation exemption concerns vessel licensing.
Pleasure craft registration (Namport ports)
- What it lets you do
- Registers the vessel for use in a Namport port after safety checks and payment. Port Captain permission is also needed to lie or manoeuvre there.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Port Captain's pilotage exemption permit
- What it lets you do
- Exempts a vessel from compulsory Namport pilotage for the movements covered by the permit. This is a port permission.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Professional deck titles
Deck Officer Class 6
STCW II/3- What it lets you do
- Watchkeeping on small ships within Namibia's EEZ; inland/port command depends on tonnage and sea service.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Deck Officer Class 5
- What it lets you do
- Master up to 500 GT in Namibia's inland, port and EEZ waters, subject to sea service and certificate limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Deck Officer Class 4
STCW II/1- What it lets you do
- Watch officer: any tonnage worldwide; chief mate: up to 500 GT worldwide; master: up to 500 GT in Namibia's EEZ.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Deck Officer Class 3
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Chief mate; master up to 3,000 GT in Namibia's inland, port and EEZ waters, subject to certificate limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Deck Officer Class 2
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Chief mate of any tonnage worldwide; master up to 3,000 GT worldwide, subject to certificate limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Deck Officer Class 1
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Master of ships of any tonnage worldwide, subject to certificate limits.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio certificates
Maritime Radiotelephone Operator Certificate
- What it lets you do
- CRAN's maritime radiotelephone certificate; operating limits need confirmation.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
GMDSS restricted operator’s certificate
ROC- What it lets you do
- Named in Namibia's radio rules; domestic issuance and operating limits are unconfirmed.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
GMDSS general operator’s certificate
GOC- What it lets you do
- Named in Namibia's radio rules; domestic issuance and operating limits are unconfirmed.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Ready to study for it?
The Academy is free with an account: lessons for every topic, timed mocks marked like the real exam, and your progress saved.
Official sources: Namibian Ports Authority — Port Regulations, 2001, regulations 18 and 40–44 · Namibian Ports Authority — Port and Syncrolift Tariffs 2025/2026, pilotage exemption certificate · Government of Namibia — Government Gazette 3164, GN 41/2004: Education, Training and Certification of Namibian Seafarers Regulations (official Gazette, hosted by LAC) · Republic of Namibia / FAOLEX — Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations, 2010, regulations 1, 6 and 17 · Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia — Official notice to maritime and aeronautical radiotelephone operators (CRAN LinkedIn account) · US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — Sailing Directions (Planning Guide), Publication 160, Namibia: Buoyage System · Republic of Namibia / FAOLEX — Merchant Shipping Act 57 of 1951, sections 68 and 72A · Namibia Training Authority — Occupational Mapping Report: Namibian Fishing and Maritime Industry (Directorate of Maritime Affairs and certification)