New Caledonia
- Who issues it
- Service des affaires maritimes de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (SAMNC) [New Caledonia Maritime Affairs Service]: local exams; Direction départementale des territoires et de la mer de la Seine-Maritime (DDTM 76) [Seine-Maritime Departmental Directorate for Territories and the Sea]: French coastal licence issuance; Direction de la formation professionnelle continue (DFPC) [Continuing Vocational Training Directorate]: local professional diplomas.
- Buoyage
- IALA region A
- Collision rules
- RIPAM — Règlement international pour prévenir les abordages en mer
Do you need a licence?
A recreational sea-boating licence is not compulsory in New Caledonia. Coastal and offshore qualifications are voluntary; registration starts at 16. A legal minimum age to helm an ordinary recreational boat was not confirmed.
Permis mer côtier · Coastal sea-boating licence
From 16
- What it lets you do
- Voluntary sea-boating qualification; DAM describes navigation up to 6 nautical miles from the coast.
- How you get it
- 20 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes, then a practical test of manoeuvres and knowledge after passing theory.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Permis mer hauturier · Offshore sea-boating licence
From 16
- What it lets you do
- Voluntary offshore sea-boating qualification; local distance limits were not confirmed.
- How you get it
- Chart-reading and tidal-knowledge tests.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Professional deck titles
Certificat de matelot de pêche
- What it lets you do
- Deck support on NC-registered fishing vessels operating only in waters under New Caledonia's jurisdiction.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Brevet de capitaine à bord des navires d'une longueur inférieure ou égale à 10 mètres
- What it lets you do
- Master of certain NC-registered vessels up to 10 m in local waters, with required supporting certificates.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Brevet de capitaine 200
STCW II/3- What it lets you do
- Master of commercial ships under 200 GT, up to 20 nautical miles from the coast.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Brevet de capitaine 500
STCW II/3- What it lets you do
- Master of commercial ships under 500 GT, up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Brevet de capitaine 3000
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Master of commercial ships under 3,000 GT.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Brevet de capitaine
STCW II/2- What it lets you do
- Master of commercial ships without a tonnage limit.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio certificates
Certificat restreint de radiotéléphoniste du service mobile maritime (CRR)
SRC- What it lets you do
- Needed for marine VHF. Exam: 20 questions in 30 minutes, at least 10/20, plus a practical test.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Certificat spécial d'opérateur (CSO)
- What it lets you do
- Legacy GMDSS certificate for specified ship types; converted to CGO on revalidation.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Certificat restreint d'opérateur (CRO)
ROC- What it lets you do
- GMDSS radio in area A1; also category 3 fishing vessels within 40 nautical miles of land.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Certificat général d'opérateur (CGO)
GOC- What it lets you do
- Professional GMDSS radio operation in all sea areas.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Certificat de radioélectronicien de 1re classe du service mobile maritime et du service mobile maritime par satellite (CR1)
- What it lets you do
- GMDSS radio operation and responsibility for maintaining its installations in all sea areas.
- 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: Direction des Affaires Maritimes Nouvelle-Calédonie — Le permis mer · Service des affaires maritimes de la Nouvelle-Calédonie — Note d’information relative au permis de conduire des bateaux de plaisance à moteur option côtière · Légifrance — Décret n° 2015-723 du 24 juin 2015, article 36 and annexes I–II · Ministère chargé de la mer et de la pêche — Formation professionnelle maritime · Agence nationale des fréquences — Manuel de préparation du CRR maritime, Nouvelle-Calédonie–Wallis et Futuna, avril 2025 · Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie — Guide de la sécurité en mer, 2024 · Direction des Affaires Maritimes Nouvelle-Calédonie — Titres professionnels de la Nouvelle-Calédonie · Légifrance — Arrêté du 8 février 2016: CRO, CGO and CR1; article 25 on legacy CSO certificates