Interested in doing your STCW certification and wondering where in Croatia you can do it? Read on.
What is STCW?
If you plan on working on a yacht anywhere in the world, including Croatia, you will have to pass an STCW training course, also known as Ship training, certification and watch keeping course, which is a mandatory training for all seafarers. After completing the course and passing the exam, you will obtain an internationally recognized STCW certificate. Most of these certificates, depending on the type, are valid for two or five years, after which it is necessary to renew them.
STCW 2010 (formally STCW 95) is a basic safety training course which is essential for anyone wishing to work on commercial maritime vessels (over 24-metres or over 20 GT), including skippers, yacht officers and crew, hostesses and other professional seafarers. The course is coordinated by the IMO (International Maritime Organization).
The course consists of several shipping training courses, starting with the most basic aspects and continuing to more complex and specific areas, including personal safety and social responsibility course (VI/I-I), fire fighting and fire prevention ((VI/I-2), elementary first aid (VI/I-3), personal survival techniques (VI/I-4). Each of these might be booked separately, but most of the training schools offer a full package. Also, depending on the type of course and training school, the course also might include proficiency in security awareness, shipboard communication training, maritime law, meteorology, boat maneuverings, collision avoidance, preventing marine pollution etc. Besides, theoretical part of the course, there is also a practical, hands-on training provided for a real time experience on a boat.
Where to take the course in Croatia?
There are many educational facilities and training schools in Croatia that offer STCW courses and exams, both in Croatian and English (as it is an internationally recognized certification).
Photo: SSM Facebook
Split Ship Management - Maritime Training Center
The Centre is located in Split and it prides itself on efficiently meeting customer needs by offering bespoke courses to specific requirements e.g. in English, Italian and Croatian language. Some courses can even be taken on your own premises and onboard your ship(s). The training center also offers the option of distance learning for most courses. For each course, they provide COMPLETE TRAINING MATERIALS (in written and electronic form) published by SSM Group. All possible training is included - from initial deck and engineer officer entry, through to senior officer certificates and mandatory safety courses. For a detailed list of courses, click here.
Duration: D1– Familiarization training (STCW A-VI/1) - 1 day; D2 – Basic safety training (STCW A-VI/1) - 6 days
Price: D2 – Basic Safety Training (STCW A-VI/1) - HRK 1900 (approximately €255)
What’s included: COMPLETE TRAINING MATERIALS (in written and electronic form included in the price. For all trainees and students, the SSM maritime center also offers accommodation at very competitive prices in Apartments Valeria in Split. For more information, click here and/or contact the center. The price does not include the price of the exam.
Schedule: First available D2 course starts on Monday, September 18.
Location: SSM Head Office, 114. brigade 12, 21000 Split, Croatia
Contact Info
Phone: (385) 21 558 558
Fax : (385) 21 558 555
E-mail address : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.ssm.hr/
Photo: Adria Libar Facebook
Adria Libar Maritime Training Center has been providing world class maritime and nautical training since 1989. The center offers training in the areas of Basic Safety, Fire Fighting, Sea Survival, Tanker Operations, First Aid, Health and Safety, Environmental and Waste Management, Radio Communications, Radar, Simulation, Navigation and Offshore training. For a full list of courses, click here. Adria Libar has five education centers in Croatia - Šibenik, Zadar, Split, Rijeka and Zagreb. All courses are in Croatian but can be taught in English on request. The training is done in accordance with the international standards and conventions (STCW Convention, IMO models of courses and specialized standards, ISPS code, SOLAS, MARPOL 73/78).
Duration: Basic Safety Training - STCW A-VI/1 - 55 hours (6 days)
Price: Basic Safety Training - STCW A-VI/1 - HRK 2700 (€360)
What’s included: Complete training materials AND the cost of the exam.
Schedule: October 10, 2017, in Šibenik (Croatian; for course in English contact the center)
Locations: Rijeka - Osječka 50; Split - Kopilica 62; Šibenik - Draga 2; Zadar - Obala kneza Trpimira 55; Zagreb - Metalčeva 15. For more information about the contact info and locations, click here.
Contact Info
Phone: +385 (22) 201 170
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.adrialibar.com
Photo: Diverso Impex Facebook
Diverso Impex - Maritime Training Center offers maritime training courses using cutting-edge equipment, including ship simulator, Arpa Radar and electronic maps, and highly skilled teachers, who have years and years of experience in the maritime industry. The Diverso Impex Training Center is located in the heart of Dalmatia – beautiful city of Split, which has a long seafaring and maritime tradition. All courses are certified by ISO quality system and done according to the STCW Convention. Along with many STCW courses, such as the mandatory basic safety training, you can also take a skipper training course, which is tailored to meet the requirements of those who want to operate all types of boats and yachts up to 30 GT.
Duration: D2 – Basic Safety Training (STCW A-VI/1) - 55 hours (6 days); Skipper training course (Boat Leader License cat 3) - 31 hours (25 hours theory and 6 hours practice)
Price: D2 – Basic Safety Training (STCW A-VI/1) - HRK 1900 + exam HRK 240 in Croatian/HRK 400-500 in English (€255 + €32/approximately €60); Skipper training course - HRK 2000 (approximately €270)
What’s included: The price of the skipper training course includes accommodation on the yacht, skipper training, liability insurance and fuel, and does not include transport to the port of departure, food and beverages, sailing equipment, exam at the port authority, personal photos and medical examination are not included in the price
Schedule: September 18 (Croatian; for course in English contact the center)
Location: Velebitska 123, 21000 Split, Croatia
Contact Info
Phone: +385 21 453 040
Fax: +385 21 453 048
Mobile phone: +385 95 333 1001 , +385 95 333 2000 , +385 95 333 2002
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://diversoimpex.hr/en/
Working hours: Monday-Friday 08-15h, Saturday 09-12h
Photo: Atlantis Pomorsko učilište Facebook
Atlantis - Maritime Education and Training Center
Atlantis Training Centre, located in Split, offers educational programmes and training for seafarers under the STCW 95 Convention, including tailor-made courses and retraining programmes for maritime sailors, marine engineering technicians, as well as yacht, boat, and cruise industry training. The centre is certified by Lloyd and CRS. It has state-of-the-art technology (high-voltage block) for training in a real-life marine environment.
Duration: D2 – Basic Safety Training (STCW A-VI/1) - 55 hours (6 days); Commander of Category C Boats (30 GT) - Skipper - 31 hours (4 days) (25 hours theoretical parts and 6 hours sailing)
Price: D2 – Basic Safety Training (STCW A-VI/1) - HRK 1850 (+ exam in Croatian HRK 240, in English around HRK 480)
Schedule: Around 8th of October (English - contact the training centre for exact date)
Location: Mike Tripala 6, 21000 Split
Contact Info
Phone.: + 385 (0)21 339-166
Fax: + 385 (0)21 323-078
Mobile: +385 (0)98 980 6252
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Horizont Maritime Training Center is a newly opened centre for consultation and professional training in Dubrovnik. Horizont offers courses and training in accordance with STCW 95 and other 78/95 conventions. Their aim is to educate seafarers and future mariners, further develop nautical profession and economy, advance maritime science and maintain Croatia as a country with highly-educated and skilled seafarers. The Training Center is located in Dubrovnik. Horizont doesn’t offer a Basic Safety Training course (D2) but offers other STCW courses. For a full list of training courses, visit their official website or contact them via phone or email.
Location: Od sv. Mihajla 1, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia
Contact Info
Phone: +385 (0)20 456 812
Mobile: +385 (0)99 4505 000
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.horizont-ptc.hr
Working hours: 8 A.M. - 4 P.M. (Mon-Fri); lunch break from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.
The newest training school for the education of boat crew is Adriatic Crew Academy, which is being launched this autumn. Read more about it here. For more information and details about (other) STCW courses, contact the training schools or visit their official websites. You can also contact the local port authorities (where you can also take the exam), for more information on where to take an STCW course.
Why take the STCW course in Croatia?
Firstly, Croatia has a long seafaring tradition along with a long history of educating sailors and seafarers, so you will be taught by highly-educated and experienced teachers and experts in the field. Also, many centers have invested in providing training using cutting-edge technology (such as simulators). All schools offer STCW exams in English, and many of them offer tailor-made courses in English (and some even in Italian). The prices of the courses are affordable and cheaper than most of the EU countries. For comparison, prices of the basic safety training in the UK range from GBP 700 to 1,300 (800 - 1500 euros), in France and Spain around €1000, while in Croatia the average price of the course is €270 (+ exam €60). Important to note is that most of the prices (in the UK etc.) have included the accommodation expenses in the price, whereas the price listed for courses in Croatia hasn’t. But, even if we include the accommodation and food expenses, Croatia is still cheaper when compared to other countries in the EU (of course, depending on where, when and for how long you plan on staying).
Are you interested in all things related to the maritime world in Croatia, why not stop by Total Croatia Sailing or LIKE their Facebook Page.
