The internationally recognised generic ECDIS training course, mandatory for UK deck officers applying for or revalidating a Certificate of Competency from 1 January 2017.
ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) IMO Model Course 1.27 — formally titled Operational Use of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) — is the internationally recognised syllabus produced by the International Maritime Organization for generic ECDIS training. It is not a qualification in its own right; rather it is a model curriculum that underpins MCA-approved training programmes in the UK and equivalent flag state approvals globally. UK providers must hold MCA approval and follow Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) criteria.
The course is mandatory for all UK deck officers applying for a new Certificate of Competency (CoC) or revalidating an existing one. The requirement applies to Officer of the Watch (Regulation II/1), Chief Mate and Master (Regulation II/2), and near-coastal watchkeeping officers (Regulation II/3) under the STCW Convention (Manila Amendments 2010). Without this certificate, a CoC carries the limitation: "From 1 January 2017 this certificate is not valid for service on ships fitted with ECDIS."
Training is simulator-based and structured over five days (a minimum of 40 hours, as required by the MNTB and MCA). The course moves from foundational principles through to advanced passage planning scenarios, with assessment consolidated on day five. Upon successful completion, candidates receive a Generic ECDIS Training Certificate meeting IMO Model Course 1.27, issued by the MCA-approved provider. Officers also require separate equipment type-specific familiarisation for the particular make and model fitted on each vessel they serve aboard — this is the responsibility of the employing company under the ISM Code and is not separately certificated by the MCA.
ECDIS carriage is mandatory under SOLAS Regulation V/19 on passenger ships of 500 GT and above and cargo ships of 3,000 GT and above on international voyages. Officers serving on these vessels require both the generic IMO Model Course 1.27 certificate and vessel type-specific familiarisation. For officers already holding a CoC with the ECDIS limitation, completing this course and submitting the certificate to the MCA removes the restriction. The qualification underpins watchkeeping roles from OOW through to Master and is therefore a prerequisite for the vast majority of commercial seagoing appointments at officer level.
Validity and renewal. The Generic ECDIS Training Certificate does not carry a fixed expiry date under current MCA and STCW rules. It is a once-completed competency requirement. The Certificate of Competency it underpins is revalidated every five years under STCW Regulation I/11; ECDIS generic training is not specifically required to be repeated at each revalidation. However, some flag states and employers treat generic ECDIS as a five-year renewable in practice, and short refresher courses (typically one to two days) are available from providers for officers who have been absent from ECDIS-fitted vessels for an extended period. This is employer or flag state discretion rather than a current mandatory UK requirement.