The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has published Guidance: MSN 1863 (M+F) - Amendment 1, UK Requirements for Engine Room Ratings, dated 1 November 2026, setting out qualifying conditions for key engineering endorsements for seafarers.
The memorandum states that it outlines the qualifying conditions for obtaining an engine room watch rating and an able seafarer engine certificate. The update is published as an amendment to MSN 1863 (M+F).
Scope of the amended guidance
The notice describes the qualifying conditions that apply to two categories of engineering certification: the engine room watch rating and the able seafarer engine certificate. The MSN presents those conditions as the basis for assessing entitlement to the respective credentials.
The document is framed as guidance and addresses the route to qualification rather than operational or disciplinary matters. It is presented as an authoritative reference by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the specific subject of engine room ratings.
Intended readership and usage
The memorandum is issued for use by seafarers and organisations involved in seafarer certification and assessment. It is the published instrument by which the agency communicates the eligibility criteria for the two engineering endorsements covered.
As an amendment to an existing MSN, the item updates or clarifies the agency's position on qualifying conditions; it does not itself grant certificates but sets out the conditions under which certificates should be awarded in accordance with UK requirements.
The agency's note is concise in scope and limited to qualifying conditions for the engine room watch rating and able seafarer engine certificate. Readers seeking the precise criteria are directed to the published guidance for the definitive wording.
The memorandum is dated 1 November 2026 and appears under the title Guidance: MSN 1863 (M+F) - Amendment 1 - UK Requirements for Engine Room Ratings. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is named as the publisher of the item.
Those responsible for assessment, training and certification within the UK framework will refer to the amended MSN when determining eligibility for the two engineering endorsements set out in the notice. The document functions as the agency's current statement of the qualifying conditions for these engine room ratings.
The agency's publication record will hold the full text of the amendment for reference by stakeholders. The memorandum is the formal vehicle used by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to communicate changes or clarifications to the qualifying conditions for seafarer engineering certificates.