How Much Does STCW Cost? Full Price Breakdown for Yacht Crew

STCW Price for becoming Superyacht Crew

STCW Basic Safety Training costs vary significantly depending on where you do it and what you combine it with. In Sweden, standalone STCW costs around €2,400. In Norway and Germany, €1,800–2,000. In France and Spain, €1,200–1,500. These prices cover one certificate — the legal minimum to work on a commercial vessel. They don’t include ENG1, PDSD, Crowd and Crisis Management, on-board training, or any job search support. This page breaks down what STCW costs across Europe, what else you need beyond it, and what all-inclusive training in Split actually covers. See our full STCW guide for a complete breakdown of the certificate, or book a free call if you want us to walk you through the most cost-effective route for your situation.

STCW for Superyachts: What It Covers and What It Doesn’t

We started exactly where you are. Drazen dock walked the marinas of Antibes and Palma with a fresh STCW certificate and nothing else — no contacts, no superyacht CV, no idea what a captain actually wanted to hear in a 60-second conversation on a pontoon. We learned the hard way, season after season, moving from deckhand to bosun to Chief Officer on 100m+ superyachts, then to the other side — recruiting and employing hundreds of crew ourselves. Yachtiecareers exists because we remember exactly what that process was like and we built the programme we wish had existed when we started.

Here is what we know from both sides of that pontoon conversation: the crew who get hired fast are not the ones with the best STCW certificate. They are the ones with a proper yacht CV, on-board superyacht experience, a reference from someone the captain trusts, and enough industry knowledge to hold a real conversation about the job. STCW gets you past the first filter at a crew agency. Everything else gets you the contract.

Read our complete guide on how to get a yacht crew job to understand the full picture — STCW is step one of many. For the specific career paths, our stewardess job guide and deckhand job guide cover exactly what you need from certificate to first contract.

STCW Cost by Country — Europe Breakdown

Most STCW cost comparisons use UK prices only. Here is what standalone STCW Basic Safety Training costs across the countries our students most commonly come from:

What STCW Certificates You Actually Need for Superyachts

STCW Basic Safety Training is the foundation. Beyond that, every superyacht requires:

• ENG1 Medical Certificate — fitness to work at sea. Required on every commercial yacht without exception. £180–£250 standalone in the UK.
• PDSD — Personal Designated Security Duties. Standard requirement across the fleet. £120–€200 standalone.
• Crowd and Crisis Management — required for yachts certified to carry more than 12 guests. £100–€180 standalone.
• Food Hygiene Level 2 — interior crew and anyone handling food. £30–€80.
• Role-specific superyacht training — stewardess service standard or deckhand practical skills. This is what actually demonstrates you can do the job. Not covered by STCW at all.

Done separately across the UK, the full certificate stack costs £1,030–£2,030 before a single night of accommodation or a train fare — and you spend 4–12 weeks getting there. Meanwhile the Med season is running. Boats are filling crew lists. Check the full salary guide to understand what each week without a contract actually costs you.

STCW All-Inclusive Training in Split, Croatia

Our programme in Split covers every certificate, on-board practical training on a real superyacht, and a complete job search programme in one place, one trip, 10 days. You leave Split legally qualified, trained to a superyacht standard, and actively looking for work — in one of the main Med yachting hubs. Both packages include:

• STCW Basic Safety Training — MCA-accepted, 6 days practical
• ENG1 Medical Certificate (arranged through approved maritime doctor)
• PDSD (MCA-accepted)
• Crowd and Crisis Management
• Food Hygiene Level 2
• On-board practical training on a real superyacht in Split marina
• Dock walking seminars run by active Bosuns and Chief Stewardesses
• CV and interview preparation
• Private WhatsApp group with instructors before, during and after training
• 24/7 support throughout your job search

Full Package vs Premium Package: What’s Included

The Full package covers every required STCW certificate plus on-board training and job search support. The Premium adds a professionally written yacht CV, photo session, written reference letter from an active Chief Officer or Chief Stewardess, 7 nights crew accommodation in Split, and 1 year of unlimited career support with 1-1 consultations. Full access from a €740 deposit, training dates changeable for free.

Maura came from a cruise ship with no superyacht background, completed the Premium Stewardess training week in Split, and had job offers during the training week itself. She started on a 70m. Rachel did the same programme and came out with a rotational 4:2 contract on an 80m. Brooklyn found her first job in the south of France after training and is now working on a 60m superyacht — her review is below.

What Our Students Say

We have 173+ graduates with a 4.9-star average across Google and Trustpilot. These are three recent reviews — in their own words:

Brooklyn Woods ★★★★★ (South Africa)— “I can honestly say this week with YachtieCareers exceeded all of my expectations. Ivana and Antonija are not only incredibly knowledgeable but they are truly passionate about what they do and it shows in every part of the training. Their support, patience and constant encouragement created such a positive and motivating environment. They don’t just teach you the basics — they make sure you understand the standard expected on board and feel genuinely confident stepping into the industry. The attention to detail, the hands-on guidance, and the way they prepare you for real yacht life is unmatched. I went with the premium package where included they create a CV that is professional, tailored, and perfectly aligned with what captains and recruiters are looking for. If you’re serious about entering the yachting industry this is where you need to start.”

Brooklyn found her first job in the south of France after training and is now working on a 60m superyacht.

Sky ★★★★★  (UK)— “I completed my yacht training with Yachtie Careers and honestly couldn’t recommend them enough. The whole experience was amazing from start to finish — everything was organised so well and I received all of the qualifications and support needed to get started in the industry confidently. The girls were so helpful throughout the entire process and nothing was ever too much to ask. Any questions or worries I had were always answered quickly and they genuinely cared about helping everyone succeed. The training was professional, supportive and made the whole experience exciting rather than stressful. If you’re thinking about getting into yachting, Yachtie Careers is definitely the best place to start.”

Michaela Chrbjátová ★★★★★ — “To do STCW with YachtieCareers was definitely a decision I will never regret. Ivana and Antonija are really great people with a lot of experience, always positive, helpful, funny. Because of them I know a lot about how it works on yachts and I know I can text them anytime. I highly recommend these courses — on this journey I met amazing people that I will never forget.”

Read more on our reviews page. 600+ students placed on board superyachts since we started — from junior stewardesses and first-season deckhands to second stews, chief stewardesses, and bosuns.

MCA-Accepted STCW: What to Check Before You Book

There are providers advertising STCW at very low prices, including fully online options. The practical elements of STCW — firefighting, sea survival, first aid — cannot legally be completed online and accepted by the MCA or European flag states. Any provider skipping the in-person practical days is not delivering an MCA-accepted certificate. Superyacht captains and crew agencies check. A certificate from an unrecognised provider gets your application rejected immediately — and costs you the time and money to redo it properly. If you are unsure whether a provider is legitimate, ask us directly. We’ll tell you straight away.

STCW and Getting Your First Yacht Job: What Captains Look For

We have sat on both sides of the dock walking conversation — as crew looking for work and as the people doing the hiring. STCW is the starting point. What captains actually hire on is:

• A proper yacht CV — formatted correctly with a crew headshot, certificates listed with numbers and expiry dates, sea service framed for the superyacht market. Our stewardess job guide and deckhand job guide cover exactly what captains look for.
• On-board superyacht training — knowing how a superyacht actually runs. The aft deck setup, tender procedure, silver service standard, the way a bosun or chief stew expects things done. STCW teaches you nothing about this. Our on-board training in Split does.
• A reference — someone the captain trusts saying you’re worth hiring. A written reference from an active Chief Officer or Chief Stewardess who is known in this industry. This is the single most powerful tool a Premium student has walking onto a pontoon.
• The network and the knowledge — which agencies, how to dock walk properly, what to say, when the hiring seasons run. Being in Split after training means you start the job search immediately in a live yachting hub, not from a desk at home.

STCW is the legal starting point. What gets crew hired is a superyacht-specific CV, on-board training to the standard captains expect, a reference from someone the captain knows, and the practical knowledge to hold a real conversation on a pontoon. Our dock walking guide covers the job search process in full. If you want to talk through which route makes sense for your situation, book a free call with our team. Full details on packages at our stewardess training page and deckhand training page.