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{{Globalize, article, UK and USA, date=August 2023 __NOTOC__ Under the Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, 1958, countries with a merchant navy (also called a merchant marine) require identifying credentials for their mariners. The Merchant Mariner's Document (MMD) or Z-card in the United States, and the Ordinary Seaman's Certificate in the United Kingdom are examples of these credentials.


United Kingdom

An Ordinary Seaman Certificate is a required
certification Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
to obtain a job as an Ordinary Seaman, a rating in a
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...
's
deck department The deck department is an organisational team on board navy, naval and merchant ship, merchant ships. Seafarers in the deck department work a variety of jobs on a ship or vessel, but primarily they will carry out the navigation of a vessel from ...
. It consists mostly of
proof of identity An identity document (abbreviated as ID) is a documentation, document proving a person's Identity (social science), identity. If the identity document is a plastic card it is called an ''identity card'' (abbreviated as ''IC'' or ''ID card''). ...
, proof of some minimal health (possibly including a
drug test A drug test (also often toxicology screen or tox screen) is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, or saliva, oral fluid/saliva—to determine the presence or absence of specified parent ...
) and some minimal age, and the standards defined under Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ( STCW).


United States

The Merchant Mariner's Document (MMD), previously called a Z-Card, is a kind of
Merchant Mariner Credential The Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) is a credential issued by the United States Coast Guard in accordance with guidelines of the STCW, International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) to Unit ...
previously issued by the
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
in accordance with the STCW guidelines, and, until completely phased out, remains one of the standard documents required for all crewmembers of U.S. ships with a
Gross Tonnage Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weig ...
of over 100. An entry-level MMD allows a mariner to work on the deck as an Ordinary Seaman (OS), in the engine department as a Wiper, or in the steward's department as a Food Handler (FH). With experience and testing, qualified ratings such as Able Seaman (AB) or Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED) can be obtained. The document is about the size of a
passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...
, and contains the sailor's information regarding date of birth, the location of issue, nationality, and the shipboard duties he or she is qualified for. The document was created shortly after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
ended in 1945 in order to maintain security in ports around the world when
sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...
was still a major concern. Today, the document still serves this purpose, and is regarded as a proof of identity and a
passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...
when a
sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...
is in a foreign country. The document has to be renewed every five years. Prior to the early 1990s, Z-Cards were obtained free of charge and were good for life, but increased safety standards in the maritime industry sought to require all active mariners to renew these documents and constantly train to stay abreast of any advancements in their field. All applicants for a Z-Card are required to apply, take a drug test, and wait for a criminal background check to complete before receiving their documents, which can take from a few weeks to several years. The name Z-Card comes from its early days, when a sailor's ID number always started with the letter 'Z'. The
Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
has begun replacing the Merchant Mariner's Document, STCW Certificate, and Certificate of Registry with a new credential, a passport-style
Merchant Mariner Credential The Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) is a credential issued by the United States Coast Guard in accordance with guidelines of the STCW, International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) to Unit ...
. Mariners receive the new credential when they apply for a new document or renew their current one. Current MMDs remain valid until their expiration date.


See also

* Seaman Service Book * Continuous Discharge Certificate *
Merchant Mariner Credential The Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) is a credential issued by the United States Coast Guard in accordance with guidelines of the STCW, International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) to Unit ...
Law of the sea Merchant navy Professional titles and certifications International travel documents