WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS) [ S.L.49.04 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 49.04
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY (CERTIFICATES OF 
OPERATORS) REGULATIONS 
30th April, 1999
LEGAL NOTICE 72 of 1999 .
Title. 
(Certificates of Operators) Regulations.
Interpretation.
requires - 
"approved" means approved by the Registrar-General; 
"RT (VHF only) Certificate" means the Restricted (VHF only)
Radiotelephony Certificate;
"GMDSS Certificate" means -
( a ) the GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate; or
( b ) the GMDSS Restricted Operator’s Certificate; 
"prescribed fee" means the appropriate fee prescribed in the First
Schedule to these Regulations;
"GMDSS" means the Global Maritime Distress and Safety
System;
"the STCW Code" means the Seafarers’ Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping Code adopted by the 1995 Conference of Parties
to the STCW Convention;
"STOW Convention" means the International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for
Seafarers, signed in London on 7th July, 1978;
Cap. 49.
Cap. 234.
"Registrar-General" means the Registrar-General of Shipping
and Seamen appointed under article 363 of the Merchant Shipping
Act.
(2) Unless otherwise defined in the Ordinance, or in these
Regulations or unless the context otherwise requires, words and
expressions used in these Regulations shall have the same meaning
assigned to them in the STCW Convention.
(3) Any reference in these Regulations to an international
convention or its related protocol or code shall include reference to
any amendment to such convention, protocol or code accepted by
the Government of Malta.
Conditions for the 
issue of a GMDSS 
certificate. 
3. A person shall only qualify for the issue of a GMDSS
certificate if such person -
( a ) is at least eighteen years of age;
( b ) has completed approved education and training;
( c ) meets in an approved manner the standard of
competence specified in section A-IV/2 of the STCW
2 [ S.L.49.04
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS)
Code; and
( d ) passes an approved medical examination and eyesight
test satisfying approved medical and eyesight
examination standards for seafarers.
Conditions for the 
issue of an RT 
(VHF only) 
certificate.
4. A person shall only qualify for the RT (VHF only)
certificate if such person -
( a ) is at least sixteen years of age; and
( b ) demonstrates in an approved manner knowledge and
understanding of and proficiency in the material
specified in the Second Schedule to these Regulations.
Application for 
certification or for 
examination.
5.  An application for the issue of a certificate or endorsement
under these Regulations or to take an examination for certification
under these Regulations shall be made to the Registrar-General on
the relative form accompanied by the prescribed fee and by such
documents as the Registrar-General may require, including a
declaration to preserve the secrecy of correspondence in the form
contained in the Third Schedule to these Regulations.
Examiners. 6. Examiners for the conduct of examinations in terms of
these Regulations shall be appointed by the Registrar-General from
an approved list of persons having a good knowledge of ships and
of maritime safety and search and rescue matters, and holding a
Maritime Radio-communication General Certificate or an
equivalent certificate, and either holding a GMDSS General
Operator’s Certificate or having, in the opinion of the Registrar-
General, considerable experience in maritime radio
communications, including the GMDSS.
Recognition of 
foreign GMDSS 
certificates.
7.  (1) The Registrar-General may recognise and endorse a
GMDSS certificate issued by or under the authority of another
party to the STCW Convention if satisfied that the requirements of
the STCW Convention concerning standards of training,
competence, the issue and endorsement of certificates and record
keeping are fully complied with.
(2) A GMDSS certificate issued by or under the authority of a
non-Party to the STCW Convention shall not be recognised.
Recognition of 
foreign RT (VHF 
only) certificates.
8.  The Registrar-General may recognise and endorse an RT
(VHF only) certificate issued by or under the authority of another
government if satisfied that the requirements for the issue of such
certificate are equivalent to the provisions of regulation 4 of these
Regulations and the system of record keeping maintained by the
issuing authority of the certificate is, in the opinion of the
Registrar-General, equally efficient to the system of record keeping
maintained in terms of the provisions of regulation 12(1).
Form, date and 
validity of 
certificates and 
endorsements.
9. (1) A certificate or an endorsement under these
Regulations shall, on receipt of the prescribed fee, be issued by the
Registrar-General and bearing the date when the applicant has
satisfied all the requirements set out in these Regulations for the
issue of such certificate or endorsement, and in the case of a
GMDSS certificate or endorsement in the format required by
section A-I/2 of the STCW Code.
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS) [ S.L.49.04 3
(2) A GMDSS certificate or endorsement shall remain valid for
sea-going service only if -
( a ) the holder continues to meet the approved standards of
medical fitness and of professional competence set by
section AI/11 of the STCW Code; and
( b ) such certificate or endorsement is revalidated at
intervals not exceeding five years in accordance with
regulation I/11 of the STCW Convention.
(3) An endorsement shall remain valid for sea-going service
only if the certificate endorsed is still valid and in any case for not
more than five years from the date of issue when the endorsement
may be revalidated.
(4) Where the holder of a certificate is issued with a GMDSS
general operator’s certificate, the GMDSS restricted operator’s
certificate shall be surrendered to the Registrar-General for
cancellation.
Lost or destroyed 
certificates.
10. (1) If a certificate is lost or destroyed, the holder thereof
shall as soon as practicable, notify the Registrar-General who shall,
if satisfied that it has been lost or destroyed, issue a copy of the
certificate (so marked) against payment of the prescribed fee, and
such copy of the certificate shall have the same effect as the
certificate originally issued.
(2) Any certificate notified as aforesaid as lost or destroyed
shall, if subsequently recovered, be delivered forthwith by the
holder to the Registrar-General.
(3) Any person other than the holder thereof coming into
possession of a certificate or endorsement issued under these
Regulations should deliver it forthwith to the Registrar-General.
Invalidation or 
suspension of 
certificate.
Cap. 234.
11. (1) Where it is proved to the satisfaction of the Minister
that the holder of a certificate has wilfully or negligently failed to
comply with any of the provisions of the International
Telecommunication Convention or of any regulations annexed
thereto or regarded as being annexed thereto, or any regulations
made under the Ordinance or the Merchant Shipping Act, the
certificate may be invalidated or suspended.
(2) A certificate or endorsement which has been invalidated,
suspended or cancelled shall be delivered forthwith to the
Registrar-General who may, after having suitably marked such
certificate or endorsement, return it to the holder thereof.
Record to be kept 
by Registrar-
General.
12. (1) The Registrar-General shall maintain a record of all
certificates and endorsements issued under these Regulations, and
of any revalidation, suspension, cancellation, or alteration thereof
and of any other matter affecting any such certificates or
endorsements.
(2) The Registrar-General shall make available information on
the status of certificates or endorsements issued under these
Regulations to other Parties to the STCW Convention and
companies requesting information for the purposes of paragraph
4 [ S.L.49.04
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS)
4.2 of regulation l-/9 of the STCW Convention.
Matters not 
provided for in 
these Regulations.
13. Any matter relating to GMDSS certificates and
endorsements not provided for in these Regulations shall be
governed by the provisions of the STCW Convention or the STCW
Code as the case may be.
Saving. 14. Any certificate issued under the Wireless Telegraphy
(Certificate of Operators) Rules, 1974, *  shall remain valid as if it
has been issued under these Regulations until the 1st February,
2005, so however, that it shall not be valid in any case for sea-
going service on passenger ships and on cargo ships of 300 gross
tonnage and over:
Provided that in any case such certificate shall become
invalid, and cannot be revalidated, if the holder thereof has been
absent from sea-service as a radio operator for a period of more
than two years.
*Revoked by these Regulations.
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS) [ S.L.49.04 5
FIRST SCHEDULE
(Regulation 2)
Fees payable to the Registrar-General in 
connection with these Regulations
Lm
A. Issue of a GMDSS Certificate or an
endorsement certificate in recognition of a foreign
GMDSS certificate 50
Reissue or revalidation of a GMDSS
Certificate or endorsement certificate 25
Examination for issue, reissue or
revalidation of GMDSS Certificate 50
Examination and issue or reissue of an RT
(VHF only) Certificate or of an endorsement
certificate in recognition of a foreign RT (VHF only)
certificate 25
B. The Minister may, under such conditions as
deemed appropriate, exempt any person or class of
persons from the payment of all or part of the fees
payable in terms of these Regulations.
6 [ S.L.49.04
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS)
SECOND SCHEDULE
(Regulation 4)
Specification of minimum standard of knowledge, 
understanding and proficiency for RT (VHT only) Operators
General radio 
knowledge 
- Capabilities and limitations of marine band
VHF radiotelephones, including typical
communication ranges 
- Characteristics of the different types of VHF
radiotelephone available and advantages of
special features such as dual watch and selcall
Allocation of 
channels in the VHF 
Maritime Mobile 
Band
- Distress, safety and calling
- Intership
- Port operations
- Ship movement
- Small craft safety
Use of a VHF 
radiotelephone
- Function to user controls, including: press to
transmit switch; high/low power switch;
volume control; squelch control; channel
selector switch and dual watch control
Voice procedure and 
radio discipline
- Phonetic alphabet for letters and phonetic
pronunciation of English numerals
- Meaning and correct use of the following
signals:
- All after; All before; Correct; Correction; In
figures; In letters; I say again; I spell; Out;
Over; Radio check; Read back; Received; Say
again; Station calling; Text; Traffic; This is;
Wait; Word after; Word before; Wrong
- Correct use of callsigns 
- Procedure for establishing communication on
intership, public correspondence, small craft
safety and port operation and ship movement
channels
- Procedure for unanswered calls and garbled
calls
- Control of communications
- Types of call and types of message which are
prohibited
- Procedure for test calls
Distress - Rules for the transmission of a distress call
and distress message and the correct use and
meaning of the signal mayday
- Correct format of a distress call and distress
message including the methods of indicating
position and the amplifying information which
should be included
- Control of communications during distress
working including the correct use and
meaning of the signals:  Seelonce mayday;
Seelonce distress; Prudence and Seelonce
Feenee
- Meaning and correct use of the signal  Mayday
Relay
- Obligation to acknowledge a distress message,
the correct form of acknowledgment and the
action to be taken following an
acknowledgment 
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS) [ S.L.49.04 7
Urgency - Rules for transmission of an urgency message
and the correct use and meaning of the signal
Pan Pan
- Procedure for obtaining urgent medical advice
through a coast radio station and the correct
use of the signal  Pan Pan Medico
Safety  - Rules for the transmission of a safety message
and the correct use and meaning of the signal
Securite
Public 
correspondence 
- Procedure for link calls
- Procedure for calls to ships from coast radio
stations
Regulations and 
documentation
- Requirement for Ship Radio Licence
- Regulations concerning secrecy of
correspondence
- Regulations concerning control of the
operation of radio equipment by the holder of
an appropriate certificate of competence and
authority to operate
- Regulations concerning the radiotelephone
logbook
- Directives and instructions relating to the use
of VHF radiotelephony e.g.:
Danger in the use of VHF radio in collision
avoidance, Carriage of EPIRBs, Misuse of
VHF radio channels, Radiotelephone distress
procedure, Standard marine vocabulary
8 [ S.L.49.04
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY 
(CERTIFICATES OF OPERATORS)
THIRD SCHEDULE
(Regulation 5)
Declaration of secrecy of correspondence
I, ................ do solemnly and sincerely declare that I will not
improperly divulge to any person the purport of any message which
I may transmit or receive by means of any wireless telegraphy
apparatus operated by me or which may come to my knowledge in
connection with the operation of the said telegraph apparatus.
Date...........................  Signature of Declarant ...........................
Signature of Witness .............................
Address  ................................................. 
.................................................
Telephone Number ................................ 
Occupation*...........................................
*The witness must be a Registrar of Maltese Ships, a
Commissioner for Oaths, a Maltese Consular Officer, an Advocate
or Notary Public in Malta or any other person acceptable to the
Registrar-General.
