Any ordinary crew shall be not less than 16 years of age. However, he/she who is 15 years of age or above or has a junior high school diploma, and works without any employment agreement on a fishing vessel less than 24 meters in length which operates in limited waters, and whose owner or shareholder of the partnership is his/her relative within the second degree of kinship, shall be exempted.
All officers shall be not less than 18 years of age.

Any physical examination for crew members shall only be conducted by the following medical institutions:
(1) Public hospitals;
(2) Teaching hospitals accredited as qualified by the central health competent authority;
(3) Public health centers which are affiliated to the Public Health Bureaus of municipal, county (city) governments.
Items for the physical examination as referred to in the preceding paragraph and the Certificate for Physical Examination are as shown in Appendix 1. The Certificate for Physical Examination shall be effective for six months starting from the date of examination.

• Appendix 1 Certificate for Physical Examination of Fishing Vessel Crew.odt

Any crew member shall join training program(s) as required by the central competent authority and the training programs are categorized as follows:
(1) Basic safety training;
(2) Professional training for officers;
(3) In-service professional training.
The training programs as referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be established by the central competent authority taking into consideration of the international standards, and may be conducted by the central competent authority itself or through commissioning a public/private professional training organization or academic institute.
The central competent authority shall collect guarantee deposits from the trainees for the training programs as referred to in paragraph 1. An administrative contract shall be made between the central competent authority and a trainee. Any trainee may apply for the refund of the guarantee deposit in the event that he/she has engaged in fishing operation for accumulated period of three months or above within one year after the completion of the training program.
The application for the refund of the guarantee deposit as referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be filed by the trainee concerned within one year and three months after his/her completion of training program. No refund shall be made for any overdue application.
The qualifications and required documents for joining the professional training program for officers are as shown in Appendix 2.

• Appendix 2 Qualifications and Required Document(s) for Joining Training Programs for Officers.odt

The application form of any person that signs up for the training program as referred to in sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article shall be filled in and submitted by the fishery operator employing the applicant to the regional fishermen association or distant water fisheries association to which the fishery operator belongs. However, any applicant that is under any of the following circumstances is exempted:
(1) Any person that serves on a fishery patrol vessel, fishery research vessel, or fishery training vessel, with supporting document(s) issued by the unit served;
(2) Observers, inspectors, or any person engaged in relevant incentive programs for working on board fishing vessels, with supporting document(s) issued by the central competent authority;
(3) Any students applying for an internship on a fishing vessel, with a recommodation issued by his/her academic institution.
Any foreign crew employed domestically or overseas that signs up for the training program as referred to in the sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article shall hold the training qualification prescribed in Appendix 2, and the application form shall be filled in and submitted by the fishery operator employing the crew concerned to the regional fishermen association or distant water fisheries association to which the fishery operator belongs.

• Appendix 2 Qualifications and Required Document(s) for Joining Training Programs for Officers.odt

For any fishing vessel of 12 meters or above and less than 24 meters in length applying for operating in unlimited waters, each of its officers of the navigation section shall possess a Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer for first level captain or first level mate.
Any officer except the first level captain or the first mate shall serve as an officer of the navigation section on the fishing vessel as referred to in the preceding paragraph only if he/she has joined and passed the relevant professional training program(s).

Where the competent authority requires any level of crew member to join training for the purposes of fishery management, the crew member(s) concerned shall not refuse.

Any person that applies for a Fishing Vessel Crew Identification for the first time shall, within five years after obtaining the certificate on completing the basic safety training as referred to in sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 1 of Article 11, submit a completed application form and the following documents to the municipal or county (city) competent authority commissioned by the central competent authority for issuance:
(1) Four photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year, and are half-length, facing front, and without wearing a hat.
(2) The original and one copy of the National Identification or Resident Certificate. The original will be returned after verification.
(3) A letter of employment commitment as verified by the fishermen’s association concerned. However, any one that is without the employment agreement as referred to in Article 9, paragraph 1; or that is under the circumstances as stiplulated in sub-paragraph (1) or (2) of paragraph 1 of Article 11-1, is exempted.
(4) One copy of a valid Certificate for Physical Examination of Fishing Vessel Crew Member issued by the medical institution as stipulated in paragraph 1 of Article 10;
(5) For minors, a letter of consent from one of the legal representatives and the copy of the National Identification or the Resident Certificate of such legal representative shall also be submitted.
The Fishing Vessel Crew Identification shall be valid for five years, and application for the renewal of such Identification shall be filed within one year prior to its expiry.

Any crew member that applies for the renewal of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification shall submit a completed application form and the following documents to the municipal or county (city) competent authority commissioned by the central competent authority for issuance:
(1) Four photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year, and are half-length, facing front, and without wearing a hat;
(2) The original Fishing Vessel Crew Identification previously obtained, which will be returned after cutting the corner thereof;
(3) One copy of the National Identification or Resident Certificate;
(4) One copy of a valid Certificate for Physical Examination of Fishing Vessel Crew Member issued by the medical institution as stipulated in paragraph 1 of Article 10;
(5) For any crew member whose latest record as shown in the column “Change of Position” on the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification is unemployed, a letter of employment commitment verified by the fishermen’s association concerned shall be submitted. However, any crew member that is without the employment agreement as referred to in Article 9, paragraph 1; or that is under the circumstances as stipulated in sub-paragraph (1) or (2) of paragraph 1 of Article 11-1, is exempted.
Any applicant as referred to in the preceding paragraph that has not held a valid Fishing Vessel Crew Identification and operated at sea in the recent five years, or his/her Fishing Vessel Crew Identification has expired for over five years, shall re-obtain the certificate on completing the basic safety training as referred to in sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 1 of Article 11 and apply for the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification in accordance with the paragraph 1 of the preceding Article.

Where a crew member who serves onboard an authorized distant water fishing vessel applies for the renewal of his/her Fishing Vessel Crew Identification but fails to submit the original Fishing Vessel Crew Identification in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article due to operating at sea, the National Identification, Resident Certificate, passport or driver license may be used for substitute. For any crew member that fails to submit a Certificate for Physical Examination as referred to in sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article, he/she shall provide the certificate within one month after returning to the Republic of China.

Any crew member that applies for a Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer shall submit a completed application form and the following documents, together with the certificate issuance fee, to the central competent authority for issuance:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat.
(2) One copy of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification. However, any foreign crew member employed domestically or overseas and has completed the professional training for officers as referred to in sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 1 of Article 11 is exempted.
(3) For any foreign crew employed domestically, a copy of the Resident Certificate or the current Ocean Fishing Employment Permit shall be enclosed. For any foreign crew employed overseas, a copy of the permit for recruitment by the current fishing vessel shall be enclosed.
(4) The original and one copy of each of the following documents. The original copy will be returned after verification:
i. The certificate on passing examination for fishing vessel crew members as issued by the Examination Yuan;
ii. The certificate on completing the professional training for fishing vessel officer as issued by the central competent authority; or
iii. The certificate on passing the examinations of Seafarers issued by the Examination Yuan, the diploma of a marine academic institution with a major in related subjects, or the Crew's Certificate of Competency issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, as certified by the central competent authority to meet the qualification for the equivalency in the standards of professional training for officers.
(5) One copy of a valid Certificate for Physical Examination of Fishing Vessel Crew Member issued by the medical institution as stipulated in paragraph 1 of Article 10.
(6) Any other certification document as required by the central competent authority and referred to in Appendix 3.
Qualifications for the equivalency in the standards of training as referred to in item iii of sub-paragraph (4) of the preceding paragraph are prescribed in Appendix 3-1.
For any crew member that applies for a Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer, in the event that five years have passed since the issuance of his/her certificate on passing relevant examination(s), certificate on completing training program(s), diploma, and certificate of competency as referred to in sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph 1 and the preceding paragraph, the Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer shall be applied for only if he/she has rejoined the professional training for officers as stipulated in sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 1 of Article 11 and received the certificate on completing the training. However, any crew member that is able to prove that he/she has operated at sea for one year in the recent five years is exempted.
The Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer shall be valid for a maximum of five years, and the validity of such Certificate shall not exceed that of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification. Application for the renewal of such Certificate shall be filed within one year prior to its expiry.

• Appendix 3 Required Document(s) for Application for the Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer.odt
• Appendix 3-1 Qualifications for the Verification of the Equivalency in the Standards of Training for Fishing Vessel Officers.odt

For any application for the renewal of a Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer, a completed application form and the following documents shall be submitted, together with the certificate issuance fee, to the central competent authority for issuance:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat.
(2) One copy of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification. However, foreign crew employed domestically or overseas are exempted.
(3) For any foreign crew employed domestically, a copy of the Resident Certificate or the current Ocean Fishing Employment Permit shall be enclosed. For any forign crew employed overseas, a copy of the permit for recruitment by the current fishing vessel shall be enclosed.
(4) One copy of a valid Certificate for Physical Examination of Fishing Vessel Crew Member issued by the medical institution as stipulated in paragraph 1 of Article 10.
(5) The original Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer previously obtained, which will be returned after cutting the corner thereof.

Where a crew member who serves onboard an authorized distant water fishing vessel applies for the renewal of his/her Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer but fails to submit the original Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article due to operating at sea, the National Identification, Resident Certificate, passport, or driver license may be used for substitute. For any crew member that fails to submit a Certificate for Physical Examination as referred to in sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article, he/she shall provide the certificate within one month after returning to the Republic of China.

Any fishery operator that employs a foreign crew member in accordance with the Employment Service Act shall, within 15 days after obtaining the Permit for Recruitment issued by the Ministry of Labor, submit a completed application form together with the following documents to the municipal or county (city) competent authority commissioned by the central competent authority for the application of a Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat.
(2) One copy of the passport or the Entry Certificate of the foreign crew member;
(3) One copy of the Permit for Recruitment issued by the Ministry of Labor.
Where the Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification of any foreign crew, within the period of its validity, is damaged or the numbers of relevant columns are deficient, the fishery operator concerned shall submit a completed application form and the following documents to the municipal or county (city) competent authority commissioned by the central competent authority for replacement:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat;
(2) The original Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification previously obtained.
Where the Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification of any foreign crew is lost within the period of its validity, the fishery operator concerned shall submit a completed application form and the following documents to the municipal or county (city) competent authority commissioned by the central competent authority for reissuance:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat;
(2) The original and one copy of Resident Certificate. The original will be returned after verification;
(3) Declaration of loss.
The validity of the Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification shall not exceed that of employment permitted by the Ministry of Labor. The expiry date of the replaced and reissued Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification as referred to in the preceding two paragraphs shall be the same as the expiry date of the Identification previously obtained.

Where the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer, within the period of its validity, is damaged or the numbers of relevant columns are deficient, the crew member concerned shall submit a completed application form and the following documents for replacement:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat.
(2) The original Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer previously obtained.
Where the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer is lost within the period of its validity, the crew member concerned shall submit a completed application form and the following documents for reissuance:
(1) Two photos in two-inch size that are taken within the recent one year and are half length, facing front, and without wearing a hat.
(2) The original one copy of National Identification or Resident Certificate. The original will be returned after verification.
(3) Declaration of loss.
For any crew member that applies for the replacement or reissuance of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification in accordance with the preceding two paragraphs and whose latest record as shown in the column “Change of Position” on the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification is found to be unemployed, a letter of employment commitment verified by the fishermen’s association concerned shall be submitted. However, any crew member that is without the employment agreement as referred to in Article 9, paragraph 1 ; or that is under the circumstances as stipulated in sub-paragraph (1) or (2) of paragraph 1 of Article 11-1, is exempted.
The expiry date of the replaced and reissued Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer as referred to in paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 shall be the same as the expiry date of the Identification or Certificate previously obtained.

Where a crew member transfers to serve on board another fishing vessel or changes his/her position, or the employment agreement is terminated, the crew member concerned shall apply for the modification registration of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification within seven days after the occurrence of such modification.

For a foreign crew member recruited within the territory of the Republic of China and transferring to serve on board another fishing vessel, both the former and the new fishery operators shall apply for the modification registration of the Fishing Vessel Foreign Crew Identification within seven days after the occurrence of such modification.

For any application of internship on a fishing vessel, the school or training institute concerned shall tabulate the applications and submit to the municipal or county (city) competent authority which is commissioned by the central competent authority and which is the registry of the said fishing vessel, for the issuance of Fishing Vessel Intern Crew Member Identification with a prescribed period of validity.

Any officer that is udner any of the following circumstances shall not serve onboard a fishing vessel of 12 meters or above in length:
(1) An imposed disposition of suspending the Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer has not yet been completed.
(2) Two years have not passed since the Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer is withdrawn.

Any person that is under any of the following circumstances shall be denied the issuance or renewal of Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer:
(1) Two years have not passed since a person is subject to the withdrawl of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer pursuant to the Act.
(2) Four years have not passed since a person is subject to the revocation of the Fishing Vessel Crew Identification or Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer pursuant to the Act for Distant Water Fisheries.

For any person who holds the Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer issued in accordance with the amendment of these regulations promulgated on 29 June 2001 but does not apply for the renewal of the said Certificate before 30 June 2006, he/she may apply for Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer of the new system prior to 23 May 2014. The relevant application procedures and required documents are as shown in Appendix 4.

• Appendix 4 Qualification, Procedures and Required Submission for Applying New Certificate of Fishing Vessel Officer.odt