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Trust & verificationEvery certificate uploaded to Velvet Ocean Crew is reviewed by our team before a verified badge appears on the profile.
Velvet Ocean Crew verifies crew certificates through a combination of AI document review and human checks: the document is uploaded, AI extracts the holder's name, dates and issuing authority, a team member confirms authenticity, and a verified badge is applied to the profile — typically within 24 to 48 hours.
From their profile dashboard, crew upload a scan or photo of the certificate — PDF, JPG or PNG. They add the issue date, expiry date and issuing authority.
A member of the Velvet Ocean team checks the document for: correct issuing body, legibility, match to the crew member’s name and date of birth, and expiry status. We aim to complete this within 24–48 hours.
Once approved, a verification badge appears next to that certificate on the crew member’s profile. Employers can see which documents are verified versus self-declared at a glance.
For certificates with an expiry date, we send the crew member a renewal reminder 60 days before expiry. If a certificate lapses and is not renewed, the verified badge is paused until the new document is uploaded and reviewed.
A verified badge means our team has reviewed a copy of the original document and confirmed it is legible, authentic in format and current. We do not contact the issuing authority for every certificate, but we do cross-reference issuing body logos, formats and serial number patterns against known examples.
A crew member has indicated they hold a certificate but has not yet uploaded a copy for review. Employers can see the distinction and decide whether to proceed or request the document directly.
Standard review: 24–48 hours on working days. Expedited review for urgent placements: contact us at info@velvetocean.com.
All STCW Basic Safety modules, Advanced Firefighting, Medical First Aid, Medical Care and PDSD.
ENG1, ML5, and equivalent national medical fitness certificates for commercial seafarers.
RYA Yachtmaster (Coastal, Offshore, Ocean), MCA OOW, Chief Mate and Master (500gt, 3000gt).
US B1/B2 crew visa, Schengen visas, Cayman Islands seafarer endorsement and flag state endorsements.
No. Your profile becomes searchable as soon as it is complete. Certificates show as self-declared until you upload them. We recommend uploading at least STCW and ENG1 before your first search result appears, as many employers filter for verified documents only.
We accept certificates in all major languages. If the certificate is in a language our reviewers don’t read, we will ask you to provide a certified translation or an English-language endorsement from the issuing authority. STCW certificates issued by IMO member states are standardised in format and can usually be verified without translation.
Employers can view your certificates on your profile but cannot download the original file. If an employer needs a copy for flag state or port authority purposes, you can share it directly from your profile with a controlled sharing link that expires after 7 days.
If we cannot verify a document we will contact you with the specific reason — for example, the image is too low resolution or part of the document is obscured. You can re-upload a clearer version immediately. We do not remove self-declared certificates from your profile; we simply do not apply the verified badge.
