STCW Elementary First Aid: Course, Cost and What’s Covered

5 Nov 2026

STCW Elementary First Aid is the one-day first aid module inside STCW Basic Training, and every yacht crew member needs it. Booked on its own, it costs about £110 to £165 in the UK, €250 to €275 in Antibes and $129 in Fort Lauderdale. Unlike survival and fire fighting, it doesn't need refreshing every five years under MCA rules.

Prices checked on each school's own website on 5 November 2026.

What is STCW Elementary First Aid?

STCW Elementary First Aid (EFA) is the basic first aid standard for seafarers, set out in Table A-VI/1-3 of the STCW Code. It's one of the four modules of STCW Basic Safety Training, along with Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF) and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR). You'll often see it written as EFA, "STCW first aid" or "First Aid & CPR".

It's a one-day course, usually about 9am to 5pm, split roughly half theory and half practical. UK schools such as MRSL and UKSA cover:

• Assessing a casualty, raising the alarm and deciding what to do first
• CPR and basic life support, and clearing a blocked airway
• Bleeding, shock, burns and scalds, fractures and electric shock
• Bandaging, including improvising when there's no kit to hand
• Moving a casualty safely

You're assessed on both. UKSA uses a practical and a written assessment. MPT in Fort Lauderdale uses a 25-question multiple-choice exam plus practical tasks such as immobilising a fracture (MPT). There are no prerequisites.

CPR on a manikin is the core practical of EFA, and the reason the MCA won't accept the module online. Photo: U.S. Navy, public domain.

On a yacht, this is the course that makes you useful in the first few minutes after a deckhand slices a hand on a mooring line or a guest goes over on the swim platform. It isn't training to run the ship's medical chest. That comes later, if you go up the ladder.

Elementary First Aid vs Medical First Aid vs Medical Care

EFA is the entry-level ticket for all crew. Medical First Aid and Medical Care are higher-level courses you only need for an MCA yacht Certificate of Competency (CoC), a senior interior ticket, or a medical role on board.

Sources: UKSA (Chief Mate), HSS (Master; the OOW CoC needs only BST), our PYA GUEST guide and Bluewater (Medical Care renewal).

On a yacht, the full medical chest is the job of whoever holds Proficiency in Medical Care, usually the captain or a senior officer. Photo: U.S. Navy, public domain.

Bluewater sells both in Antibes: Medical First Aid at €895 and Medical Care at €1,100 (Bluewater prices). EFA is a prerequisite for both.

How much does an STCW Elementary First Aid course cost?

On its own, STCW Elementary First Aid costs about £110 to £165 in the UK, €250 to €275 in Antibes and Palma, and $129 in Fort Lauderdale. Most new crew never pay this, because EFA comes inside the five-day BST package. A standalone booking makes sense if you're missing just this one module, or if a certificate got lost and the school can't reissue it.

Conversions are approximate, at roughly £1 = $1.33 = €1.16, so pay in the school's own currency. If you need more than one module, the five-day package is better value: see our BST price comparison or the school-by-school guides for Antibes and Fort Lauderdale. At MPT, for example, the four modules cost $1,376 booked separately and $1,299 as a package.

Does STCW Elementary First Aid expire?

No. Under MCA rules there's no requirement to update STCW Elementary First Aid. The MCA's MIN 643 says "there is no requirement for seafarers to update" PSSR or Elementary First Aid (MIN 643, section 5.1). Only PST and FPFF need to have been done or refreshed in the last five years, which is why UK and Fort Lauderdale refreshers skip first aid.

Two catches:

• Schools hedge. MRSL says EFA "currently has no revalidation period" but suggests not going past five years, and Warsash says repeating it isn't mandatory, though many people do. Some management companies want a recent first aid certificate, especially if you have medical duties. Ask before you assume.
• US credentials work differently. Under 46 CFR 11.302, US mariners must show they've kept up all four Basic Training elements every five years. One year of sea service in that period covers first aid. Without it, you'll need approved refresher training, which is why some US certificates, MPT's night class among them, state a 5-year validity.

Your EFA certificate doesn't expire under MCA rules, but your skills do. Onboard casualty drills are where most crew keep them sharp. Photo: U.S. Navy, public domain.

Can you do STCW first aid online?

No, not for the MCA. The MCA says it does "not accept any online courses where there is a requirement for face-to-face practical training in the STCW Code" (MCA approved training providers), and EFA is one of the modules that has to be done in person. CPR, bandaging and moving a casualty are assessed hands-on.

In the US, some Fort Lauderdale schools run blended BST, with the theory online and the practicals, first aid included, in person. If a course is fully online, check with your flag state or management company before you pay. Our STCW 95 guide explains which modules can go online. In short, only PSSR and the security courses can.

Is an HSE or civilian first aid certificate accepted instead?

Not that we could confirm. Plan on holding the STCW certificate. We couldn't find any MCA guidance that accepts HSE First Aid at Work, St John Ambulance or Red Cross certificates instead of STCW Elementary First Aid. MCA notices treat EFA (A-VI/1-3) as a Basic Training certificate of proficiency from an STCW school, not a general first aid ticket.

It works the other way, though. The RYA accepts STCW Elementary First Aid as the first aid certificate for a commercial endorsement, so if you add Powerboat Level 2 later, you won't need a second course. A civilian certificate still helps on a CV, especially for childcare roles, but it won't replace your STCW module when a captain or agency checks your tickets. If you think yours should count, email the MCA before you skip the module.

FAQ

How long is the STCW Elementary First Aid course?

One day, usually about 9am to 5pm, with a practical and a written or multiple-choice assessment.

Is STCW first aid the same as Elementary First Aid?

Yes. "STCW first aid", "EFA" and "First Aid & CPR" all mean the A-VI/1-3 module of Basic Training.

Do I need to redo first aid on an STCW refresher?

Not for MCA purposes. Standard UK and Antibes refreshers cover only PST and fire fighting. US mariners without a year of sea service may need a first aid refresher.

Can I book Elementary First Aid on its own?

Yes. UKSA, MRSL, Seascope, Bluewater and MPT all sell it as a standalone day, which is useful if you're missing just this module.

Do I need Medical First Aid to be a deckhand or stew?

Not to start. Medical First Aid (A-VI/4-1) is for Chief Mate candidates and senior stews on the GUEST route, and Medical Care (A-VI/4-2) is for masters.

What else do I need before I can work on a yacht?

Full STCW Basic Training and a valid ENG1 seafarer medical.

Got your STCW first aid? Get it in front of captains

Once you have your BST modules and ENG1, sign up free as crew on Radius. Upload your STCW, ENG1 and CV and Radius verifies your certificates, so captains looking for dayworkers nearby can see you when you check in at a port. Captains and recruiters can find verified crew on radiusmarine.com.