Eligibility
Colour blindness and the Merchant Navy
If you are colour blind, you cannot join the Merchant Navy as a deck or engine officer or rating: anyone who keeps a navigational or engine-room watch must meet the colour vision standard of the STCW Code, and in India it is tested with the Ishihara chart by a DGMA-approved medical examiner. Cooks and cruise hotel staff do not keep a watch and are assessed against the medical standard for their own duties.
Why colour vision matters at sea
Deck officers and lookouts read navigation lights, buoys and signal flags by colour. Engineers and electro-technical officers work with colour-coded wiring, pipework and alarm panels. The STCW Code sets a minimum colour vision standard for everyone who keeps a watch, with separate standards for deck and engine personnel.
What to do before you apply
- Have your colour vision checked on an Ishihara chart before you pay any course fee. Many opticians can do this.
- If the result is borderline, book an appointment with a DGMA-approved medical examiner and ask which standard applies to the course you want.
- Remember the formal pre-sea medical comes after selection. An unfit result there ends the route, even after you have paid.
Routes without a watchkeeping colour vision standard
- Ship's cook
- Cruise ship hotel department — restaurants, housekeeping, guest services, spa and entertainment
Sources: STCW Code, Section A-I/9 (medical standards for seafarers); DGMA Maritime Health Branch (colour vision tested with the Ishihara chart); Merchant Shipping (Medical Examination) Rules 2000, as amended. The medical examiner's decision is final; this page is guidance only.
Common questions
Can a colour blind person join the Merchant Navy?
Not as a deck or engine officer or rating: keeping a watch needs colour vision to the STCW standard. Roles without watchkeeping duties, such as cooks and cruise hotel staff, are assessed against the medical standard for their own duties.
How is colour vision tested for seafarers in India?
A DGMA-approved medical examiner tests colour vision with the Ishihara chart as part of the pre-sea medical. Eyesight standards follow the STCW Code.
Can I wear glasses or contact lenses in the Merchant Navy?
The STCW standards allow corrected (aided) vision for many roles, but Indian pre-sea entry standards can be stricter, especially for deck cadets. Ask a DGMA-approved medical examiner to check your eyes against the standard for the course before you pay any fees.