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Can I join?

Eyesight and colour vision

Good eyesight matters at sea. Colour blindness rules out most deck jobs, but not engine and electrical jobs.

Colour vision needed, by job

  • JobStandard
  • Deck officers and deck ratings on look-out1 or 2
  • Marine engineers, ETOs, engine and electrical ratings1, 2 or 3
  • Cooks and cruise hotel staffJudged on their duties

Standard 1 is normal colour vision. Standards 2 and 3 allow some weakness that still passes the lantern test.

Why it matters

Deck officers read navigation lights, buoys and flags by their colour. Engineers and ETOs work with colour-coded wires, pipes and alarm panels.

What to do before you apply

  1. Take an Ishihara colour test at an optician before you pay any fee.
  2. If you fail it, do not give up. Engine and ETO jobs accept a lower standard.
  3. If the result is unclear, see a DG Shipping approved doctor and ask which standard your course needs.
The formal medical comes after you are selected. An unfit result then ends the route, even after you have paid fees.

Common questions

Can I join if I wear glasses?
Often, yes. The international standards allow corrected vision for many jobs. Indian entry standards can be stricter for deck cadets. Before you pay, ask an approved doctor to check your eyes against the standard for your course.
Can a colour blind person join the Merchant Navy?
Not for most deck jobs. Engine, ETO and electrical jobs accept a lower colour vision standard, which some colour-blind people meet. An approved doctor tests you and decides.
How is colour vision tested?
With colour plates such as the Ishihara test. The doctor may also use a lantern test. Colour-correcting lenses are not allowed.
Sources
  • Merchant Shipping (Medical Examination) Rules 2026
  • STCW Code, Table A-I/9 (minimum eyesight standards)
  • CIE-143-2001 (colour vision standards)

This page is general guidance. The institute, the company and the approved doctor make the final decisions.