Anyone evaluating a GMDSS simulator for a training school soon runs into the same phrase: “DNV certified, Class A”. It sounds like a guarantee, but it is rarely explained what was certified, against which standard and until when. This article covers what that certification is, what it says and what it does not, and how to check it yourself, using a concrete case: Vox Maris, Advenio’s GMDSS simulator, which holds a DNV Statement of Compliance as a Class A (COM) radio communication simulator, valid until February 2030.
Why a simulator needs approval
The STCW Convention requires that simulators used for mandatory training, or to demonstrate competence, be approved. In the European Union, Directive 2008/106/EC turns this into a concrete obligation: those simulators must meet the performance standards in section A-I/12 of the STCW Code.
That section sets general requirements: the simulator must be suitable for the training objectives and tasks, provide a controlled operating environment, let the instructor control, monitor and record exercises, and offer the necessary physical and behavioural realism. In the text of the Code we consulted there is no standard of its own for radiocommunication simulators. That is where the technical standards of classification societies come in.
What DNV-ST-0033 is
DNV-ST-0033 is DNV’s standard for maritime simulator systems. It sets criteria for the functions, equipment and environment a simulator must reproduce for specified maritime tasks. It was first published in January 2000 and is updated periodically: the August 2023 edition is the one cited in the Vox Maris certificate, and DNV announced a revision in August 2025 that, among other things, refines the class definitions and adds terms for virtual reality and cloud-based simulation.
The procedure, according to DNV: its specialists assess the simulator’s design and performance and, if it complies, the manufacturer receives a Statement of Compliance. Verification is made against the standard itself and against STCW 78 as amended. Since 2021 the company has been called DNV; it was previously DNV GL, and that name is still seen in older material.
What the classes mean
The standard sorts simulators into classes. According to the description repeated across the industry, Class A is full mission, B is for multi-task simulators, C for limited-task ones and S for special tasks, with performance defined case by case. The exact definition and requirements of each are in the standard, and the 2025 revision refined them, so it is worth reading the current edition rather than relying on a summary.
In brackets next to the class comes the type of simulator. For Vox Maris it is COM: the radio communication simulator. One thing a logo does not show: manufacturers do not all hold the same class, not even for the same type of product. That is why you have to look at the certificate, not the badge.
What the Vox Maris certificate says
Advenio publishes it alongside the product page. These are the details it contains:
- Issuer: DNV, and the document is a Statement of Compliance, not a “certificate” in the broad sense.
- Standard and class: Class A (COM) under DNV-ST-0033, August 2023 edition.
- Product: Vox Maris GMDSS Simulator, by manufacturer Advenio Software S.R.L., as a radio communication simulator.
- STCW competences covered: tables A-IV/2.1 and A-IV/2.2. Table A-IV/2 of the STCW Code, the one for GMDSS radio operators, sets two competences: transmitting and receiving information using GMDSS subsystems and equipment, and providing radio services in emergencies.
- Issue and validity: issued on 27 February 2025 in Mataró, valid until 27 February 2030.
- Online verification: at trust.dnv.com, with UTN n2038773-wir and ID 10204473.
What it does not guarantee
It helps to be clear about the scope, because this is what is most often misunderstood:
- It does not approve the course or the school. The standard’s scope is limited to the simulator. Whoever uses it must run operations within a quality system that covers the qualification of instructors and assessors and the curricula approved by the maritime administration.
- It does not replace the administration. Which simulator a country accepts for training or assessing operators is decided by each administration. If the aim is to have courses approved, check with it.
- It does not last forever. The DNV simulator certificates we consulted have a term and conditions: they are granted provided the retention requirements are met, and a significant change in the simulator’s performance may invalidate them.
How to read a certificate before buying
- Issuer and type of document. DNV (not “DNV GL”), and whether it is a Statement of Compliance or a product certificate.
- Standard and edition. DNV-ST-0033 and which year.
- Class and type of simulator. That it says COM, or whichever applies to the intended use.
- Product and manufacturer. That the product name matches what you are buying.
- STCW competences. That it includes the ones the school needs to cover.
- Validity and verification. The expiry date and, if the document says so, that it can be checked online.
Vox Maris: Class A (COM), without buying consoles
Vox Maris is Advenio’s GMDSS simulator for training schools. Besides the DNV Statement of Compliance, for an institution it means:
- No proprietary hardware. It runs on general-purpose PCs over an ordinary Windows network, with a standard sound card and headphones. No consoles, no physical panels and no dedicated audio equipment.
- One instructor station and as many student stations as the classroom needs, all simultaneous and in real time. Stations can be added to an existing installation.
- More than 25 communication and navigation devices simulated, including Iridium GMDSS and Inmarsat FleetBroadband.
- Interface in four languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
- Annual subscription with support and updates included, paid annually or monthly. A one-time full licence is also available.
- Covers training for the GOC, ROC, LRC and SRC certificates: the Advanced version reaches the General Operator’s Certificate and the Standard one the Restricted.
The full certificate is on the Vox Maris product page, together with the technical requirements. To see it running, request the demo. And for those preparing for the operator certificate, the previous article in this series: GMDSS Operator Exam: What to Study for the Restricted and the General Certificate.
A final note
This article is an orientation guide, not a legal text or an official interpretation of the standard. The definition of the classes and the exact requirements are in DNV-ST-0033, and whether a simulator is accepted for training or assessment is decided by each maritime administration.
Sources: DNV, “Certification of maritime simulator systems” and “DNV revises maritime simulator standard” (August 2025); summary of DNV-ST-0033, August 2023 edition; STCW Code, section A-I/12 and table A-IV/2; Directive 2008/106/EC, article 13; BMT release on the Class A certification of REMBRANDT; DNV Statement of Compliance for Vox Maris (27/02/2025).