In brief
Because welding work is on the Annex 1 list of the vocational training regulation, a welder must hold one of the documents listed in the regulation (an MEB-approved course, a master's certificate, an MYK certificate, etc.) before being hired. In some occupations, such as steel and aluminium welder, an MYK certificate is additionally mandatory. EN ISO 9606, on the other hand, is a certificate required by customer specifications showing that the welder is qualified in a specific process and position, and it does not automatically replace the documents required by legislation.
A welder certificate is not a single document
The question "Does the welder have a certificate?" actually asks three separate questions at once. The first is a legal question: does the welder hold a document that satisfies the vocational training obligation for hazardous work? The second is also legal but narrower: is the work they do among the occupations for which an MYK (Vocational Qualifications Authority) certificate is mandatory? The third is a commercial question: does the customer's specification require the welder to be qualified to EN ISO 9606?
The answers to these three questions are given by different documents, and one does not always replace another. This article compares the MEB (Ministry of National Education) course certificate, the MYK certificate and the EN ISO 9606 certificate that come to mind when people say "welder certificate", and explains what an employer should check in a welder's file. In metal and machinery and automotive supply industry businesses in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, these three documents are frequently confused.
The vocational training obligation: row 22 of Annex 1
Row 22 of the Annex 1 table of the Regulation on the Vocational Training of Persons Employed in Work in the Hazardous and Very Hazardous Classes lists "cold smithing and all kinds of welding work (such as oxygen, electric, spot and seam welding work)". Under Article 5 of the Regulation, those who will work in these jobs must have received vocational training before being hired. What matters is not the job title but the work actually done: a maintenance technician who welds from time to time is also covered.
Article 6 of the Regulation lists the documents that are accepted, provided they correspond to the work done. The ones most often seen for welders on site are:
- Diplomas, journeyman's and master's certificates issued under Vocational Education Law No. 3308
- Certificates issued at the end of vocational training courses run by the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR)
- MEB-approved course certificates; courses opened under protocols with Public Education Centres fall into this group
- Vocational qualification certificates issued under the MYK Regulation on Examination, Measurement, Evaluation and Certification
- Certificates obtained from international bodies and recognised as equivalent by MEB
For those who, according to Social Security Institution (SGK) records, started working in this job before 1 May 2017, the Regulation also accepts protocol-based training modules of at least 32 hours (Art. 6/2). We have matched which positions fall within the scope of Annex 1, sector by sector, in our article on jobs requiring vocational training.
Welder MYK certificate: which welders need it?
The vocational training regulation lists the MYK certificate as one of the accepted documents. In some occupations, however, the MYK certificate is mandatory in its own right. Under communiqués based on additional Article 1 of Law No. 5544, a person without an MYK certificate cannot be employed in certain occupations that are hazardous or very hazardous and for which a national standard has been published.
The first regulation in the field of welding is Communiqué No. 2015/1, published in the Official Gazette of 25 May 2015. The list annexed to the Communiqué includes the following welding-related qualifications:
| Qualification | Level |
|---|---|
| Steel Welder | 3 |
| Aluminium Welder | 3 |
| Resistance Welding Setter | 4 |
| Natural Gas Steel Pipe Welder | 3 |
| Natural Gas Polyethylene Pipe Welder | 3 and 4 |
Under Article 3 of the Communiqué, an MYK certificate is not required for those who hold a master's certificate under Law No. 3308, or who graduated from MEB vocational and technical education schools or from university departments providing vocational and technical education, if they are employed in the field stated on their documents. As the list has been extended over time by other communiqués, check the current situation on the MYK website; the details of the MYK process are in our article on occupations requiring an MYK certificate.
What is EN ISO 9606?
TS EN ISO 9606-1 is the standard "Qualification testing of welders – Fusion welding – Part 1: Steels"; other parts of the series are used for aluminium and other metals. The standard verifies, by means of a test piece, that a welder can produce sound welds in a specific welding process, product form (plate or pipe), joint type, material group, thickness and welding position. The certificate therefore has a defined scope: a welder qualified for MAG welding on plate in the flat position is not considered qualified for TIG welding on pipe in the overhead position.
It is the customer, not the legislation, that asks for this certificate. Steel structure fabrication, pressure equipment and some OEM supplier specifications require welders to be qualified to EN ISO 9606. The test is carried out by an examiner or certification body working to the standard.
Two rules stand out regarding validity:
- Six-monthly confirmation: It is confirmed every 6 months that the welder has been welding regularly within the scope of the certificate (TS EN ISO 9606-1, Art. 9.2). Without a confirmation record, the certificate effectively loses its function.
- Revalidation: Depending on the method chosen, the certificate is valid for 2 or 3 years. Under the three-year method the welder is retested at the end of the period; under the two-year method samples taken from welds made in the last six months are examined.
Comparing the three documents
| MEB-approved course certificate | MYK vocational qualification certificate | EN ISO 9606 certificate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basis | Vocational training regulation, Art. 6 | Law No. 5544 and MYK communiqués | International standard |
| What does it show? | That welding training has been completed | Competence measured by examination against the national qualification | Welding skill in a specific process and position |
| Does it satisfy the vocational training obligation? | Yes, if it matches the work done | Yes, if it matches the work done | Not automatically; it is not listed separately in Art. 6 |
| Does it satisfy the MYK requirement? | No | Yes | No |
| Validity | The Regulation sets no renewal period | Depends on the qualification; 2 or 3 years with 6-monthly surveillance for steel welders | 2 or 3 years with 6-monthly confirmation |
| Who asks for it? | Labour inspector, legislation | Labour inspector, for occupations within MYK scope | Customer, specification, quality auditor |
The practical conclusion from the table: a welder with an EN ISO 9606 certificate but no vocational training document may be considered uncertified by a labour inspector. The reverse also applies: a welder with an MEB course certificate may not be able to weld on a job for a customer whose specification requires 9606.
Situations often seen on site
- Has been welding for years, has no certificate at all. If SGK records show that they started this job before 1 May 2017, the 32-hour protocol module route is considered; otherwise an MEB-approved course or an MYK examination is needed. If they are a steel or aluminium welder, the MYK requirement is checked separately.
- Has only a 9606 certificate. For the vocational training obligation, additionally provide a document listed in Art. 6, or go for an MYK certificate with a suitable scope.
- A MIG/MAG welder is moving to TIG. Although the vocational training certificate covers the "all kinds of welding work" row, the 9606 certificate and MYK units are process-specific; the scope is extended for the new process.
- A subcontractor's welder will work in your factory. Ask for and verify the documents before work starts; for the verification steps, see our article on checking vocational training certificates.
Employer's welder file checklist
For each welder, keep the following in a single file:
- A vocational training certificate covering Annex 1 row 22 and the verification record
- If working in an occupation within MYK scope, the MYK certificate and its expiry date
- If required by the specification, the EN ISO 9606 certificate and the 6-monthly confirmation records
- Fitness-for-work report and the date of the periodic examination
- Induction, basic and job-specific risk training records
- PPE issue record: welding helmet, gloves, apron and respiratory protection
For welders' health and safety risks, see our article on welders' risks, and for welding work outside the workshop, our article on the hot work permit. You can see the administrative fine aspect of employing uncertified workers with our OHS administrative fines tool.
We plan vocational training through our solution partners who work under protocols with Public Education Centres: MEB-approved, 40-hour modules are selected together with the business according to its line of production. The MYK examination and EN ISO 9606 qualification are carried out by authorised certification bodies; in our vocational training service, we determine together, position by position, which route each welder needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EN ISO 9606 sufficient as a welder certificate?
From the point of view of the customer specification, usually yes; from the point of view of legislation, not automatically. A document listed in Art. 6 of the vocational training regulation (MEB-approved course, master's certificate, MYK certificate, etc.) is also required; international certificates are only included in this list if MEB equivalence has been granted.
How many hours is the MEB welder course?
The MEB-approved modules that Bursa Sistemer organises under protocols with Public Education Centres are 40 hours. For those whom SGK records show to have started this job before 1 May 2017, the Regulation also accepts protocol-based modules of at least 32 hours.
Is the MYK certificate mandatory for every welder?
No. The MYK requirement is limited to the occupations on the communiqué lists; in welding, steel, aluminium and natural gas pipe welders and the resistance welding setter are on this list. The communiqué provides an exemption for holders of a master's certificate or a vocational and technical education diploma in the relevant field.
How long is an EN ISO 9606 certificate valid?
2 or 3 years, depending on the method chosen. During this period it must be confirmed every 6 months that the welder has been working within the scope; if confirmation lapses, the certificate does not remain valid.
Position-by-position certificate checks for hazardous and very hazardous work, and MEB-approved 40-hour vocational training modules provided through our solution partners.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.