What does underwater welding training cost in Europe?

If you are researching underwater welder qualification, cost is one of the first questions that comes up — and it is not always easy to compare, because programmes differ in length, what is included and which standard they qualify you to. Here is what training and qualification cost at the Hyperbaric Welding Center in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, what actually drives that price, and what to check when you compare it against another programme.

The three tracks, and what they cost

Prices below are as of August 2026 — see the training page for current rates.

5-day qualification track

€ 4,450.00 excl. VAT

For certified divers who already have welding experience.

Hyperbaric wet welding theory, daily practical training in the 21-metre dive basin, and the welder qualification test (LK), conducted under DNV oversight.

3-day qualification track

€ 3,450.00 excl. VAT

For divers who can demonstrate previously acquired welding skill through earlier diplomas or certificates.

The same track, minus the two days of dry (surface) welding training.

11-day extended track

Price on request.

For divers with little or no welding background.

Two days of foundational surface-welding training, followed by the full 5-day hyperbaric wet welding programme.

What determines the price

Water depth is one of the essential variables of a welder qualification under both EN ISO 15618-1 and AWS D3.6M: the range a welder is qualified for is tied to the depth (and corresponding ambient pressure) at which the test was carried out — see the standards, explained and which qualification you need at which depth. That is part of what the price reflects: real facility time at depth, not just classroom hours. Our 21-metre dive basin has a movable floor that sets the training and test depth to the centimetre, so training and testing can be matched to the range a project actually requires.

The standard also plays a role. We qualify underwater welders to EN ISO 15618-1, the internationally applied standard for hyperbaric wet welding, or to AWS D3.6M, the American underwater welding code — whichever a client or project specifies. Both routes are tested under DNV oversight, with authorised examiners assessing the qualification test independently of the training itself.

Duration, in turn, depends mostly on prior experience. The 5-day track assumes some existing welding background; candidates who can demonstrate that through earlier diplomas or certificates can skip the two days of dry (surface) welding, shortening the programme — and the price — to 3 days. Divers with little or no welding experience instead take the 11-day extended track, which adds two days of foundational surface-welding training before the full underwater programme, and is priced on request.

What to check when comparing programmes

A headline price is hard to compare on its own. Before weighing one quote against another, it helps to ask:

Does the price include the qualification test itself, or is that billed separately? In our 5-day and 11-day tracks, the welder qualification test (LK) is part of the programme.
Is the qualification test assessed independently of the people who trained you? Ours is assessed by DNV-authorised examiners, separate from the training itself.
Which standard does the qualification cover, and does that match what your employer or project requires — EN ISO 15618-1, AWS D3.6M, or both?
Can the training and test depth be matched precisely to the range you need to be qualified for, or is it fixed at a single depth?
How much of the quoted duration depends on prior experience — would existing diplomas or certificates shorten the track?