Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Saturday, June 21, 2025
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    fuel sampling

    Britannia: Key tips for sampling liquid cargo

    Maersk Israel

    Maersk suspends vessel calls at the Port of Haifa, Israel

    CMT

    CMT: Machinery failures and engine-room incidents are sharply rising

    Port of Rotterdam

    Cargo unloading results in two fatalities in the Port of Rotterdam

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

    public speaking

    8 Key rules of Public Speaking

    social media

    Mindfulness and social media: M.I.N.D. your media

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    fuel sampling

    Britannia: Key tips for sampling liquid cargo

    Aberdeen shore power

    Port of Aberdeen launches shore power project

    wind-assisted aframax

    Wind-assisted propulsion advances with new Aframax delivery

    shanghai port

    Shanghai Port orders 20,000-cubic-meter LNG bunkering vessel

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    imo autonomous shipping

    IMO in talks over autonomous shipping ahead of MSC 110

    The role of Maritime IT: Future trends and innovations

    Smart vessel embarks on its first journey in China

    ai-based shipyards

    New deal looks at the development of AI-based shipyards

    ai-based ship design

    Korean effort to develop AI-based solutions for ship design

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    oil theft nigeria

    Nigeria arrests 76 ships during two-year oil theft crackdown

    paris mou

    M/V Goldy Seven refused access to the Paris MoU

    detention

    Kerala High Court detains vessel in connection to previous incident

    ai remote inspections

    BV develops AI took to advance remote inspections

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Baltic Exchange

    Baltic Exchange: Maritime market highlights 16-20 June

    Tokyo MOU: Enhancing PSC performance is a continuous commitment

    Tokyo MOU: Enhancing PSC performance is a continuous commitment

    Maersk Israel

    Maersk suspends vessel calls at the Port of Haifa, Israel

    COSCO X-press feeders

    COSCO & X-Press Feeders sign leasing & partnership agreements

  • Columns
    Optimarin: A BWTS must never interfere with safe ballasting

    Optimarin: A BWTS must never interfere with safe ballasting

    Global Maritime Forum: Human sustainability is a business imperative

    Global Maritime Forum: Human sustainability is a business imperative

    Career Paths: Friederike Hesse, ZERO44

    Career Paths: Friederike Hesse, ZERO44

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    fuel sampling

    Britannia: Key tips for sampling liquid cargo

    Maersk Israel

    Maersk suspends vessel calls at the Port of Haifa, Israel

    CMT

    CMT: Machinery failures and engine-room incidents are sharply rising

    Port of Rotterdam

    Cargo unloading results in two fatalities in the Port of Rotterdam

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

    public speaking

    8 Key rules of Public Speaking

    social media

    Mindfulness and social media: M.I.N.D. your media

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    fuel sampling

    Britannia: Key tips for sampling liquid cargo

    Aberdeen shore power

    Port of Aberdeen launches shore power project

    wind-assisted aframax

    Wind-assisted propulsion advances with new Aframax delivery

    shanghai port

    Shanghai Port orders 20,000-cubic-meter LNG bunkering vessel

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    imo autonomous shipping

    IMO in talks over autonomous shipping ahead of MSC 110

    The role of Maritime IT: Future trends and innovations

    Smart vessel embarks on its first journey in China

    ai-based shipyards

    New deal looks at the development of AI-based shipyards

    ai-based ship design

    Korean effort to develop AI-based solutions for ship design

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    oil theft nigeria

    Nigeria arrests 76 ships during two-year oil theft crackdown

    paris mou

    M/V Goldy Seven refused access to the Paris MoU

    detention

    Kerala High Court detains vessel in connection to previous incident

    ai remote inspections

    BV develops AI took to advance remote inspections

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Baltic Exchange

    Baltic Exchange: Maritime market highlights 16-20 June

    Tokyo MOU: Enhancing PSC performance is a continuous commitment

    Tokyo MOU: Enhancing PSC performance is a continuous commitment

    Maersk Israel

    Maersk suspends vessel calls at the Port of Haifa, Israel

    COSCO X-press feeders

    COSCO & X-Press Feeders sign leasing & partnership agreements

  • Columns
    Optimarin: A BWTS must never interfere with safe ballasting

    Optimarin: A BWTS must never interfere with safe ballasting

    Global Maritime Forum: Human sustainability is a business imperative

    Global Maritime Forum: Human sustainability is a business imperative

    Career Paths: Friederike Hesse, ZERO44

    Career Paths: Friederike Hesse, ZERO44

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

IMO publishes FAQ on crew changes and seafarers repatriation

by The Editorial Team
June 26, 2020
in Seafarers
seafarers

Credit: Shutterstock

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

While IMO is encouraged by the progress made in many countries to designate seafarers as key workers and facilitate crew changes and repatriation, it remains very concerned about the many countries where restrictions are still in place for seafarers. For this reason, it published a FAQ on crew changes and repatriation of seafarers.

1. Why is it so difficult for seafarers to go home?

Governments around the world have suspended international flights, closed borders, ports and airports and imposed travel restrictions to foreign nationals to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Those restrictions have directly impacted the capacity of seafarers to travel between the ships that constitute their workplace, and their country of residence.

The very nature of international shipping makes it necessary for significant numbers of seafarers to travel by plane to and from ships every month, as their ports of departure or arrival may be thousands of kilometres away from their homes.

RelatedNews

IMO in talks over autonomous shipping ahead of MSC 110

IMO, ILO, ITF, ICS unite against seafarers’ criminalization

2. How many seafarers are in this situation?

It is estimated that starting in mid-June 2020, as many as 300,000 seafarers each month will require international flights to enable crew changeovers. About half of them (150,000) will need to be repatriated home by aircraft while the other half will join ships. Additionally, around 70,000 cruise ship staff are currently waiting for repatriation.

On any given day, nearly one million seafarers are working on some 60,000 large cargo vessels worldwide.

3. Why are crew changes so important?

Crew changes are vital to prevent fatigue and protect seafarers’ health, safety and wellbeing – thereby ensuring the safe operation of maritime trade. They cannot be postponed indefinitely.

The duration of seafarers’ contracts varies, but they typically work between four and six months on ships, followed by a period of leave. When at sea, they often work 10-12 hours shifts, seven days a week – performing tasks that require constant professional attention.

Seafarers spending extended periods onboard are more at risk of adverse health effects, including physical and mental health issues.

4. What is the situation regarding access to medical care for seafarers?

There have been several cases of seafarers being denied permission to go ashore to receive medical care, despite presenting medical issues that were urgent but not related to COVID-19.

Such cases create significant concerns for seafarers, who worry they may not get the medical care they need in case they become ill, from COVID-19 or from other diseases. In addition, many seafarers have serious problems in obtaining repeat prescriptions for medication they take.

Under ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), port States must ensure that seafarers on board ships in their territory who are in need of immediate medical care are given access to medical facilities on shore. According to ILO, the exceptional measures adopted by some governments to contain the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be invoked as such as a valid reason not to comply with this international obligation.

5. What is IMO doing to help seafarers?

IMO has established a Seafarer Crisis Action Team to monitor developments, coordinate efforts, communicate with all relevant stakeholders and provide targeted support in individual cases and particularly urgent situations.

Moreover, IMO has repeatedly urged governments to designate seafarers as key workers and to exempt them from travel restrictions. It has also issued a number of circular letters providing guidance and key information on issues such as ensuring safe ship crew changes (CL.4204/Add.14), personal protective equipment (CL.4204/Add.15), seafarers certificates (CL.4204/Add.19) and ensuring a safe shipboard interface between ship and shore-based personnel (CL.4204/Add.16). Click here to access all guidance issued by IMO amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. What can governments do?

IMO and other organizations have repeatedly urged governments to designate as “key workers” seafarers, marine personnel, fishing vessel personnel, offshore energy sector personnel and service provider personnel at ports, regardless of nationality.

Governments are urged to provide these personnel with the necessary support, such as exemptions from national travel or movement restrictions, to allow them to join or leave ships and to transit through national territories (for example to an airport) for repatriation. They must also ensure these personnel have access to emergency medical treatment and, if necessary, facilitate emergency repatriation.

Governments and national authorities should ensure that all visiting merchant ships continue to have access to berths in port and terminals and do everything possible to allow crew changes to happen. They are strongly encouraged to implement a series of protocols, which set out general measures and procedures designed to ensure that ship crew changes can take place safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

7. Why is the keyworker designation so important?

This keyworker designation will ensure that seafarers are exempted from travel restrictions and are able to travel to and from ships – a key element in allowing crew changes to take place.

Crew changes are not only essential for the health and wellbeing of seafarers themselves, but they are also vital to ensure commercial ships can continue to carry essential goods safely and without unnecessary interruptions.

8. Should the keyworker designation also apply to seafarers onboard cruise ships?

Yes, IMO’s calls for seafarers to be designated as key workers include cruise ships crew. All seafarers and marine personal are considered essential workers by IMO, regardless of the type of ship they work on. IMO urges governments and national authorities to ensure seafarers working on cruise ships are entitled to the same exemptions as other essential workers, such as permissions for transit and travel.

Cruise ships have faced particular challenges, with much larger numbers of people on board (both seafarers and passengers) compared to cargo ships. They may have thousands of passengers and crew, while even the biggest cargo ships may only have some 20 crew on board.

9. Which countries have designated seafarers as key workers?

As of mid-June 2020, these are: Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Korea, Liberia, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Many more countries may have designated seafarers as key workers without reporting it to IMO.

10. How can crew changes and repatriation take place safely?

IMO has endorsed a set of step-by-step protocols which set out general measures and procedures designed to ensure that crew changes can take place safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. These protocols have been drawn up by a broad cross-section of global industry associations representing various sectors of the maritime transport industry.

The protocols advice on safe procedures for joining ships as well as leaving ships and repatriation. They cover everything from provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), COVID-19 testing, social distancing, hygiene precautions, temperature checking, temporary accommodation and proposals for designated lanes at airports for seafarers, to name only a few. They also include requirements for shipping companies and recommendations to governments, maritime administrations and other relevant national authorities such as health, customs, immigration, border control, seaport and civil aviation authorities.

11. What does international law say about the right of seafarers to be repatriated?

Regulation 2.5 of ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) states that seafarers have a right to be repatriated at the end of their contracts. Under the MLC, flag States have a responsibility towards the right of seafarers to be repatriated and port States have an obligation to facilitate such repatriation as well as the replacement of seafarers. ILO has indicated that these obligations must be respected during the pandemic without prejudice for the need to take measures to prevent contagion.

ILO’s 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) states that the maximum continuous period a seafarer should serve on board a vessel without leave is 11 months. This period may be exceeded in situations of “force majeure”, but any extension must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards to avoid any abuse and protect seafarers’ rights.

IMO publishes FAQ on crew changes and seafarers repatriationIMO publishes FAQ on crew changes and seafarers repatriation
IMO publishes FAQ on crew changes and seafarers repatriationIMO publishes FAQ on crew changes and seafarers repatriation
Tags: COVID-19IMOmaritime healthsm
Previous Post

UK to hold global summit virtually for seafarer protection

Next Post

Two European ports move ahead with shore power

Related News

mepc 79
Safety

MSC 110 opens with an array of crucial agenda items on the table

June 18, 2025
IEA Oil 2025
Shipping

IEA: Global oil supply to grow faster than demand despite risks

June 18, 2025
IMO
Sustainability

IMO urges for tangible action following UN Ocean Conference

June 18, 2025
ocean pollution
Sustainability

South Africa and Costa Rica take steps in ship noise and pollution

June 16, 2025
sexual health
Maritime Health

OCG: Seafarers’ sexual health should not be overlooked

June 12, 2025
marine pollution
Pollution

New e-learning course focuses on stopping marine pollution

June 10, 2025

Comments 1

  1. Evgenii says:
    5 years ago

    Saudi Aramco as a major oil company in the world and in the Saudi Arabia have to take care about 1000 of seamen who get stuck in offshore oilfields due to travel restriction. They have to contact Saudi goverment and advice to make seamen as a key workers same as UAE did and arrange crew change as soon as possible.
    Crew changes are vital to prevent fatigue and protect seafarers’ health, safety and wellbeing – thereby ensuring the safe operation of offshore industry. There are some seamen already 13 month on board. This is about life or death. So far no action at all from any body in Saudi about crew change.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore more

No Result
View All Result
MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • SEAFiT
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Contact

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

Manage your privacy
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA