How do I check that a crewing agency is licensed in the Philippines or India?

Many fake job offers reach seafarers by email, WhatsApp or Facebook. The offer often looks real and uses the name of a real company. Before you pay any money or send your documents, check the agency on the official government list.

This guide is for seafarers of all ranks from the Philippines and India. It explains where to find the official lists, what you may have to pay, and how to spot a fake offer. The information is correct as of November 2026.

First rule: you should not pay for the job

The MLC (Maritime Labour Convention, 2006) is the main international law on seafarers' work. Its Standard A1.4 says recruitment agencies must not charge seafarers for finding them a job. You may only pay for three things: your national medical certificate, your national seafarer's book, and your passport. The cost of a visa is paid by the shipowner, the MLC text says.

So if someone asks you for a fee to get the job, this is a serious warning sign. This is true even when they call it a registration fee, a processing fee or a deposit.

Philippines: check the DMW directory

The DMW (Department of Migrant Workers) licenses recruitment agencies in the Philippines, including manning agencies for ships. It has an online directory of licensed recruitment agencies. The directory shows the agency name, address, contact details and licence status.

1. Open the directory and search for the exact name of the agency.

2. Look at the status. Only "Valid License" means the agency can recruit now.

3. Other statuses include Cancelled, Delisted, Denied Renewal, Forever Banned and Inactive. Do not deal with an agency that has one of these.

4. Compare the address and phone number with the ones in the offer. Scammers often copy the name of a real agency but give their own phone number or email.

5. If the agency is not in the directory at all, do not send money or documents.

The DMW website also has the 2016 rules for sea-based recruitment. They say licensed manning agencies must not collect placement fees from seafarers. The employer pays the processing costs, such as:

• the medical exam at the employer's clinic

• fees of the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, now part of the DMW) and OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration)

• visas

• flag state requirements

• trainings that the employer asks for

Under the same rules, the seafarer pays only for personal documents. These are the passport and the SIRB (Seafarer's Identification and Record Book). They also include the SRC (Seafarer's Registration Certificate), the birth certificate and clearances. The clearance can come from the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), the police or the barangay.

India: check the DGMA list of licensed agencies

In India, crewing agencies need an RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Service License). This licence comes from the DGMA (Directorate General of Maritime Administration). It was earlier called the Directorate General of Shipping. The rules for this are the Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules, 2016. Under these rules, nobody may recruit seafarers in India without an RPSL, the DGMA says.

1. Open the DGMA list of valid, invalid and temporarily suspended RPSL holders.

2. Search for the agency name and check that its licence is valid.

3. Write down the RPSL number. A real agency can show you its licence number.

4. Also check the DGMA page of blacklisted companies.

The DGMA page also gives a warning. The rules do not protect seafarers who look for work through unlicensed agents. They also do not protect those who deal directly with foreign shipowners. A licensed agency keeps you inside the protection of the rules.

In October 2026, the DGMA started a public campaign against fake job offers. You can read our report on the DGMA campaign against fake job offers.

Warning signs of a fake job offer

The ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) runs a website called ShipBeSure. It lists the most common signs of a recruitment scam:

• You are asked to pay before you join. The payment may be called an agency, registration or administration fee.

• You are asked to pay for a medical exam, visa, passport processing or an immigration fee.

• You are asked to pay for your flight, with a promise that the money will come back later.

• You are asked to pay to send your CV to companies.

• The offer comes by email or social media, and you did not apply for it.

• The website or office address looks fake. The ITF says major cruise lines and cargo companies do not use Facebook to recruit.

• The offer is too good to be true, for example a very high salary for an easy job.

The ITF also advises you to search the company name online together with words like "scam", "fraud" or "warning". Other agencies have warned about the same tricks. Read our story on crewing agencies that warn about fake offers and paid remote medical exams.

Where to report a fake offer

• Anyone: email the ITF at jobscam@itf.org.uk, as shown on the ITF contact page. Give as much information as you can.

• India: use e-Navik, the DGMA grievance system that works 24 hours a day. It accepts complaints against RPSL agencies. You can use the e-Navik portal, call 1800-889-7768 (toll-free in India), send a WhatsApp message to +91 8655856830, or email enavik.24x7@gov.in. Each complaint gets a ticket number.

Checklist before you accept an offer

• The agency is on the official list, and its status is valid today.

• The phone number, email and address match the official list.

• Nobody has asked you to pay for the job, the medical exam at the employer's clinic, or the visa.

• The agency is not on the red list of the ITF ShipBeSure recruitment agent directory.

• You have read the employment agreement before you sign it, and you will get a copy. The MLC requires this.

• You have searched the company name online with the word "scam".

• You compare the offer with real vacancies, for example the jobs from other job sites listed on Crewboard.

If one of these checks fails, stop. Do not send money, your passport scan or your certificates until you are sure.

Cover photo: "The Filipino Seafarer", an exhibit at a museum in Iloilo City, Philippines, August 2024. The photo is illustrative. Photo: Ralff Nestor Nacor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources: DMW: Directory of licensed recruitment agencies, POEA (now DMW): 2016 Revised Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Seafarers, ILO: Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (Standard A1.4), DGMA India: Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL), DGMA India: List of valid, invalid and temporarily suspended RPSL, DGMA India: Blacklisted companies, DGMA India: e-Navik grievance redressal mechanism, ITF ShipBeSure: Recruitment scams, ITF ShipBeSure: Recruitment agent directory, ITF Seafarers: Contact us.