India's Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has upgraded its online system for crewing agencies. The new system started on 15 October 2026. DGMA also plans two new digital services for seafarers from 1 November 2026. The changes are in DGMA Circular 68 of 2026, dated 13 October.
In India, only agencies with a Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) may recruit and place seafarers. The upgraded system is called the enhanced RPSL module. It starts as a test (beta) version.
What changes for agencies
Agencies now use the new module for most licence work. This includes new licences, renewals and inspections. It also covers changes of company name, address or top managers. Agencies and shipping companies keep and correct their profiles in the system.
One licence can now cover both seafarers and some non-seafarer jobs. Non-seafarers here means technicians, supernumeraries (extra people on board who are not crew), surveyors and ship security guards.
Until now, some companies sent these workers to ships with a separate e-Migrate permission. e-Migrate is DGMA's online system that records Indians who leave the country to join ships. DGMA stopped this separate permission at once. It accepts no new applications.
Companies that held this permission but have no RPSL must move to the licence system within three months. They must follow the Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules, 2026. This includes inspections, a bank guarantee, fees and reporting. Any company that wants to send technicians, surveyors or security guards to foreign-flag ships must apply for a licence. It must apply in the new module.
What is planned for seafarers from 1 November
DGMA says two new services are planned from 1 November 2026:
an online e-Migrate consent for joining a ship, for foreign-flag ships
a digital Seafarers' Employment Agreement (SEA), your job contract, for Indian-flag ships
Until DGMA gives new instructions, companies and agencies must keep using the current procedures. This means the usual Articles of Agreement or Form I. Form I is the e-Migrate record of a seafarer's departure.
Form I shows the name of the agency and the ship's name, flag and IMO number. It also shows the seafarer's name, INDoS number and CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate) number, and the travel and sign-on dates.
Why this matters for you
The e-Migrate system only accepts seafarers who join through Indian-flag shipowners or registered RPSL agencies. DGMA says a seafarer engaged through an agency that is not registered will not be allowed to leave India. Such seafarers are stopped at immigration checkpoints.
Before you accept a job, check that the agency has a valid RPSL. Use DGMA's own list, not a screenshot sent by the agent.
Ask the agency to make sure your departure is recorded in e-Migrate (Form I) before you travel.
Are you going to a foreign-flag ship as a technician, surveyor or security guard? Check that the company placing you has applied for an RPSL.
Keep copies of your contract. From November, check whether your agency uses the new digital SEA or e-Migrate consent.
To report a problem, use DGMA's 24x7 grievance helpline. Phone 1800-889-7768 (toll-free in India) or +1-888-988-0256 (international toll-free). WhatsApp: +91 8655856830. Email: enavik.24x7@gov.in.
The full text is in DGMA Circular 68 of 2026. The helpline details are in DGMA Circular 67 of 2026.
Cover photo: Cargo ships at the docks of Mumbai Port, India, on 27 January 2008. The photo is illustrative. Photo: Robert Cutts/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Sources: DGMA Circular No. 68 of 2026: Launch of the Enhanced RPSL Module and Discontinuation of Separate e-Migrate Access for Non-Seafarers (13 Oct 2026), DGMA: E-Migrate Service, DGMA Circular No. 67 of 2026: Prominent Display of DGMA 24x7 Grievance Redressal Contact Information (9 Oct 2026), DGMA: Crew circulars.
