Indonesia wants ship owners in Singapore to hire Indonesian seafarers only in the legal way. Some owners and operators there still hire crew outside licensed crewing agencies, the Indonesian government says.
The Ministry of Transportation made this point at a technical briefing in Singapore on 29 October 2026. It shared the results on 6 and 7 November, the news sites Wartatrans and ANTARA report.
What was said
The briefing was about crewing rules for work on board ships. The transport attaché of the Indonesian embassy in Singapore organised it, together with the bank Bank Mandiri.
Samsuddin is the acting Director General of Sea Transportation. He said owners and operators in Singapore still recruit Indonesian crew in ways that do not follow Indonesian rules.
He said crew must meet the rules on competence, qualifications and papers. This keeps recruitment in order and protects Indonesian seafarers, he said.
Three problems
Indonesian crew are recruited without a crewing agency, as Indonesian rules require.
Indonesia has no rules yet on the crew qualifications for Wing in Ground craft. These are fast craft that fly just above the water.
Passenger ferries between Indonesia and Singapore asked for easier sign-on and sign-off. Their crew often move between ships of the same company.
What happens next
The transport attaché will explain the rules to owners and operators step by step. It will also limit sign-on registration for crew who do not meet the rules. In Indonesia, registering crew on and off a ship's crew list is called penyijilan.
The Directorate of Shipping and Seafarers will prepare a ministerial rule for Wing in Ground craft. It will also write a procedure to make sign-on and sign-off easier for ferry crew who change ships within one company. No dates were given.
The attaché's office helps about 6,000 Indonesian seafarers each year. It issues and renews the seaman's book (Buku Pelaut), helps with sign-on and sign-off, and helps solve problems.
Indonesia has more than 1.5 million seafarers, the ministry says. More than 100 maritime schools produce about 3,000 cadets each year.
What it means for Indonesian crew
Get your job through a licensed Indonesian crewing agency. Ask the agency for its licence before you sign anything.
Be careful with direct offers from an owner or operator in Singapore that skip the agency. Your sign-on may then not be registered.
Check that your sign-on and sign-off are recorded in your Buku Pelaut. Keep copies of your contract and seaman's book.
Do not pay a fee to get a job. Under MLC 2006, seafarers should not pay for recruitment.
If you have a problem on a ship in Singapore, contact the transport attaché at the Indonesian embassy in Singapore.
Ferry crew who rotate between ships of one company: watch for the new sign-on procedure. Ask your company how it will work.
Fake offers are common. Read how squid-boat crew were recruited on Facebook with false promises. Official help lines are on Crewboard's useful links page, and real company adverts are in external vacancies.
Cover photo: Ships at anchor off Singapore, February 2016. Illustrative photo. Photo: ---=XEON=---/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped).
Sources: ANTARA: Kemenhub perkuat perekrutan-perlindungan pelaut Indonesia di Singapura (7 Nov 2026), Wartatrans: Tata kelola perekrutan dan perlindungan pelaut Indonesia di Singapura diperkuat (6 Nov 2026), TALi News: Indonesia tightens oversight of seafarer recruitment in Singapore (9 Nov 2026).
How we choose, write and correct our articles: editorial policy.
