Malta has stopped issuing paper Seaman's Record Books. Under Merchant Shipping Notice 118 Rev.2, issued by Transport Malta's Merchant Shipping Directorate on 23 September 2026, the record book is now issued only in digital format, with immediate effect. The new service was formally launched on 14 October.
The change affects a large group of crew. According to the launch announcement, Malta runs the largest ship register in the European Union and the sixth largest in the world. The record book is available to seafarers engaged, or due to be engaged, on Malta-registered commercial ships, as well as to Maltese nationals and holders of Maltese certificates of competency.
How the digital record book works
Applications are still made online through the Merchant Shipping Directorate's Seafarer Portal. They can be submitted by the seafarer, by a representative, or by the company that employs the seafarer. The documents, fees and other requirements are listed in the notice.
Once an application is processed, the seafarer is invited to download the IDsure app from the App Store or Google Play, verify their identity and receive the record book in a personal digital wallet. The book is made available only to the seafarer, who controls who the data is shared with. Until now the book was printed and often posted to seafarers working or travelling far from Malta.
Seafarers record their sea service in the app and submit it for authentication to the master's designated email address or to authorised officials. Employers, port State control officers and other authorities can check that a record is genuine by scanning a QR code. The record book can also be opened offline at sea.
Each record book is cryptographically signed by the registry and anchored on a blockchain, which makes it tamper-proof and independently verifiable, according to IDsure. The aim is to reduce document fraud. The system was built by the Danish company IDsure with Malta-based Galaxy Ltd, which has long supplied Malta's physical record books.
A seafarer should not have to depend on the physical delivery of an important professional document while moving between vessels, ports and countries. - Ivan Tabone, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, Transport Malta
Malta is not the first flag to make this move. In June, the Bahamas Maritime Authority launched its own blockchain-secured digital seafarer record book, also developed with IDsure, Splash247 reported. Malta's registry introduced electronic ship registration certificates last year.
What it means for crews
If you join a Malta-flagged ship and need a Maltese record book, apply through the Seafarer Portal, or ask your company to apply for you. Read MS Notice 118 Rev.2 for the current document list and fees.
Make sure your phone runs the IDsure app and that you can open the record book offline before you sail.
Submit each period of sea service to the master for authentication before you sign off. It is easier to fix mistakes while you are still on board.
Expect employers and inspectors to ask you to show a QR code instead of a paper book. Keep your phone charged when you travel to join a ship.
Questions on Maltese seafarer certification can go to Transport Malta at stcw.tm@transport.gov.mt.
Cover photo: Container cranes and a container ship at the Malta Freeport terminal in Birżebbuġa, seen from Delimara, March 2013. This is an illustrative photo. Photo: Frank Vincentz/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sources: The Maritime Executive: IDsure Powers Malta's Digital Seaman's Record Book (14 Oct 2026), Smart Maritime Network: Malta introduces digital Seaman's Record Book across ship registry (14 Oct 2026), Splash247: Malta takes seafarer records fully digital (15 Oct 2026), AML-Atlantis Management: summary of Merchant Shipping Notice 118 Rev.2 (LinkedIn), AML Malta: list of Malta Merchant Shipping Notices, Transport Malta: MLC 2006 & STCW.
