Never pay for a job
Real companies and licensed manning agencies don't charge seafarers for a contract, a “visa fee” or training before you join. Check the agency in the ITF ShipBeSure agent directory (opens in a new tab) or with your country's authority below, and if a vacancy or company on Crewboard asks for money, report it to us.
Help and your rights3
Free help when something goes wrong on board or with your contract.
Free, confidential helpline for seafarers and their families, 24 hours a day, in many languages. Phone, live chat, email and WhatsApp.
Find the nearest ITF inspector for unpaid wages, abandonment or contract problems. The ITF Seafarers app also works offline.
Your minimum rights on board: employment agreement, wages, hours of rest, repatriation.
Check a certificate5
Official registers where you or an employer can confirm that a CoC or certificate is genuine.
The IMO list of national online registers of certificates and endorsements, including European flag states.
The only official check of Ukrainian seafarer qualification documents.
Check a Philippine COC or COP by its serial number or QR code.
Check Indonesian seafarer certificates and seaman's books.
Online check of Certificates of Competency issued in India.
Maritime authorities2
Where seafarer documents are issued and renewed.
News, seafarer documents and qualification confirmation (also available in Diia).
Deployment, contracts and welfare of Filipino seafarers working overseas.
Ships and port state control4
Check a ship before you sign on: inspections, detentions and who manages it.
Free ship database (registration needed): flag, owner and manager, classification and inspection history.
Port state control in Europe and the North Atlantic: detentions and flag performance lists.
Port state control in the Asia-Pacific region: inspection and detention records.
What port state control inspects and the regional agreements worldwide.
Check a crewing agency4
Make sure a manning agency is licensed before you send documents or sign anything.
Registered recruitment agents in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines, with ITF green / red ratings.
Known recruitment scams: fake job offers, fake visa fees, agencies copying real company names.
Only DMW-licensed manning agencies may recruit Filipino seafarers. Check the licence status here.
Check that an Indonesian manning agency holds a SIUPPAK licence from the Ministry of Transportation.
Visas2
Official rules for joining or leaving a ship abroad.
- US crewmember visa (C1/D)(opens in a new tab)United States
Who needs a C1/D visa to join a ship in the United States and how to apply.
- EU visa policy(opens in a new tab)Schengen area
Schengen visa rules. Seafarers can get multiple-entry visas for transit and, in some cases, apply at the border.
Conventions and codes9
IMO summaries of the main international rules. The full consolidated texts are sold by IMO Publishing; avoid unofficial copies, which are often outdated.
Safety of Life at Sea: ship construction, fire protection, life-saving appliances, navigation.
Training, certification and watchkeeping standards: the basis of every CoC and endorsement.
Prevention of pollution by oil, chemicals, sewage, garbage and air emissions (Annexes I–VI).
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea: the rules of the road.
Safety management on board and ashore: procedures, responsibilities, the designated person.
Ship and port facility security, security levels and the duties of the Ship Security Officer.
Freeboard, load line marks and the limits on how deep a ship may be loaded.
Treatment and exchange of ballast water, the ballast water record book.
The complete list, with links to each convention.
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