Port of Singapore Allows Crew Changes under ‘Special Circumstances’

May 26, 2020

The shipping industry’s crew change backlog has got some big relief as the world’s second busiest port announces it will allow crew changes under ‘special circumstances’.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) released a Port Marine Circular No. 26 dated 22 May 2020. The circular lays out Singapore’s guidelines into a safe facilitation of crew changes. This guidelines made possible through the collaboration of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Singapore Organisation for Seaman (SOS), the shipping industry as well as other government agencies.

What are the ‘Special Circumstances’?

“The MPA recognizes the critical role that seafarers play in the global maritime trade and the importance of crew changes to safeguard the health and safety of seafarers, thus, as Singapore continues to tighten up the entry, MPA considers crew changes under this following circumstances:

  1. The Crew has served his/her maximum contract and no further extension of the employment contract is granted by the flag state
  2. compassionate grounds (e.g. death of family member)
  3. the crew is no longer medically fit to work onboard ship
  4. crew whose contract has expired
  5. additional crew onboard whose sign-off would not affect the safe manning of the ship
  6. change of crew due to the sale or purchase of ship
  7. personnel who are not part of the ship’s crew such as superintendents and service engineers

Crew Change Requirements

for signing off crew:

  1. confirmation that the crew has not gone ashore in the last 14 days before leaving the hip, and remained throughout that period.
  2. fit-to-travel medical certificate issued by a doctor in Singapore.
  3. proof of expiry of employment contract or unfit-for-work medical report, where applicable
  4. relevant documentation supporting required crew change (e.g. sale/purchase of ship)

for signing on crew:

  1. confirmation that the crew has been in quarantine for at least 14 days prior departing his/her home country and has been well throughout that period
  2. COVID-19 test (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) type) with negative result at this/her home country not more than 48 hours prior to his/her departure flight
  3. fit-to-travel medical certificate issued by a doctor at his/her home country not more than 24 hrs prior to his/her departure flight

for transfer arrangements:

  1. the crew must be transferred directly between ship and the point of arrival/departure in Singapore
  2. the ship will not be allowed to depart Singapore until the sign-off crew has departed Singapore and/or the sign-on crew has boarded the ship

14 days notice

14 days in advance application by the shipowners/managers/agents in order for a planned crew change will happen in Singapore. They should apply in writing and send to [email protected] and [email protected]

Other initiatives relating to crew change are also explored by MPA, SSA, SMOU, SOS, shipping industry and government agencies. These includes a development of a guidebook on crew change procedures in Singapore and the chartering of dedicated flights for crew change.