I see you have already packed and are ready to go. It’s a no-brainer that most of you will be traveling internationally to join your vessel and for that, you need to keep some documents handy for immigration and arrival. Let’s check out some standard important documents required for joining the ship from Singapore and other documents, your manning agent or company must have mailed to you.
Table of Contents
1. E-ticket
The basic of most important of all is the air ticket itself. It may be a domestic connecting to an international flight or if you live in a city with having international airport then just an international air ticket. You should know that your e-ticket is corporately booked, which means it will have some amenities such as free meals, extra baggage (40 kgs), and the option to select paid seats during web check-in.
2. Indemnity Letter / Company Letter
Legal exemption from liability for damages may occur in future.
Indemnity
This document is issued by the management company responsible for manning the vessel. It states flight detail, the name of the vessel, the port of your joining, the address of the shipping company, the concerned agent/agency name, and its address, with the statement mentioning that they will be responsible for the expenses, in case you fail to join the ship or being refused to enter into destination country by their immigration authorities.
3. E-Migration
You must be familiar with DG Shipping India, well this document is generated through its website by the RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Services) company on behalf of you according to your flight and joining schedule. You must print and carry this document ( two pages generally) to avoid being embarrassed by our Immigration officers. The document is called “Form I” and has details of you, your itinerary, and the ship you will be joining.
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4. SG (Singapore) Arrival Card
This document is basically a declaration (Personal, Trip, and Health) about the purpose of your visit to Singapore, and our journey ahead. You should have filled out a small form at the end of your flight and asked to submit the same at immigration, this is the same form just being done online now before the flight. You will have to carry the printout of this form along with your vaccination certificate.
You can fill one out here.
5. Letter of Guarantee OKTB (OK to Board)
This is a document carried by you on behalf of the agent responsible for your transport and stay at the port of joining. It is generally required to be presented at the immigration office of the port. It has your details as RANK, DOB, Gender, Nationality, Passport No., and Passport expiry date. It may have the said details of other crew members joining the same vessel. The agent guarantees your maintenance and welfare till your joining or repatriation along with other required paperwork. This letter has your local agent’s name, address, and phone number. Please carry it with you and give one copy to your family in case of emergency.
There is a confirmation letter to the agent by the Immigration authorities on your visa application which they share with you. It states the conditions on which you and your fellow crew members are allowed to sign on the vessel.
6. RT-PCR test and Vaccination Certificate
With the history of covid in the background, as the travel industry approaches normalization, these two documents are now essential for international travel. These documents are evidence of the health declarations you made before you boarded your flight. The time window requirements for the RT-PCR test may change on the date when you see this post and among the different countries, but the test report and the vaccination certificate are here to stay whether you are for your departures or arrivals.
Download your vaccine certificate from here.
7. The Usuals
Last but not least the booklets (Passport, CDC, and COCs) which you proudly flaunt in your social platform stories. These multi-colored booklets add to the documents list as the cherry on the cake. You should keep them updated and in good condition as they wear off from the edges.
There may be a few more to the documents but to categorize them as travel documents may be unfair as they may be required for other ports in your vessel schedule. Nevertheless, feel free to add documents I may have missed here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is crucial for Indian seafarers to have the necessary travel documents in order to successfully travel and join a ship. These documents include a valid passport, seafarer’s identity document, visa, and a properly endorsed CDC. By ensuring that these documents are in order, seafarers can avoid delays and complications during their travel. So, if you found this information helpful or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment on the blog post. Safe travels and smooth sailing!
