Crew change requirements

06 Aug 2020 / Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

For sign-on and sign-off for seafarers with and without UAE resident visa in Sharjah ports, the following procedures to be adopted:

CREW CHANGE

  1. Agent should notify the Marine Department and Radio Room 48 hours prior to vessel arrival with the requirement to sign on and sign off on a subject vessel.
  2. Agent should provide the Marine Department and Radio Room (focal point of contact) a copy of the crew list, travel detail of the crew, a list of crew that will be changed and an Undertaking Letter in the prescribed format.
  3. Agent should appoint the Sharjah Ports Approved Medical Service Provider to arrange for COVID 19 PCR test of the crew at the anchorage/port.
  4. After completion of the COVID test and if all negative results obtained, the Medical Service Provider should provide a letter stating the negative results (you can stamp and write the statement in the crew list).
  5. To complete the crews change agent should provide the following to immigration office:
    - COVID result statement
    - Crew list with list of crew to be signed off/signed on
    - Letter of Undertaking in the prescribed format
    - Copy of Vessel Maritime Declaration of Health

SHORE LEAVE (SHORE PASSES) PROCEDURES FOR CREW MEMBERS

Twenty four hours leave is permitted only for crew vessels who have been I the ports of the UAE for a period of more than 14 days, provided they comply with all enforced COVID 19 requirements.

Agents should give the crew COVID 19 precautions adopted by the UAE and take an acknowledgement from the crew member for his understanding of the precautions and the penalties if violated.

Implementation of the above circular shall take place with immediate effect, until further changes will be notified.

(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Sharjah, contact GAC Sharjah ay [email protected])

Source: Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority circular No.DPC/ADM/2020/058

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.