Enhancements to crew change for cargo ships & application for vaccination

01 Oct 2021 / Singapore

In view of the evolving COVID-19 situation globally, MPA has enhanced crew change requirements to safeguard the wellbeing of seafarers undergoing crew change in Singapore as well as Singapore’s populace.

MPA will continue to consider the following circumstances for crew change applications:
(a) crew whose employment contract has expired;
(b) additional crew on board whose sign-off would not affect the safe manning of the ship;
(c) change of crew due to the sale or purchase of ship;
(d) personnel who are not part of the ship’s crew such as superintendents and service engineers;
(e) compassionate grounds e.g. death of family member;
or
(f) the crew is no longer medically fit to work onboard the ship...

...DESIGNATED CREW CHANGE HOLDING FACILITIES IN SINGAPORE
Sign-on crew and sign-off crew may stay at the designated holding facilities in Singapore for up to 24 hours…

…SIGN-ON CREW VACCINATION APPLICATION
MPA is able to facilitate the vaccination of sign-on crew in Singapore. Ship owners/managers/agents may apply for the crew’s vaccination at the following link https://go.gov.sg/mpa-icc-seavax at least 7 days prior to the vessel’s arrival in Singapore…

CREW CHANGE APPLICATION
Ship owners/managers/agents must apply for crew change in Singapore by filling up the online form at https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/portal/home/port-of-singapore/operations/crew-change. From 4 October 2021, 0001hrs, a new Crew Change System with a streamlined application process will replace the current online form portal.

Ship owners/managers/agents shall submit applications at least 14 days before the planned crew change, especially if the application includes sign-on crew. For foreign-flagged ships, crew change will be considered if the ship meets all prevailing requirements, and is in Singapore for cargo operations, bunkering and/or other marine services…

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

Source: Extract from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Port Marine Circular No.38 of 2021 dated 1 October 2021

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