How to Organize & Store Your Seafarers' Travel Documents

If you’re someone who works as a Crew Manager or Manning Agent, you know that as part of your job requirements you need to ensure that your seafarers are carrying specific paperwork when traveling to and from their contracts on vessels. 

These documents provide proof of their right to enter a country for work and confirm their role, job title, rank or assignment onboard a specific ship or boat, whether it’s a job on a container ship or a chemical tanker.

The necessary documents can vary slightly depending on the travel route and individual airline policies, so it’s definitely wise to check these requirements in advance to make sure you have all of the paperwork that your crew needs.

What travel documents do your seafarers need?

Typically, people working in maritime jobs need the following documents, or at least a combination of them:

• A seaman’s book
• A letter of guarantee or letter of appointment
• Their contract from your company detailing the specifics of their employment as well as the port of embarkation
• A crew list
• A visa, if required

What is a seaman’s book?

A seaman’s book resembles a passport and is an essential official, mandatory document that logs information about a seaman’s licenses and other vital details related to their experience working at sea, as well as the voyages and contracts they have completed.

Essentially, it serves as a continuous record of their service as a seafarer, detailing their work periods and the vessels they have worked on.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Booking Seaman Flights

What is a letter of guarantee?

A letter of guarantee is a brief letter on company letter-headed paper, detailing a seafarer’s need to travel. It must include their name, destination, passport number, travel route details, seaman’s logbook number (if applicable), the name of the vessel, and its port of registration.

What is a crew list?

Just as it sounds, a crew list is an official document on a ship that records detailed information about all crew members, including their names, positions, nationalities, and passport numbers. It serves as an essential tool for authorities to verify the identity and credentials of the people on board, ensuring compliance with international regulations. 

Your individual seafarers’ names must be included on the crew list before traveling to their ship to facilitate smooth embarkation, confirm their authorized presence on the vessel, and ensure that all safety and legal requirements are met.

What happens if a seafarer doesn’t have the correct travel documents?

Without proof that a seafarer is eligible to travel on a maritime air fare ticket, they may be denied the usual benefits associated with these fares, such as additional baggage or a last-minute refund. 

And, it goes without saying, in the worst case, they might not be allowed to board the plane at all.

Read more: How to Simplify Seafarer Travel with Integrated Solutions

A letter of guarantee not only provides evidence of an individual’s reason for travel but also guarantees that the named company is responsible for their repatriation. 

Most airlines will be hesitant to allow someone working in a seafarer job to travel without this guarantee, as they would otherwise bear the responsibility for repatriating them if they were  denied entry at their destination airport.

How to organize your maritime travel documents

It’s crucial for Crew Managers to ensure all crew documentation is in order well in advance of travel as failing to do so can result in significant crew change delays and repatriation issues.

The good news is that managing and securely storing seaman travel documents is easier than ever with Martide’s maritime crew management software. 

Read more: What is Document Management & Why Should You Care?

Our crewing software is primarily designed for Crew Managers and Manning Agents to integrate and streamline your maritime recruitment and crew planning processes. We assist in sourcing qualified seafarers, tracking them through the application process, conducting interviews, hiring, and planning for crew changes.

Part of this involves ensuring that all necessary documents including contracts, seafarer books, medical examination certificates, visas, and more are securely and conveniently stored online in our system, ready for future use.

In Martide, a seafarer's User Profile holds uploaded copies of their professional, medical, and travel documents required for their position. This feature simplifies the process for employers to quickly verify that all paperwork is in order before considering a candidate for a role.

Checking documents is straightforward. Once logged into your Martide account, simply click on the ‘Documents’ link in the left-hand menu. This will lead you to a list of your vessels, ranks, and seafarers’ names.

You can find a step-by-step guide on using our documents function on our dedicated Support website.

The benefits of using maritime crew management software to store documents

Storing seafarer travel documents electronically using maritime crew management software, such as Martide’s, offers numerous benefits. 

Firstly, it enhances efficiency by centralizing all essential documents in one secure, easily accessible location, reducing the risk of loss or misplacement. This method ensures quick verification and compliance checks, streamlining both maritime recruitment and crew changes. 

Electronic storage also improves data accuracy and reduces administrative burden, allowing for seamless updates and instant retrieval. Additionally, it enhances security through encrypted storage and controlled access, safeguarding sensitive information. 

Plus it keeps your office tidier too! And, if you’re working remotely, or from home, some or all of the time, it means you, and the rest of your team, will always have access to the documents you need - wherever you are.

Overall, using crewing system software to store your documents promotes a more organized, efficient, and secure document management process for your crewing department.

Read more: 11 Surefire Ways to be More Organized at Work

Are you ready to simplify maritime recruitment and crew changes?

One of the best parts is that many features of Martide are free to use. For example, it’s completely free for Crew Managers and Manning Agents to post jobs and utilize our seafarer search and applicant tracking system.

In addition to this, we have also designed and built a free mobile app for seafarers which enables them to quickly and easily apply for your job vacancies when they’re on the go. It also means they’ll have access to their profile and therefore electronic and instant access to all of their required documents.

And what this means is that there are less headaches for you as their Crew Manager! 

Therefore we highly recommend that you encourage all of your seafarers to download the app - it works for both iOS and Android and is available from the Apple App Store or Google Play. 

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in learning more about how Martide can simplify your processes, contact us today and schedule a free demo of our maritime crew management software.

We look forward to demonstrating how our customizable and secure maritime recruitment and crewing system can make your life easier!