Ship Crew Change in Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore(MPA) understands the importance of harbour boat crews in assisting operations in Singapore's port. Transport, towage, and bunkering services, as well as delivering supplies to ships at the port, are all provided by the harbour craft sector.

That having been said, MPA has been assisting harbour craft work permit holders with crew changes and disembarkation requests in a variety of situations. Along the way, the MPA Singapore crew change regime has been improved to secure the safety of crew members and to allow crew to perform their onboard jobs in the safest manner possible.

The MPA has lifted its previous restrictions on crew with recent travel history to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, andSri Lanka, as well as sign-off crew from vessels that have called at these countries within the last 21 days, to undergo the new crew change in Singapore, subject to the MPA's procedures.

Unless they are eligible for Singapore's Vaccinated Travel Lane, sign-on crew must be quarantined in their home country for the number of days specified by the Singapore Immigration and Customs Authority (ICA) (VTL). These are all safety measures required by the MPA ship crew change in Singapore.

When shore-based staff such as repair vendors, equipment service providers, and superintendents are still on board, fully vaccinated signing-on crew can board their ship in Singapore. Sign-on staff who have not been vaccinated can only board after all shore-based personnel have disembarked.

The most significant action put forth by the MPA Singapore crew change is that shore-based personnel requiring to board vessels at Singapore's anchorages, shipyards, terminals, and marinas will be required to take an Antigen Rapid Test (ART) instead of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test during Rostered Routine Testing under the Employer-Supervised Self-Swab regime (RRT). In compliance with the current crew change in Singapore, this applies to shore-based workers who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

A circular from Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority details how to request a vaccine, Singapore Crew Change, and take shore leave. In this circular, you will get to know about the latest requirements for the Ship Crew Change in Singapore and shore leave.

The Port Marine Circular (PMC) No.19 of 2022 has been replaced by this circular, which was released on February 10, 2023.

As of February 13, 2023, all non-fully vaccinated travellers entering Singapore are no longer required to provide documentation of a negative Pre-Departure Test, as Singapore has lifted the last of the border controls linked to COVID-19.

Additionally, COVID-19 travel insurance is no longer required for short-term visitors who are not fully immunised.

Through digitalPORT@SGTM, applications can be submitted directly to the ICA CREW system.

Under the Private Vaccination Programme, all people who are 18 or older (even transient guests) are eligible to obtain immunisations and boosters. It is a private arrangement, and the individual will be responsible for paying for the vaccination.