Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Registration and Employment of Seamen) Regulations

The employer of a registered seaman shall, within 14 days of the discharge of that seaman, forward the particulars of the discharge to the Authority.

Any employer who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.

A registered seaman shall, on discharge from a ship, report to the Authority within 30 days of his discharge and thereafter as often as may be required by the Authority.

A seaman who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.

There is established a Registration Committee whose function is to consider —

The Registration Committee is to consist of such persons as may be appointed by the Authority.

An application for registration as a seaman is to —

No person is to be registered as a seaman with the Authority unless —

A person who qualifies for registration as a seaman is, upon passing the medical examination prescribed by the Authority under regulation 5, to have his name entered in the seamen’s register.

The Authority shall issue a registration card to a registered seaman upon the entry of his name in the seaman’s register under paragraph (3).

The original certificate, registration card and any certificate required by the Convention to be held by any registered seaman must be kept available in its original form on board the ship which the registered seaman is employed.

An applicant for registration as a seaman with the Authority must undergo a medical examination as required by the Authority within 14 days of his being notified to do so.

Any applicant who fails or refuses to undergo the medical examination is not entitled to submit a fresh application for registration as a seaman with the Authority until a period of 6 months has elapsed from the date the applicant was due to undergo the medical examination.

[Deleted by S 225/2014 wef 01/04/2014]

The Authority may register an applicant as a seaman provisionally before the results of the applicant’s medical examination required under regulation 5 are known to the Authority.

If the applicant fails to pass the medical examination his provisional registration is to be cancelled.

If the applicant passes the medical examination, he is deemed to be registered on the date he was notified of the results of the medical examination.

When a registered seaman attains the age of 60 years, his registration is to be cancelled and his name removed from the seamen’s register unless his registration is extended under paragraph (2).

The Authority may, from year to year, extend the registration of a registered seaman who is 60 years of age or above but subject —

The registered seaman is to bear the expense of the medical examination referred to in paragraph (2).

A registered seaman shall, on being notified by the Authority in writing that his registration has been cancelled under regulation 7 or 8, return his registration card to the Authority within 14 days of the notification.

The employer of a seaman whose registration has been cancelled shall, on being notified by the Authority in writing of the cancellation, sign-off the seaman on the expiry of his ship’s articles of agreement or on his first return to Singapore, whichever is the earlier.

Any seaman or employer of a seaman who fails to comply with this regulation shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.

A seaman whose registration is cancelled at his own request may apply for re-registration after a period of 6 months from the date of the cancellation.

A seaman whose registration is cancelled pursuant to a decision of the Director under regulation 34 may apply for re-registration after a period of 5 years from the date of cancellation.

The Registration Committee may, in its discretion, waive the periods required before re-registration referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2).

[Deleted by S 225/2014 wef 01/04/2014]

A registration card issued by the Authority is valid for 5 years from the date of its issue.

[Deleted by S 225/2014 wef 01/04/2014]

The registration of a seaman is to be cancelled where he fails to renew his registration card within —

A seaman whose registration is cancelled under this regulation may, upon his application, be re-registered.

When a registration card is lost, destroyed or so defaced that the particulars are no longer decipherable, the registered seaman to whom the card relates shall report the fact to the Authority within 14 days or, if he was engaged on a ship when the registration card was lost, destroyed or defaced, within such longer time as the Authority may allow him.

Subject to the seaman fulfilling any condition imposed by the Authority, a replacement card may be issued to him by the Authority.

[Deleted by S 225/2014 wef 01/04/2014]

A seaman whose registration is suspended, cancelled or is not renewed shall return his registration card to the Authority within 14 days from the date of the notification to him of the suspension, cancellation or refusal to renew.

Any seaman who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.

The Authority is to keep a register in the manner it thinks fit.

The Authority is to record in the register —

Except as provided in regulation 18, an employer of a seaman shall not select any seaman for engagement in any vessel unless he obtains the approval of the Authority for the engagement.

For the purpose of obtaining the approval of the Authority, the employer must furnish the Authority with such particulars as the Authority may require.

The Authority is to issue an engagement notice to the employer to signify its approval of the engagement of the seaman on board a specific vessel.

Paragraph (1) does not apply to employment of seamen in transit through Singapore who join vessels in Singapore but who have signed agreements for employment on the vessels before their arrival in Singapore.

In a case of an emergency or where a ship arrives and sails again during the hours when the Authority’s office is closed, an employer may select and engage any registered seaman who is not at the time of selection under suspension without first obtaining the approval of the Authority.

In all cases under paragraph (1), the employer shall forward to the Authority within 48 hours of the selection and engagement —

Where a seaman who is engaged for service under these Regulations signs the articles of agreement (including a transit agreement) for service on a ship, the employer, or any person on his behalf, shall produce to the Director, the Consular Officer or the master of the ship, as the case may be —

Where the engagement notice of the seaman, Singapore Seamen’s Discharge Book and registration card are not produced as required by this regulation, the employer shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.

Any seaman aggrieved by a decision made by the Director under regulation 34 may, within 14 days after receiving notice of the decision, appeal to the Registration Committee against the decision.

The appeal must be in writing and must state briefly the grounds of the appeal.

The Registration Committee shall as soon as practicable hear the appeal and may confirm, vary or cancel the decision of the Director.

The Registration Committee may before making a decision convene a hearing and may require the attendance of —

The decision of the Registration Committee must be unanimous.

Where the decision of the Registration Committee is not unanimous, the matter is to be referred to the Authority whose decision is final.

The Authority may cancel or suspend the registration of any seaman who is suffering from a disease or disability which, in the opinion of the Authority, makes him unfit for employment as a seaman.

The Authority must not cancel or suspend any registration until the seaman concerned has been notified in writing to appear before the Authority to show cause why his registration should not be cancelled or suspended.

The registration of such a seaman who appears to show cause is to be suspended until the decision of the Authority has been made known.

Where the seaman fails to appear before the Authority, the Authority is to forthwith cancel his registration.

The Authority may at any time for the purpose of obtaining information relating to the engagement of seamen require any employer to submit returns in such form and manner as the Authority may direct.

Any employer who in any form, return or document required by or for the purposes of these Regulations makes, furnishes or supplies any statement or information which he knows or has reasonable cause to believe to be false shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.