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With more than 1.2 million seafarers at sea at any one time, around 200,000 have been caught up in delays to crew changes, as travel and border restrictions have been applied, repatriation refused and medical attention ashore denied. Stopgap contract extensions have been further prolonged, with seafarers trapped on board for months in a stressful limbo, despite many having had no contact with coronavirus and posing no risk.
On 9 July 2020, the UK government hosted the first international summit, addressing the impact of COVID-19 on restricting crew changes with the United Nations and other political and business leaders.
North’s Resources
Crew changes – a country by country guide
View our impact on shipping publication
To help shipowners with the challenges of carrying out crew changes, new information has been added to North’s MyGlobeView and the International Group COVID-19 Online Tracker.
Users of MyGlobeView and the IG Online Tracker can now quickly check the status of countries as to whether crew replacements are allowed and what restrictions are in place.
A further enhancement is the addition of information on whether a country allows seafarers to go ashore for medical treatment.
There have regrettably been instances where the authorities of some countries have refused permission for a crew member who has either been injured or is suffering from a non-COVID-19 illness to be treated ashore.
- North Members can access MyGlobeView here.
- The IG COVID-19 Online Tracker can be accessed here.
- If you would rather access this information in a tabular version, click here.
Latest Publications
Additional Industry Resources
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
| 27 March 2020 | IMO Circular Letter No. 4204/Add. 6 | Subject: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Preliminary list of recommendations for Governments and relevant national authorities on the facilitation of maritime trade during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 5 May 2020 | IMO Circular letter No. 4204/Add. 14 | Subject: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Recommended framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Purpose: of this document was to provide a recommended framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the pandemic. |
| 7 May 2020 | IMO Briefing 15 07/05/2020 | Subject: IMO endorses new protocols designed to lift barriers to crew changes. |
| 25 May 2020 | IMO Circular Letter No. 4204/Add. 18 | Subject: Joint Statement IMO-ICAO-ILO on designation of seafarers, marine personnel, fishing vessel personnel, offshore energy sector personnel, aviation personnel, air cargo supply chain personnel and service provider personnel at airports and ports as key workers, and on facilitation of crew changes in ports and airports in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 27 May 2020 | IMO Briefing 16 27/05/2020 | Subject: UN agencies call for urgent action on crew changes and keyworker designation for sea and air workers |
| 26 June 2020 | IMO Day of the Seafarer Webinar: Essential Role of Seafarers | |
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
| 8 June 2020 | Sound your horns campaign. | The ICS encouraged ships around the world to sound their horns at 12.00 local time the day before the UK Government’s summit to remind governments of the ongoing crew change crisis. |
| 13 July 2020 | Circular – COVID-19(20)111 | Subject: Information provided by WHO and IMHA regarding recommended quarantine and testing requirements for seafarers joining ships. |
Maritime Charitable Support and Initiatives
An image that was ingrained in us at the start of this pandemic was the sight of empty supermarket shelves as a result of panic buying, something which none of us expected to see or experience in our lifetime.
Going to the supermarket is a part of daily life and even though we work in the maritime industry, we may not have appreciated or even thought about how the things we consume on a daily basis ended up on the shelves and ultimately in our homes.
It was, and still is, a stark reminder that we all rely on seafarers and their role in the global supply chain. We are therefore proud to support the following charitable organisations with their initiatives supporting crew through this pandemic:
| ISWAN | Mission to Seafarers | Sailors’ Society | |
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