Crew changes and husbandry with restrictions

14 May 2020 / Spain

All terminals at Spain are running normally, and some have COVID-19 procedures in place (such as restricted access, uses of masks, etc).

Crew changes are possible, but highly restricted. The immigration police do not recommend crew changes be carried out in Spain and their advice should be sought and followed before arranging any. Direct transport from airport to vessel and vice versa is highly recommended.

Flights arriving/departing Spain are heavily restricted. It is very difficult to get direct flights to some regions, as most are directed towards main cities Madrid or Barcelona. Only Schengen area on-signers are allowed to fly to Spain. For off-signers without Schengen visa, visa can only be arranged in emergency cases.

Crew members (both on- and off-signing) must always have with them the following documents:

  • Seaman’s book

  • Visa, when needed

  • Employment agreement or letter of appointment issued by owner or agency of the crew or master. This must include the following information:
    - vessel name, IMO number & flag
    - port for crew change
    - full details of crew change
    - date of embarking – estimate
    - date of disembarking – estimate
    - For offsigners - arrival crew list signed and stamped by Master

Delivery of spares/provisions is being carried out as per normal procedure. Some terminals only allow this to be done by barge, as access through gangway is forbidden.

For any husbandry service, the agent must be consulted to confirm if it can be carried out at the specific port.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Spain, contact the GAC Dubai Hub Agency Centre at [email protected]

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