The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), on July 6, 2026, notified the Merchant Shipping (Seafarers’ Identity Document) Rules, 2026, superseding the Merchant Shipping (Seafarers’ Bio-metric Identity Document) Rules, 2016. The Rules, issued under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, prescribe a comprehensive framework for the issuance, renewal, replacement, and management of Seafarers’ Identity Documents (SIDs) through a dedicated e-module.
The Rules apply to Indian citizen seafarers holding a valid Continuous Discharge Certificate and certain permanent residents notified by the Central Government. They prescribe the application procedure, biometric verification, issuance within 30 days, dispatch of the SID, renewal process, issuance of duplicate documents in cases of loss, and provide that each SID shall be valid for five years from the date of issuance or renewal.
The notification also provides for digital processing of applications, verification by the issuing authority, and conditions for cancellation, renewal, and custody of the SID, with the objective of streamlining identity document management for seafarers in accordance with the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (ILO Convention No. 185).
[Notification No. G.S.R. 584(E)]
