Crew members

The definition of a crew member is established in § 4 of the Seafarers Employment Act.
 

Maritime documents issued to crew members by the Estonian Transport Administration are entered in the register of seafarers. The register of seafarers is kept to fulfil obligations established in rule I/2 points 14–16 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.

Upon issuing a maritime document to a foreign crew member of a ship sailing under the Estonian flag and registering them in the register of seafarers, they are given an Estonian personal identification code. The employer can then use the received personal identification code to register the crew member in the employment register.

To apply for a personal identification code and register in the register of seafarers, form A-IA of the register of seafarers and a clearly legible copy of a personal identification document must be submitted to the Estonian Transport Administration.

The application can be submitted by the crew member or by their employer along with other crew members’ applications. The application must be signed by the seafarer. If digital signing is not possible, then the seafarer can sign the form on paper and the scanned document can be sent as a PDF to the Transport Administration.

Crew members must be registered in the employment register by the moment they start working, meaning the day the seafarer’s employment begins at the latest. Thus, the application for a personal identification code and for registering in the register of seafarers should generally be submitted as soon as an agreement has been made to start working on a ship sailing under the Estonian flag to make sure that the personal identification code is issued in time.

The application for registering in the register of seafarers and for issuing a personal identification code will be processed within five working days at the most.

Crew members can also apply for a personal identification code outside of Estonia at a foreign representative of Estonia. An appointment must be made with the nearest consul and the corresponding application must be submitted. After that, the crew member must forward their personal identification code to their employer so they can use it to register the crew member in the employment register.

More information about the general procedure for applying for a personal identification code can be found on the website of the Ministry of the Interior.

The procedure for forming personal codes for non-resident seafarers whose data will not insert into the Seamen's Register

Following the Minister of the Interior's Regulation No. 1 of 03.01.2019, "Procedure for creating and issuing personal identification codes" to non-resident crew members working or starting working on a ship sailing under the Estonian flag and Order No. 1.1 3/23/25 of 10.01.2023 of the Director of the Mobility Management Division of the Transport Administration, the Seafarers` Certification Unit creates personal codes for non-resident seafarers whose data will not insert into the Seamen's Register.

1. The employer applies to the Seafarers` Certification Unit of the Transport Administration to create a personal code for the seafarer at the email address: [email protected]
2. The following information must be available on the application form: seafarer's first and last name, place of birth, citizenship, seafarer's discharge book number, residential address, telephone, and email. The seafarer signs the application.
3. A copy of the seafarer's discharge book and passport shall be attached to the application.
4. The employer confirms with his signature in the application that he has identified the seafarer and that the information provided is accurate.
5. In case of justified suspicion, the Transport Administration has the right to demand remote identification of the seafarer at the employer's expense.

The personal code will be created and issued within 1-2 working days.