Mumbai (ex Bombay)
UN/LOCODE INBOM · India · IMO-designated crew-change hub
Why this port is a crew-change hub
Mumbai (ex Bombay) is one of 115 ports named in IMO Circular MSC.1/Circ.1636 as a designated crew-change hub. Ports made the list on the basis of accessible international airports, established agent networks, welfare-centre infrastructure, and — during the pandemic — visa-facilitation frameworks that allowed sign-on and sign-off crew to transit without lengthy quarantine. That combination continues to make these ports the practical corridors most seafarers move through today.
Airport and transit
Nearest major airport for crew changes is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), roughly 15 km from the port. Confirm the exact terminal handover point with the ship's agent — many hubs have multiple terminals with different immigration processes.
Shore leave and practical briefing
Mumbai (Bombay) is India's principal commercial port and the centre of Indian merchant marine recruitment. JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) and Mumbai Port are the two principal facilities. Shore leave is granted with a seaman's book + shore pass under Indian procedure (paperwork-heavy but reliable). Welfare provision via Stella Maris Mumbai + Mission to Seafarers Mumbai + The Sailors' Society + Indian-specific Apostleship of the Sea.