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UN/LOCODE PKKHI · Pakistan · IMO-designated crew-change hub
Karachi 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.
Nearest major airport for crew changes is Jinnah International Airport (KHI), 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.
Karachi is Pakistan's principal port and largest city. Shore leave is granted with a seaman's book + shore pass under Pakistani procedure (more bureaucratic than India). Welfare provision via Mission to Seafarers Karachi + Pakistan-specific welfare orgs. Security is an ongoing consideration — most crew use organised welfare-centre transport rather than independent shore leave.