Skip to main content
ISWAN SeafarerHelp +44 800 012 1004 · free, 24/7, multilingualmore ▾
Skip to content
Seafarer Index
Sign in

Repatriation blocked or delayed

Under MLC 2006 Reg. 2.5 the shipowner must repatriate you at no cost to you when your contract ends, on injury, or on early termination by you for serious cause. Maximum permitted contract length is 11 months. The 2014 financial security amendments require the shipowner to maintain insurance covering repatriation, wages owed up to four months, and essential needs. If the shipowner refuses or delays repatriation, the flag state's MLC financial security mechanism, the IMO/ILO Joint Database of Abandoned Seafarers, and port-state intervention all activate.

Step-by-step

  1. Document: SEA expiry date, your written notice to the master/company requesting repatriation, the date that notice was given, and the company's response.
  2. Locate the financial-security certificate posted on board (DMLC Part II / abandonment cover). Photograph it: insurer name, policy number, contact email/phone.
  3. Contact the financial-security insurer directly with: your name, vessel IMO, dates of contract, ports involved, and the failed-repatriation evidence. The insurer is contractually obliged to respond.
  4. Notify ISWAN SeafarerHelp and the ITF Inspectorate. Both can escalate via the IMO / ILO joint database, which is public and triggers regulatory attention.
  5. Notify the flag state by the seafarer-complaint route under MLC Standard A5.1.5. The flag state has the power to compel the shipowner via certificate suspension.
  6. If you are in port: notify the port state's PSC office. PSC can detain the vessel under the Paris MoU / Tokyo MoU MLC inspection regime until the seafarer is repatriated.

Evidence to save

What NOT to sign

Legal basis

MLC 2006 Reg. 2.5 (repatriation), Standard A2.5.1 (entitlement) and Standard A2.5.2 (financial security, 2014 amendments effective 2017). The IMO / ILO Joint Database of Abandoned Seafarers (publicly searchable) records active cases. ILO Resolution V (2006) provides guidelines for fair treatment of seafarers in the event of abandonment.

Primary sources

Related terms

Organisations that can help

Disclaimer. General information only — not legal advice. Rules vary by flag state, port state, vessel type, applicable CBA, and contract. For specific cases, contact ITF, ISWAN, your union, or a maritime lawyer.