Loading…
Seafarers travel under a special legal regime — the IMO/ILO Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) and the ILO Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (C185) — that should let you transit any port to join or leave a ship. In practice this breaks down constantly: visa refusals, transit denials, and shore-leave restrictions are persistent issues. Know your rights, and know who to escalate to.
FAL Convention (1965, as amended), Section 3 (entry and departure of crew). ILO C185 — Seafarers' Identity Documents (2003, revised 2016). MLC 2006 Regulation 2.5 (repatriation) and 4.4 (access to shore-based welfare facilities, including shore leave).