Manning agencies
Manning agencies are the licensed recruiters that place seafarers on vessels operated by shipowners and ship managers. Under STCW, MLC 2006, and each supplying nation's domestic law, an agency must hold a current licence from its national maritime administration to legally recruit seafarers. This directory catalogues 531 such agencies across the four largest seafarer-supplying nations plus a growing tail.
Licence authorities
Each supplying nation regulates its own agencies. Always verify licence status directly with the issuing authority before signing.
- Philippines — DMW (Department of Migrant Workers)
Successor to POEA. Verify at databasecheck.dmw.gov.ph. Roughly 60% of the world's working seafarers hold Philippine papers.
- India — DG Shipping (Directorate General of Shipping)
Verify RPSL-licensed agencies at dgshipping.gov.in. India supplies most of the world's senior deck and engine officers.
- Ukraine — Maradmin (State Service of Maritime and Inland Water Transport)
Ukraine remains one of the top-5 seafarer-supplying nations despite the 2022 war; agencies typically operate from Odesa, Kherson, or Mariupol pre-war addresses.
- Indonesia — DGST (Directorate General of Sea Transportation)
Fast-growing supplier of ratings and tanker crews. Agencies are regulated under the Ministry of Manpower Regulation on seafarer recruitment.
Browse by country (53)
Verify before signing
No legitimate manning agency asks a seafarer to pay an upfront fee for a job offer. See our recruitment red flags guide for the warning signs of scam operations.
· Full agency registry — searchable list of all 531 agencies.
· How to verify a manning agency licence — step-by-step for each authority.