Santos
UN/LOCODE BRSSZ · Brazil · Americas · SP
Santos (UN/LOCODE BRSSZ) is a designated seaport in Brazil (SP) in the tropical southern western Atlantic region. The port operates on America/Sao_Paulo, uses the Brazilian Real (BRL), runs shore power at 127V/60Hz (Type C/N). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Santos Nero Moura Air Base / Guarujá Airport (SSZ), 2 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- -23.9333, -46.3167
- Time zone
- America/Sao_PauloUTC -03:00no DST
- Local currency
- BRL— Brazilian Real
- Languages
- pt
- Nearest airport
- SSZSantos Nero Moura Air Base / Guarujá Airport~2 km
- Electricity
- 127 V60 Hzplugs C, N(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- AwTropical savanna (dry winter)
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 123--6--
seaport · rail terminal · road terminal · inland clearance / multimodal
- Port authority
- Porto de Santos
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
Praticagem do Porto de Santos / Marinha do Brasil VTMS
- VHF: Ch 16, working Ch 12 / 14
- Web: www.portodesantos.com.br
P&I correspondents
- · Williams Brasil
- · Eagle Shipping Brazil
- · Lakeshore Inc Brazil
Port agents
- · Wilson Sons Agencia Maritima
- · GAC Brazil
- · Inchcape Shipping Services Brazil
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Largest port in Latin America by container throughput. Mandatory pilotage; tidal passage with strong cross-currents at the Barra entrance. Brazilian Navy CP-19 controls the bay.
Helplines for seafarers in Brazil
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- SINDMAR (Brazil) — Sindicato Nacional dos Oficiais da Marinha MercanteAmericas · Office hours · pt, en
- ISWAN SeafarerHelpGlobal · 24/7 · en, ar, es, fr
- ISWAN Mental Health & Wellbeing helplineGlobal · 24/7 · en, es, ru, tl
- ITF SeafarersGlobal · 24/7 for emergencies · en
- ISWAN — Family helpline (for relatives of seafarers)Global · 24/7 · en, hi, tl
- ISWAN Yacht Crew HelplineGlobal · 24/7 · en
Other ports in Brazil
Survival information
Practical information for crew arriving here. Verified where possible — see sources. Spot a mistake or missing detail? Tell us.
Emergency contacts
- Brazil Emergency (Police): 190 · 24/7
- Brazil Emergency (Ambulance): 192 · 24/7
- Santos Port Authority — Port Operations: +55 13 3202 6565 · 24/7
Hospitals / clinics
- Santa Casa de Misericórdia de SantosAv. Dr. Cláudio Luiz da Costa 50, Santos
Shore leave
Brazil generally issues a port shore-pass via agent for short stays. Crew of visa-required nationalities should confirm Brazilian visa requirements before joining. Reference: gov.br/mre.
Plan it: /tools/shore-leave-port-card
Transport
Nearest major airport: Santos Nero Moura Air Base / Guarujá Airport (SSZ (~2 km)). Vessel agent normally arranges taxi or seafarer-centre shuttle to/from the airport at sign-on / sign-off. Confirm transport with the agent at least 24 hours before disembarkation.
SIM & Wi-Fi
Major operators: Vivo, Claro, TIM. Tourist SIM requires CPF (tax ID) — agent can assist. Apostolado do Mar / Stella Maris operates at Santos with free Wi-Fi.
Consular contacts
Related rights: shore leave · medical care · abandonment · unpaid wages.
Port-state-control region: vina del mar MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Santos: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Santos?
- Shore leave at Santos: Brazil generally issues a port shore-pass via agent for short stays. Crew of visa-required nationalities should confirm Brazilian visa requirements before joining. Reference: gov.br/mre.. Shore leave policy is set by the port authority, the flag administration, and the visa regime of Brazil. Confirm with the agent before stepping ashore.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Santos?
- Seafarers calling at Santos on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. Brazil may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Santos?
- No welfare centre is currently listed for Santos in our directory. If you need assistance, the nearest centre may be in a neighbouring port or the country's principal seafarer hub. ISWAN's 24-hour SeafarerHelp line and the ITF helpline both cover Brazil regardless of whether a centre exists locally.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Santos?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Brazil in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Santos?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Santos Nero Moura Air Base / Guarujá Airport (SSZ), about 2 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Santos a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Santos is listed in our directory of recognised crew-change hubs, consolidated from IMO MSC.1/Circ.1636, ICS/IFSMA briefings, and ITF priority-port reports. Recognised hubs typically have better port-state and immigration facilitation for crew-change operations, faster visa processing for seafarers, and more welfare-centre presence.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (13)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (BR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (BR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (BRL)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (BRL)retrieved 2026-05-06
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (BR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (America/Sao_Paulo)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (America/Sao_Paulo)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (America/Sao_Paulo)retrieved 2026-05-06
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (BR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (123--6--)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (SSZ)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q16460)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (BR)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.