Algeciras
UN/LOCODE ESALG · Spain · Europe
Crew guide
Shore leave
Algeciras is Spain's + Europe's westernmost container hub, on the Bay of Gibraltar. Enormous transhipment traffic. Standard Schengen procedure. Stella Maris + Mission to Seafarers coordinate. Gibraltar is 15 minutes away but is UK territory — requires separate entry procedure.
Walking distance + transit
The container terminals (APM Terminals + TTI Algeciras) are 15-20 minutes from central Algeciras by taxi. Gibraltar is 15-30 minutes by car (with border formalities). Málaga Airport is 1h30m by road; Gibraltar Airport is 20 minutes.
Essentials
- ATMs: Santander, BBVA, La Caixa throughout central Algeciras
- Money changers: central Algeciras + Gibraltar (favourable GBP rates)
- Hospital: Hospital Punta de Europa, Gibraltar has its own hospital
- Prayer rooms: Mezquita Rey Fahd (Marbella, 45 minutes east) or informal spaces in Algeciras
- Halal food: modest but present — Moroccan community in Algeciras
- Supermarket: Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl
- SIM card: Movistar, Vodafone, Orange at any El Corte Inglés or Mediamarkt
Seafarer tips
Do: cross into Gibraltar if you have time and a valid passport — it's a genuine border experience. Don't: attempt to leave Algeciras on the ferries to Tanger without a Moroccan visa (many nationalities need one). Watch for: Algeciras is a major smuggling-interdiction point; expect strict security checks even for crew.
Last verified: 2026-07-01. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Algeciras (UN/LOCODE ESALG) is a designated seaport in Spain in the northern European / African Atlantic region. The port operates on Europe/Madrid, uses the Euro (EUR), runs shore power at 230V/50Hz (Type C/F). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Gibraltar Airport (GIB), 9 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 36.1311725, -5.4473991
- Time zone
- Europe/MadridUTC +01:00observes DST
- Local currency
- EUR— Euro
- Languages
- es
- Nearest airport
- GIBGibraltar Airport~9 km
- Electricity
- 230 V50 Hzplugs C, F(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- CsaHot-summer Mediterranean
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 1-------
seaport
- Port authority
- Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Algeciras
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
Algeciras Port Control / SIVE
- VHF: Ch 12 / 16 / 74
- Phone: +34 956 57 27 00
- Web: www.apba.es
P&I correspondents
- · Holman Fenwick Willan Spain
- · Garrigues Maritime Spain
- · BLG Abogados Algeciras
Port agents
- · GAC Spain Algeciras
- · Inchcape Spain
- · Biehl & Co Algeciras
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Transshipment hub at Strait of Gibraltar; APM Terminals and TTT; heavy traffic; Strait currents to monitor; bunkering major activity.
Helplines for seafarers in Spain
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- ITF Spain InspectorateEurope · Office hours, 24/7 emergencies · en, es
- 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 Spain
Port-state-control region: paris MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Algeciras: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Algeciras?
- Shore leave at Algeciras is governed by Spain immigration rules, the flag administration's policy, and the port authority's local rules. Seafarers normally need their seaman's book + a shore-leave permit issued by the agent. Confirm with your agent before going ashore — local policy changes frequently.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Algeciras?
- Seafarers calling at Algeciras 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. Spain 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 Algeciras?
- Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Algeciras in our directory. The centres are typically run by the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), or a regional ministry, and offer wifi, transport, shop, chaplaincy, and advocacy. Walk-in is normal; no appointment needed.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Algeciras?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Spain 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 Algeciras?
- 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 Gibraltar Airport (GIB), about 9 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Algeciras a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Algeciras 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 (14)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (ES)retrieved 2026-05-05
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (ES)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (EUR)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (EUR)retrieved 2026-05-05
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (ES)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Europe/Madrid)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Europe/Madrid)retrieved 2026-05-05
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (ES)retrieved 2026-05-05
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (1-------)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Europe/Madrid)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (GIB)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q484552)retrieved 2026-05-07
- osm_relation_id · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q484552)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (ES)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.