Surabaya
UN/LOCODE IDSUB · Indonesia · Asia-Pacific · JI
Crew guide
Shore leave
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest port, principally serving the East Java industrial region. Shore leave follows the same Indonesian procedure as Jakarta. Welfare provision via Mission to Seafarers Surabaya + Stella Maris.
Walking distance + transit
Tanjung Perak terminals are 15-25 minutes from central Surabaya by agent van. Smaller than Jakarta, so less traffic. The city is more compact and easier to navigate.
Essentials
- ATMs: BCA, Mandiri, BNI everywhere
- Money changers: Tunjungan Plaza, Galaxy Mall
- Hospital: Mitra Keluarga, RKZ St Vincentius, Premier Surabaya
- Prayer rooms: ubiquitous — Indonesia default
- Halal food: default
- Supermarket: Hypermart, Carrefour, Indomaret 24/7
- SIM card: same Indonesian options
Seafarer tips
Do: enjoy Surabaya's much-easier pace compared to Jakarta. Don't: assume Java's other cities work the same way — they don't. Watch for: Java's port-state-control inspection regime is shared with the central Indonesian regulator; deficiencies sometimes follow the vessel between Java ports.
Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Surabaya (UN/LOCODE IDSUB) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in Indonesia (JI) in the tropical southern Asia-Pacific region. The port operates on Asia/Jakarta, uses the Rupiah (IDR), runs shore power at 230V/50Hz (Type C/F). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Juanda International Airport (SUB), 17 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- -7.2333, 112.75
- Time zone
- Asia/JakartaUTC +07:00no DST
- Local currency
- IDR— Rupiah
- Languages
- id, en
- Nearest airport
- SUBJuanda International Airport~17 km
- Electricity
- 230 V50 Hzplugs C, F(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- AfTropical rainforest
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 123456--
seaport · rail terminal · road terminal · airport · postal exchange · inland clearance / multimodal
- Port authority
- Terminal Petikemas Surabaya
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
P&I correspondents
- · Pandiman Indonesia Surabaya
- · Holman Fenwick Willan Singapore (Indonesia desk)
- · Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners
Port agents
- · GAC Indonesia Surabaya
- · Inchcape Indonesia Surabaya
- · Wilhelmsen Indonesia
ISPS security level (normal): 1
East Java main port; Madura Strait tidal pilotage; depth restrictions in inner harbour; Java Sea swells.
Helplines for seafarers in Indonesia
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- KPI — Kesatuan Pelaut Indonesia (Indonesian Seafarers Union)Asia-Pacific · Office hours · id, en
- Mission to Seafarers IndonesiaSouth-East Asia · Mon–Sat · en, id
- KPI (Kesatuan Pelaut Indonesia)Asia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 8-17 WIB · id, 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
Other ports in Indonesia
Port-state-control region: tokyo MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Surabaya: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Surabaya?
- Shore leave at Surabaya is governed by Indonesia 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 Surabaya?
- Seafarers calling at Surabaya 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. Indonesia 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 Surabaya?
- Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Surabaya 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 Surabaya?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Indonesia 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 Surabaya?
- 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 Juanda International Airport (SUB), about 17 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Surabaya a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Surabaya 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 (ID)retrieved 2026-05-06
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (ID)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (IDR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (IDR)retrieved 2026-05-06
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (ID)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Jakarta)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Jakarta)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Jakarta)retrieved 2026-05-06
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (ID)retrieved 2026-05-06
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (123456--)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (SUB)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q111387429)retrieved 2026-05-07
- port_authority · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q19752397)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (ID)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.