Mumbai (ex Bombay)
UN/LOCODE INBOM · India · Asia-Pacific · MH
Crew guide
Shore leave
Mumbai (Bombay) is India's principal commercial port and the centre of Indian merchant marine recruitment. JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) and Mumbai Port are the two principal facilities. Shore leave is granted with a seaman's book + shore pass under Indian procedure (paperwork-heavy but reliable). Welfare provision via Stella Maris Mumbai + Mission to Seafarers Mumbai + The Sailors' Society + Indian-specific Apostleship of the Sea.
Walking distance + transit
JNPT (Nhava Sheva) is 60-90 minutes from south Mumbai by van — across Mumbai Harbour by bridge or ferry. Mumbai Port (Indira Dock) is in central south Mumbai, 10-15 minutes from CST station.
Essentials
- ATMs: SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis everywhere
- Money changers: Centaur Mall, Phoenix Marketcity have RBI-licensed dealers
- Hospital: Bombay Hospital (private), KEM Hospital (public, large), Hinduja Hospital
- Prayer rooms: Haji Ali Mosque + multiple mosques across the city
- Halal food: Mohammed Ali Road and Bhendi Bazaar are the principal halal-restaurant districts
- Supermarket: Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh, D-Mart, Star Bazaar; mom-and-pop kirana shops for daily essentials
- SIM card: Airtel, Jio, Vi at any phone shop; Indian SIMs require proof of address — easier to bring eSIM
Seafarer tips
Do: use Ola and Uber (both work in Mumbai); use the local trains for cross-Mumbai travel (fast, cheap, intense). Don't: hand cash to anyone claiming to be a maritime recruitment intermediary — this is the principal scam pattern. Watch for: monsoon season (Jun-Sep) — flooding affects port-area transit. The DG Shipping office is in Mumbai; if you're an Indian seafarer with a CoC issue, this is the principal office.
Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Mumbai (ex Bombay) (UN/LOCODE INBOM) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in India (MH) in the tropical northern Indian Ocean region. The port operates on Asia/Kolkata, uses the Indian Rupee (INR), runs shore power at 230V/50Hz (Type C/D/M). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), 15 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 18.9667, 72.8167
- Time zone
- Asia/KolkataUTC +05:30no DST
- Local currency
- INR— Indian Rupee
- Languages
- hi, en
- Nearest airport
- BOMChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport~15 km
- Electricity
- 230 V50 Hzplugs C, D, M(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
- 123456--
seaport · rail terminal · road terminal · airport · postal exchange · inland clearance / multimodal
- Port authority
- Mumbai Port
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
Mumbai Port VTMS / JNPT VTS
- VHF: Ch 10 / 12 / 16
- Phone: +91 22 6656 5555
- Web: www.mumbaiport.gov.in
P&I correspondents
- · UNCITRAL Marine Mumbai
- · Bose & Mitra Mumbai
- · Stephenson Harwood Mumbai
Port agents
- · JM Baxi Mumbai
- · Bharati Shipping Mumbai
- · Inchcape India
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Mumbai Harbour and JNPT (Nhava Sheva) — distinct port limits; monsoon (Jun-Sep) restricts cargo work; tide-restricted port.
Helplines for seafarers in India
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- NUSI (India)Asia-Pacific · Office hours · en, hi
- MUI (India)Asia-Pacific · Office hours · en, hi
- Sailors' Society IndiaSouth Asia · Mon–Sat · en, hi, ml, ta
- National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI)South Asia · Office hours · en, hi
- NUSI (National Union of Seafarers of India)Asia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 9:30-18 IST · hi, en
- MUI (Maritime Union of India)Asia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 10-18 IST · hi, en
Other ports in India
Survival information
Practical information for crew arriving here. Verified where possible — see sources. Spot a mistake or missing detail? Tell us.
Emergency contacts
- India National Emergency Number: 112 · 24/7
- Mumbai Port duty officer: +91 22 6656 6666 · 24/7
Hospitals / clinics
- Bombay Hospital12 New Marine Lines, Mumbai
- Seven Hills Hospital — Andheri (port-near)
Shore leave
India generally permits shore leave under a port shore-pass arranged by the vessel's agent. Long-term stays or onward travel require an Indian visa (e-visa available for most nationalities at indianvisaonline.gov.in). Reference: mea.gov.in.
Plan it: /tools/shore-leave-port-card
Transport
Nearest major airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM (~15 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: Jio, Airtel, Vi (Vodafone Idea). Tourist SIM requires passport + photo + local address. Buying at airport (BOM/MAA/COK/DEL) is fastest. Free Wi-Fi at Seafarers Mission Mumbai + Mariner Club Mumbai (12 Mohammed Bhai Building, Colaba).
Consular contacts
Related rights: shore leave · medical care · abandonment · unpaid wages.
Port-state-control region: indian ocean MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Mumbai (ex Bombay): seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Mumbai (ex Bombay)?
- Shore leave at Mumbai (ex Bombay): India generally permits shore leave under a port shore-pass arranged by the vessel's agent. Long-term stays or onward travel require an Indian visa (e-visa available for most nationalities at indianvisaonline.gov.in). Reference: mea.gov.in.. Shore leave policy is set by the port authority, the flag administration, and the visa regime of India. Confirm with the agent before stepping ashore.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Mumbai (ex Bombay)?
- Seafarers calling at Mumbai (ex Bombay) 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. India 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 Mumbai (ex Bombay)?
- Yes — 2 seafarer welfare centres are listed for Mumbai (ex Bombay) 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 Mumbai (ex Bombay)?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for India 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 Mumbai (ex Bombay)?
- 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 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), about 15 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Mumbai (ex Bombay) a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Mumbai (ex Bombay) 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 (IN)retrieved 2026-05-05
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (IN)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (INR)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (INR)retrieved 2026-05-05
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (IN)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Kolkata)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Kolkata)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Kolkata)retrieved 2026-05-05
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (IN)retrieved 2026-05-05
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (123456--)retrieved 2026-05-05
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (BOM)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1156)retrieved 2026-05-07
- osm_relation_id · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1156)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (IN)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.