Is shore leave allowed at Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?

Shore leave at Kolkata (ex Calcutta) is governed by India 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?

Seafarers calling at Kolkata (ex Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?

Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Kolkata (ex Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?

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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?

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 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU), about 14 km away — useful for medevac planning.

Is Kolkata (ex Calcutta) a recognised crew-change port?

Yes — Kolkata (ex Calcutta) 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.

Kolkata (ex Calcutta)

UN/LOCODE INCCU · India · Asia-Pacific · WB

Crew change hub

Crew guide

Shore leave

Kolkata (Calcutta), India's principal east-coast river port on the Hooghly, handles bulk, container, and break-bulk traffic. Shore leave follows the standard Indian procedure. Welfare provision via Stella Maris Calcutta + Apostleship of the Sea + Mission to Seafarers Calcutta — Kolkata's seafarer-welfare history is long and well-established.

Walking distance + transit

Kolkata Port (Kidderpore and Garden Reach docks) is in central Kolkata, 10-20 minutes from central business district. Compact and accessible.

Essentials

ATMs: SBI, HDFC, ICICI everywhere
Money changers: Park Street area + South City Mall
Hospital: Belle Vue Clinic, AMRI Hospital, SSKM Hospital (public)
Prayer rooms: Nakhoda Mosque (central Kolkata) is the principal Islamic landmark
Halal food: Park Street and Zakaria Street areas
Supermarket: Spencer's, Big Bazaar, More
SIM card: same Indian options

Seafarer tips

Do: enjoy Park Street's culture — historic restaurants and bookshops. Don't: expect Mumbai-level transit infrastructure. Watch for: cyclone season (May, Oct-Nov); the Hooghly river port can flood. The Bengali-speaking welfare network is particularly active.

Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.

Kolkata (ex Calcutta) (UN/LOCODE INCCU) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in India (WB) 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 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU), 14 km from the port.

Reference

Coordinates: 22.5667, 88.35
Time zone: Asia/KolkataUTC +05:30no DST
Local currency: INR— Indian Rupee
Languages: hi, en
Nearest airport: CCUNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport~14 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: 1--45---
seaport · airport · postal exchange

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
📞 +91 22 2261 2822 [email protected]www.nusi.in
MUI (India)
Asia-Pacific · Office hours · en, hi
📞 +91 22 2413 2500 [email protected]www.muindia.org
Sailors' Society India
South Asia · Mon–Sat · en, hi, ml, ta
📞 +91 22 2261 3361 [email protected]www.sailors-society.org
National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI)
South Asia · Office hours · en, hi
📞 +91 22 2261 3361 [email protected]www.nusi.in
NUSI (National Union of Seafarers of India)
Asia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 9:30-18 IST · hi, en
📞 +91 22 6798 3636 [email protected]www.nusi.in
MUI (Maritime Union of India)
Asia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 10-18 IST · hi, en
📞 +91 22 2202 8898 [email protected]www.mui.in

Other ports in India

All ports in India →

Port-state-control region: indian ocean MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.

Kolkata (ex Calcutta): seafarer FAQ

Is shore leave allowed at Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?: Shore leave at Kolkata (ex Calcutta) is governed by India 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?: Seafarers calling at Kolkata (ex Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?: Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Kolkata (ex Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?: 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 Kolkata (ex Calcutta)?: 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 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU), about 14 km away — useful for medevac planning.
Is Kolkata (ex Calcutta) a recognised crew-change port?: Yes — Kolkata (ex Calcutta) 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 (IN)retrieved 2026-05-06
country_name · ISO 3166-1 (IN)retrieved 2026-05-06
currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (INR)retrieved 2026-05-06
currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (INR)retrieved 2026-05-06
languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (IN)retrieved 2026-05-06
timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Kolkata)retrieved 2026-05-06
timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Kolkata)retrieved 2026-05-06
timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Kolkata)retrieved 2026-05-06
electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (IN)retrieved 2026-05-06
function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (1--45---)retrieved 2026-05-06
nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (CCU)retrieved 2026-05-07
wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q7231171)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 5 months ago

High confidence

Editorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.