Pakistani seafarer guide

Quick reference

· MMD Pakistan (Mercantile Marine Department) — CoC issuance, Karachi: +92 21 9920 1551
· PNSC (Pakistan National Shipping Corporation) — state-owned operator: pnsc.com.pk
· PMMOA (Pakistan Merchant Mariners Officers Association) — officers' union, ITF affiliate
· Pakistan Seafarers Council — ratings and multi-rank welfare
· ISWAN SeafarerHelp 24/7: +44 800 012 1004

Pakistan has an active seafaring community of approximately 20,000–30,000 seafarers, centred largely on Karachi — the country's sole major commercial seaport and the seat of the Mercantile Marine Department. Pakistani officers are particularly represented on tanker and bulk-carrier tonnage operating Gulf and South Asian routes, and PNSC operates a small state-fleet supplementing the much larger FOC-deployed workforce. The maritime labour market is officer-led: the training infrastructure at the Pakistan Marine Academy produces a steady cohort of Class-qualified deck and engine officers, though the rating-to-officer upgrading pathway has traditionally been underutilised.

Regulatory authorities

MMD Pakistan — Mercantile Marine Department. Administers under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 2001. Issues Certificates of Competency (CoC) for deck and engine officers (Class 1–3), Certificates of Proficiency (CoP) for ratings, and Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC). The MMD maintains the Pakistan Seafarers Register and approves STCW training centres. Pakistan is on the IMO STCW White List.
PNSC — Pakistan National Shipping Corporation. State-owned operator managing a small fleet of tankers and multi-purpose vessels. PNSC operates its own crewing pipeline; employment by PNSC is considered prestigious and is directly contracted rather than through a private manning agency.
Ministry of Maritime Affairs. Policy authority overseeing PNSC, MMD, and port authorities. Administers port-state control under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance.

Training pathway

The primary route to officer qualification runs through the Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA), a federal institution in Karachi offering the BSc Nautical Science (deck) and BSc Marine Engineering programmes, each typically four years in duration including cadetship sea time. PMA graduates sit the MMD Class 3 (OOW/EOOW) examination on completion.

· Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) — Karachi, federal; BSc Nautical Science / BSc Marine Engineering.
· MMD-approved private STCW centres — Karachi; offer Basic Safety Training (BST), advanced STCW courses (ARPA, ECDIS, GMDSS, Tanker Training), and CoP training for ratings.
· Class progression — Class 3 (OOW/EOOW) → Class 2 (Chief Officer/Second Engineer) → Class 1 (Master/Chief Engineer); each step requires qualifying sea service and passing the MMD written and oral examination.
· Rating entry — Ratings (Able Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, Motorman, Wiper) are certified via MMD-approved STCW training; no degree required.

Certificate of Competency (CoC)

Pakistani CoCs are issued by the MMD under the STCW Convention. Pakistan has maintained STCW White List status, meaning flag states can issue Endorsements Attesting Recognition (EAR) to holders of Pakistani CoCs under STCW Regulation I/10. Common flags of recognition include Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Seafarers should hold both the original Pakistani CoC and the relevant EAR for the flag of their vessel. CoC renewal requires revalidation every five years: STCW refresher courses (BST revalidation, medical fitness certificate) and evidence of qualifying sea service or approved shore-based training.

Wages and union representation

Pakistani seafarers are represented by the Pakistan Merchant Mariners Officers Association (PMMOA) for officer ranks, and by the Pakistan Seafarers Council for a broader multi-rank constituency. Both are ITF affiliates, meaning their members working under ITF-approved CBAs benefit from the ITF Total Crew Cost (TCC) minimum wage structure and ITF welfare services at ports worldwide.

· Master (tanker/bulk) — approximately $8,000–$11,000 per month basic under ITF-aligned CBAs.
· Officer of the Watch (OOW, deck) — approximately $4,000–$5,000 per month.
· Chief Engineer — approximately $7,000–$9,500 per month.
· AB/Able Seaman — approximately $1,400–$1,800 per month ITF minimum.

Wages on PNSC vessels and some Gulf-based operators may vary from ITF CBA rates. Seafarers on non-IBF vessels should verify wage standards before signing Articles.

Manning agencies — licensing & red flags

Manning agencies deploying Pakistani seafarers must hold a licence from the MMD. The prohibition on charging seafarers recruitment or placement fees is embedded in MLC 2006 Standard A1.4.5 and is enforceable by the MMD. Established agencies include:

· Bridge Maritime (Karachi)
· Marine Group Pakistan (Karachi)
· Pakistan Marine Services (Karachi)
· Eastern Maritime (Karachi)
· Pacific Marine Services (Karachi)

Any agency requesting upfront payment for placement, documentation handling, or "security deposits" is operating unlawfully. Report to MMD Karachi or PMMOA. See our joining-a-ship red-flag checklist.

Income tax for Pakistani seafarers

Under Pakistan's Income Tax Ordinance 2001, a Pakistani seafarer who is ordinarily resident in Pakistan is in principle subject to worldwide income tax. However, Section 4 read with the Pakistan Federal Revenue (PFR) provisions provides an exemption for income earned outside Pakistan by a resident individual who is abroad for more than 183 days in a tax year (1 July–30 June). This is commonly applied to seafarers on foreign-flag vessels in international trade. Documentary requirements to substantiate the exemption include:

· Passport with entry/exit stamps demonstrating more than 183 days abroad in the tax year.
· Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) showing sea service dates.
· Employment contract or CBA confirming foreign employer and flag.
· Bank statements for foreign-currency wages received in a Pakistani bank (FCY account).

Maintaining a Foreign Currency (FCY) account at a Pakistani bank and receiving wages in USD or other hard currency is strongly recommended both for the documentary record and to minimise PKR exchange-rate exposure. Seafarers who are non-resident (less than 183 days in Pakistan) in a given tax year pay Pakistani tax only on Pakistan-source income, which for most at-sea seafarers is nil.

Visa and port-access considerations

The Pakistani passport affords relatively limited visa-free access internationally, which creates practical challenges for shore leave and crew changes at certain ports. Pakistani seafarers commonly encounter the following:

· Schengen area — a Schengen C-type transit visa is required; seafarers transiting EU ports should ensure the shipowner or manning agent provides a letter of transit and arranges the visa well in advance of crew change.
· United States — a C-1/D (Crewman) visa is required. The B-1/B-2 or ESTA routes are not available; C-1/D issuance requires interview at a US Embassy.
· United Kingdom — a Transit Without Visa (TWOV) or Transit visa may be required depending on transit method; seafarers must hold a valid CDC and joining letter.
· Australia — Maritime crew visa (subclass 988) required; applied for by the shipowner/agent.
· Gulf ports (UAE, Saudi, Kuwait, Oman) — generally more straightforward for Pakistani seafarers; crew visas issued via vessel agent on arrival at many ports.

Seafarers should plan crew changes through ports with streamlined crew-visa procedures wherever possible and ensure the Manning Agent confirms visa status before travel commences. See Help: visas & transit.

Rating-to-officer pathway

A Pakistani rating holding sea service in an AB, OS, Motorman, or Wiper capacity can progress to the Class 3 officer examination via the MMD upgrading examination route, provided they hold the requisite STCW courses (BST, ARPA/RADAR, ECDIS, Medical First Aid, Advanced Fire Fighting, Proficiency in Survival Craft) and qualifying sea time (typically 36 months bridge/engine watchkeeping experience as a rating). The PMA also offers upgrading programmes for ratings who wish to obtain a degree alongside their CoC progression. This pathway is historically underutilised relative to the degree-entry route, partly due to the structured cadetship system dominating PNSC and large-shipmanager crewing pipelines.

STCW recognition & common foreign flags

Pakistani CoCs are recognised by a range of flag states. Common flags under which Pakistani seafarers serve include Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands, UAE (Abu Dhabi, Dubai registries), and Saudi Arabia. Seafarers should obtain and carry the relevant EAR for the flag of their vessel. The EAR must be renewed in step with the underlying CoC renewal and has its own expiry date. Failure to hold a valid EAR is a port-state control deficiency under STCW Regulation I/10.

Helplines for Pakistani seafarers

· MMD Karachi — +92 21 9920 1551; CoC, CDC, training approval queries.
· PMMOA (Pakistan Merchant Mariners Officers Association) — Karachi; officers' union, contract disputes, ITF referrals.
· Mission to Seafarers Karachi — port welfare, pastoral support, emergency assistance.
· ISWAN SeafarerHelp — 24/7, free, multilingual: +44 800 012 1004