International seafarers immigration clearance procedure

I. Business Overview

International seafarers boarding or disembarking vessels, carrying personal effects, gold and silver products, and currency into or out of the country must be declared by the vessel's master or their agent to the Customs.

Chinese international seafarers undergoing verification of imported personal effects must first apply to the Customs for the "Registration Certificate for Entry-Exit Carried Articles of Transportation Service Personnel," which is used to record currency and articles carried across borders, calculate days spent abroad, and handle procedures for boarding/disembarking as well as the duty-free or duty-paid status of personal effects.

II. Legal Basis

"Regulations of the People's Republic of China Customs on the Administration of Baggage and Articles of Chinese Passengers Entering and Leaving the Country"

III. Office

Shanghai Customs, On-Site Business Division Three

IV. Preparation

1. Gold and silver products, currency, and articles purchased abroad that are carried into the country by seafarers must be truthfully declared. They must not be taken off the vessel casually without Customs verification.

2. Documents to be submitted:

(1) To apply for the "Registration Certificate for Entry-Exit Carried Articles of Transportation Service Personnel," a written application from the shipping company and the Registration Certificate recording seafarer information must be submitted.

(2) For seafarer boarding or disembarkation, a transfer order from the shipping company and the Registration Certificate must be submitted.

(3) To handle verification procedures for seafarers carrying personal effects, a certificate of days spent abroad issued by the Customs at the departure port, an escort verification form for foreign/Chinese vessels, a seafarer article registration form, a route statement, and the Registration Certificate must be submitted.

V. Office Obligations

If relevant regulations are met, handle the corresponding issuance of the Registration Certificate, procedures for boarding/disembarking, accumulation of days abroad, and verification of articles.

VI. Procedure

Application for the Registration Certificate

Step 1: Chinese international seafarers submit an application to the Customs through their shipping company, along with the following materials:

1. Written application from the shipping company;
2. Registration Certificate uniformly numbered and filled out by the shipping company;
3. Other documents required by the Customs.

Step 2: After examination and approval, the Customs stamps the Registration Certificate with an "Inspection Seal" and returns it to the shipping company.

Visa for Boarding/Disembarkation

Step 1: The seafarer, vessel master, or their agent declares to the Customs, submitting the following documents:

1. Registration Certificate;
2. Transfer order for boarding/disembarkation from the shipping company;
3. Other documents required by the Customs.

Step 2: If the situation is verified as normal, the Customs makes related annotations on the Registration Certificate.

Calculation of Days Abroad and Verification of Personal Effects

Step 1: After the vessel returns from overseas to the home port, the vessel master or their agent submits an application to the Customs to collectively handle the verification procedure for all seafarers on board. The following documents should be submitted:

1. Registration Certificate;
2. Certificate of days spent abroad issued by the Customs at the departure port;
3. Escort verification form for foreign/Chinese vessels;
4. Seafarer article registration form;
5. Route statement. If an individual seafarer enters the country by other means of transport, their Registration Certificate must be stamped with the Customs passenger inspection seal at the entry port, and the Seafarer's Passport with the border inspection entry stamp must be submitted simultaneously.

Step 2: The Customs calculates the vessel's days abroad for the current voyage and accumulates them, annotating the total days on the Registration Certificate.

Step 3: The Customs handles the duty-free or duty-paid procedures for seafarers requiring verification of personal effects, annotates the verification status on the Registration Certificate, and may also conduct an inspection.

VII. Processing Time

For applications for the Registration Certificate, boarding/disembarkation procedures, and verification of seafarers' personal effects, each case shall be completed within 5 minutes.

For accumulation of days abroad, each vessel shall be processed within 1 hour.