CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Is your crew change possible?
Crew changes allowed per country, depending on nationality - Last update March, 2021
This page had been set-up by ATPI Marine & Energy team to advise on crew changes allowed per country, depending on nationality in April 2020 and was last updated on in February 2021. For more detailed information go to our travel restrictions tool - powered by Sherpa – that allows you to simply put in your destination, hit search and real time information is returned - explaining travel restrictions, quarantine rules, health documentation requirements, and PPE requirements. Please note that travel requirements are frequently updated, so we recommend that you check the latest entry requirements before your trip.
Please note more and more airlines and destinations require a COVID – 19 test or PCR test before the passenger boards the plane. In most cases the test can not be older than 3-4 days. As the requirements are rapidly changing, we recommend passengers to hold a negative PCR test before departure.
Due to COVID-19 outbreak, governments and ports are imposing restrictions on ships’ crew. Airlines are also downsizing or even ceasing operations. Even though repatriations are possible, even with restrictions, in most cases, joining a vessel remains a challenge.
ATPI has remained alert and loyal to its promise of finding the most effective travel management solutions, despite all obstacles. Working towards that direction, we have created an interactive Crew Change Matrix, that provides you with a spherical understanding of the current regulations applied in key locations.
We have hereby collected information from various sources on most common ports’ restrictions. We have combined these restrictions with flight availability so that you can have a full view of crew change possibility for, at least, the most popular crew nationalities. The content is being updated at least 2 times/week, but changes may happen suddenly without prior notice, so please confirm with your port agents and your local ATPI consultant.
✓ = Yes
x = No
✓ = conditional, under specific terms
NATIONALITY | Banglad. | Chinese | Croatian | Estonian | Greek | India | Indones. | Latvian | Lithuanian | Norwegian | Panama | Philippine | Polish | Romanian | Russian | Salvador. | Spanish | Sri Lankan | Ukrainian |
PORTS | ASIA AND AUSTRALIAN REGION | ||||||||||||||||||
Australia![]() |
x | x | x | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | x |
China![]() |
x | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Hong Kong![]() |
x | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | x | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ |
India![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | ✓ | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Indonesia![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Japan![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | ✓ | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ✓ | x |
Korea![]() |
x | x | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Malaysia![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Myanmar![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Philippines![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Singapore![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
UAE![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
NATIONALITY | Banglad. | Chinese | Croatian | Estonian | Greek | India | Indones. | Latvian | Lithuanian | Norwegian | Panama | Philippine | Polish | Romanian | Russian | Salvador. | Spanish | Sri Lankan | Ukrainian |
PORTS | EUROPEAN REGION | ||||||||||||||||||
Belgium![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
France ![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Germany![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Gibraltar![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Greece![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Latvia![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Netherlands![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Norway![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Poland![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Russia![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Spain![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Turkey![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
UK![]() |
✓ | ✓ | x | x | x | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ukraine![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
NATIONALITY | Banglad. | Chinese | Croatian | Estonian | Greek | India | Indones. | Latvian | Lithuanian | Norwegian | Panama | Philippine | Polish | Romanian | Russian | Salvador. | Spanish | Sri Lankan | Ukrainian |
PORTS | AMERICAN REGION | ||||||||||||||||||
Argentina![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Brasil![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Canada![]() |
x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | x | ✓ |
Chile![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Mexico![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Panama![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Salvador![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Venezuela![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
USA![]() |
x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | x | x | ✓ | x | ✓ |
NATIONALITY | Banglad. | Chinese | Croatian | Estonian | Greek | India | Indones. | Latvian | Lithuanian | Norwegian | Panama | Philippine | Polish | Romanian | Russian | Salvador. | Spanish | Sri Lankan | Ukrainian |
PORTS | AFRICAN REGION | ||||||||||||||||||
Egypt![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ghana![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Kenya![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Morocco![]() |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Namibia![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Nigeria![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
S.Africa![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Togo![]() |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Last updates: 24 February, 2021
Notes
- Above mainly refers to commercial fleet sign on crew
- Different restrictions apply for cruise crew
- Kindly note that ATPI is not responsible for the content of external websites cited.
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR LOCAL AGENT AND ATPI CONSULTANT ON LATEST RESTRICTIONS
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Sources COVID-19 |
Sources for the Crew Change Matrix |
WHO travel guidelines | ATPI office network |
IATA (COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map) | Wilhelmsen |
Isos (with login) | S5 |
ATPI: | Isos (with login) |
Coronavirus and your organisation’s travel | ISS |
Coronavirus FAQ | GAC |
Alerts | Japan tourism ministry |
Restrictions per country |

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