The Passport Seva portal will be unavailable for five days starting on Thursday, August 29, owing to technical maintenance, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Users won’t be able to make new appointments during this time, and appointments that have already been made will be rescheduled. A passport and visa are required for international travel, as most travelers are aware. But there is another paper that serves the same purpose as a passport and even gets its bearer around airport visa regulations. Allow us to acquaint you with the Seaman Book, if you are not familiar with it.
For some professionals, a Seaman Book is an official document that allows them to travel internationally via seaports and airports. This is a restricted access document that is only available to personnel aboard fishing vessels, employees of the Merchant Navy, and employees of cruise lines. The Seaman Book is a vital identity document for people who work at sea, much like a passport is for frequent travelers.
A Seaman Book, like a passport, has all the necessary information, including the name, nationality, and date of birth of the employee. Along with these details, it also contains the employee’s job title, educational background, assignment ship name, and travel duration. This document speeds up the immigration procedure at foreign ports and acts as the main form of identification for crew members on ships operating in international seas.
Can Seaman Book be Used at Airports?
All travelers via air, whether for business, pleasure, or medical reasons, are required to show a valid passport and visa at the airport, according to a senior airport security official. On the other hand, when a person is traveling to report for duty, the Seaman Book is recognized as a passport by the Merchant Navy, Cruise Lines, and other employers. In certain situations, the traveler must provide the Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), also called the Seafarer Identity Document, during the immigration check in addition to the Seaman Book, which is accepted at the airport.
Does a Seaman Book Holder Need a Visa?
The Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) and the Seaman Book can serve as a crew transit visa, according to the senior airport security official. When traveling through other countries, the Seaman Book can be used as a transit visa for individuals who are in the Merchant Navy, aboard ships, or on cruises. In addition, the Seaman Book and CDC can be used in lieu of a standard visa for travelers planning to report for duty at a port. However, the traveler will require a conventional passport and visa for the destination country if the trip is personal rather than business-related.
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