On 1st April 2020, MOT published a notice regarding Chinese crew change requirements, setting out the procedures as follows:
Embarking crewmembers
The ship owner needs to declare the embarking crewmember’s health condition in the past 14 days to the local authorities where the crew change is going to take place and submit a Health Record Form together with the application. If the application is approved, then the ship owner can proceed and arrange embarkation. If the travel from the crewmember’s living place to the ship is all in low risk areas, he can embark the vessel directly; otherwise he may need to be quarantined at the port for observation.
Disembarking crewmembers
The ship owner also needs to submit a Health Record Form to the local authorities for any disembarking crewmembers together with the application.
If the crewmember is reported to be in good health condition and health authorities’ boarding inspection confirms so:
---- in case 14 days have elapsed since the ship departed the last foreign port, he can disembark the vessel without restriction or isolation.
---- in case it has been less than 14 days, the crewmember should be quarantined upon disembarkation until 14 days have elapsed since the ship departed the last foreign port, either at home or at a designated place for observation in line with requirement of the local authorities.
If the crewmember shows any suspected symptoms, then the crew change should be suspended immediately, and virus prevention and control protocols shall be followed.
If the crewmember is found to be asymptomatically infected, the prevailing protocol made by the relevant authorities shall be followed.
Apart from the above Chinese crew change procedures, promulgated in recent notices, MOT will:
(1) continue to suspend crew changes of foreign national crew members on foreign flagged ships in Chinese ports.
(2) strictly forbid internationally trading cargo ships which are carrying people onboard, other than its crew, from entering into Chinese ports. Before entering into Chinese waters, following departure from a foreign port of call, the master should submit a statement to local maritime authorities at the port of destination to confirm that the ship is not carrying any person other than its crew.
We hope the above is of assistance. Should you have any query, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Best regards,
Oasis P&I Services Company Limited
