Ukraine’s maritime workforce is set to benefit from a new approach to credential management, as the country prepares to launch a pilot scheme allowing remote processing of Seafarers’ Identity Documents (SID).
A date has yet to be set for the pilot scheme’s introduction, but it’s believed to be in the next few months and will allow Ukrainian seafarers located abroad to apply for or renew their national SID through a new remote centre in Warsaw, Poland.
Responsibility for issuing SIDs will shift from local port captains to the Maritime Administration. The new system will connect with Ukraine’s digital infrastructure with the ultimate aim of creating a fully paperless certification process in the future.
The move is being hailed as a major step forward by Danica Crewing Specialists, which manages large numbers of Ukrainian crew.
“Ukraine is showing leadership here. This is a practical solution to a very real problem and one that could inspire other flag states to modernise and support their seafarers more effectively,” said Henrik Jensen, CEO of Danica Crewing Specialists.
“This is a long-overdue fix to a system that has cost seafarers work and income. Too often, outdated processes and paperwork gaps have forced Ukrainian crew off ships despite being willing and able to work. A remote option is not just convenient. It is essential to their livelihoods.”
