Referat ISM/ILO - Bereich Seearbeitsrecht
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Tilo Berger
Phone: +49 40 361 37-213
Mail: ism-mlc@bg-verkehr.de
Sven Reese
Phone: +49 40 361 37-313
Mail: ism-mlc@bg-verkehr.de
Kathrin Saß
Phone: +49 40 361 37-260
Mail: ism-mlc@bg-verkehr.de
Florian Reise
Phone: +49 40 361 37-214
Mail: ism-mlc@bg-verkehr.de
Recruitment of seafarers
- Private agencies must be approved
- Definition „recruitment and placement“
- Approval procedure
- Approved private recruitment and placement agencies
- Publication regarding Section 26 para 4 Maritime Labour Act
- Public recruitment and placement agency
Private seafarer recruitment and placement agencies must be approved
Private seafarer recruitment and placement services are quite common in the shipping industry. The Maritime Labour Convention requires that flag states supervise and approve seafarer recruitment and placement agencies established in their territory, e.g., in order to prevent seafarers from being forced to pay a placement fee to their employer. Shipowners may only use recruitment and placement services approved by the competent authority.
What does „recruitment and placement“ mean?
Private recruitment and placement is the commercial manning of open jobs by private agencies. Internal recruitment and placement of seafarers by an independent subsidiary company of a shipping company also falls in this category according to maritime labour law.
It is, however, not a case of recruitment and placement, but rather of the so called supply of temporary agency workers if the agency itself is the employer (supplier) of the respective seafarer (temporary agency worker) and loans him or her, within the scope of his or her economic activity, to a third party (user of the worker’s services) to work for. The supplier of temporary agency workers requires a licence by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
Approval procedure for private recruitment and placement services in Germany
Since 1. August 2013 private maritime recruitment and placement services based in Germany may only be used if they are approved with a certificate of approval by the Ship Safety Division of the BG Verkehr. Those private maritime recruitment and placement services that are based in Germany but also recruit and place seafarers for crews on ships flying foreign flags still require a certificate of approval by the Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr.
For application please use the application form for approval of private recruitment and placement services.
Private recruitment and placement services for seafarers approved in Germany
The following maritime recruitment and placement services in Germany have been approved by the ship safety division:
| Name of recruitment and placement service | Certificate valid until |
|---|---|
|
Acet Events, Delmenhorst |
18.04.2026 |
|
Agentur: Förster-Huang GmbH, Timmendorfer Strand |
12.03.2025 |
|
Alfa Ship & Crew Management, Hamburg |
19.08.2025 |
|
ALSTER MARINE SERVICES GmbH, Hamburg |
01.08.2025 |
|
Amas Maritime Service GmbH, Hamburg |
09.04.2025 |
|
Amazsa Hamburg GmbH, Hamburg |
12.09.2025 |
|
Atlantic Lloyd GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
24.06.2027 |
|
Baltic Sea Crew Management GmbH, Lübeck |
03.06.2025 |
|
BCM Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Leer |
20.11.2026 |
|
Bernhard Schulte Cruise Services GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
27.02.2025 |
|
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Deutschland) GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
18.04.2025 |
|
BestShip GmbH & Cie. KG, Hamburg |
21.04.2024 |
|
Briese Crew Management GmbH, Leer |
26.05.2025 |
|
Chemtrans Crewmanagement GmbH, Hamburg |
24.07.2025 |
|
claus rodenberg shipmanagement gmbh, Kastorf |
12.03.2026 |
|
Columbia Shipmanagement (Deutschland) GmbH, Hamburg |
29.01.2026 |
|
CPO Crewing GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
04.05.2027 |
|
Crew & More GmbH, Grasbrunn |
14.09.2024 |
|
CAMMON GmbH, Duisburg |
08.07.2025 |
|
DEKRA Arbeit GmbH, Stuttgart |
20.05.2027 |
|
Döhle Personalmanagement GmbH, Hamburg |
29.07.2025 |
|
DS Crewing GmbH, Hamburg |
07.03.2025 |
|
ECS - Essberger Crewing Services GmbH, Hamburg |
02.05.2025 |
|
EMA Marine GmbH, Hamburg |
13.06.2025 |
|
Ernst Russ Consulting GmbH, Hamburg |
12.09.2025 |
|
GCC German Crew Center GmbH, Hamburg |
29.09.2027 |
|
Globe Ship Agency GmbH, Hamburg |
29.07.2025 |
|
Hammonia CrewCo GmbH, Hamburg |
26.09.2025 |
|
Hanseatic Connect GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
24.06.2027 |
|
Hanseatic Maritime Health (HMH) GmbH, Hamburg |
22.09.2027 |
|
Harren Shipping Services GmbH & Co. KG, Haren (Ems), Bremen |
07.09.2024 |
|
Hartmann Crew Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Leer |
03.07.2025 |
|
Helios Ship Management GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
30.06.2025 |
|
Interorient Crew Services (Germany) GmbH, Hamburg |
18.12.2025 |
|
Lighthaus-Marine GmbH, Hamburg |
04.04.2025 |
|
Lighthaus-Marine Europe GmbH, Hamburg |
23.01.2027 |
|
Lubeca Marine Management GmbH & Co. KG, Lübeck |
21.05.2025 |
|
Lydia Mar Shipping GmbH, Hamburg |
25.03.2025 |
|
manx ocean germany GmbH, Oldendorf |
30.07.2025 |
|
Marcrew Schiffahrts GmbH, Hamburg |
05.06.2025 |
|
Marine Medical Solutions GmbH, Hohen Neuendorf |
16.12.2024 |
|
Martracon Crewmanagement GmbH, Hamburg |
12.05.2025 |
|
Martracon Deutschland LTD, Hamburg |
13.06.2025 |
|
MINMARINE Shipmanagement GmbH & Co. KG, Schnaittenbach |
25.09.2027 |
|
MINMARINE MPP Shipmanegement GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
06.10.2027 |
|
Navalis Crewing GmbH & Co. KG, Oldendorf |
15.11.2026 |
|
Nordic Hamburg Crewing Services GmbH, Hamburg |
04.01.2026 |
|
Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
03.07.2025 |
|
Nordsee Nassbagger- und Tiefbau GmbH, Bremen |
10.12.2024 |
|
Northern Crewing Services GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
16.04.2025 |
|
Northwest Competence GmbH, Leer |
27.06.2025 |
|
NSB Crewing Solutions GmbH, Buxtehude |
24.07.2026 |
|
NSC Shipping GmbH & Cie. KG, Hamburg |
13.10.2025 |
|
over-C Crewing GmbH & Co. KG, Haren |
31.12.2024 |
|
O.S. Energy GmbH - Marine Power Solutions, Glückstadt |
21.08.2026 |
|
PALSupport GmbH, Wilhelmshaven |
25.04.2027 |
|
Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, Hamburg |
29.07.2025 |
|
PN Ventures FZCO, Maritime & Healthcare Group, Berlin |
11.02.2027 |
|
PRONAV Schiffahrtsberatung GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
21.04.2025 |
|
Reederei F. Laeisz G.m.b.H, Rostock |
06.11.2026 |
|
RHL Hamburger Lloyd Crewmanagement GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
20.11.2025 |
|
SAL Heavy Lift GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
07.02.2027 |
|
Saltgate Shipmanagement GmbH, Stade |
16.06.2025 |
|
Ships Crew Management, Gerardo J. Tolentino, Hamburg |
26.06.2025 |
|
Stefan Liebig - backup jobs agency, Ronneburg |
03.07.2026 |
|
Team Ship Crew GmbH & Co. KG, Wentorf |
26.08.2025 |
|
Thome Tanker Management Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
09.11.2024 |
|
TURTLE GmbH, Hamburg |
14.10.2026 |
|
UHL Crewing GmbH, Hamburg |
12.11.2026 |
|
Uniteam Marine Shipping GmbH, Hamburg |
05.06.2025 |
|
United Lloyd Crewing GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen |
31.01.2026 |
|
UOS Crew Services UG (haftungsbeschränkt) & Co. KG, Leer |
04.10.2026 |
|
USC Crew GmbH, Drochtersen |
26.02.2026 |
|
UVIS UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Berlin |
25.06.2026 |
|
ZEABORN Navigation GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg |
13.06.2025 |
|
ZEABORN Crew Management GmbH & Cie. KG, Hamburg |
21.05.2025 |
Publication of problems which may arise when signing on on a ship which flies the flag of a state that has not ratified the Maritime Labour Convention (Section 26 para 4 Maritime Labour Act)
Crew members on board ships flying a flag of a state that has ratified the Maritime Labour Convention have a right to be repatriated according to Regulation 2.5 of the Maritme Labour Convention at no cost to themselves when the seafarer's employment agreement is terminated.
For given reason the Ship Safety Division of the BG Verkehr likes to point out that there is no right to be repatriated at no cost to themselves when signing on on a ship which flies the flag of a state that has not ratified the Maritime Labour Convention.
Public recruitment and placement agency for seafarers in Germany
Next to the private recruitment and placement agencies for seafarers, the public recruitment and placement of seafarers by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (federal employment agency) plays an important role. The Zentrale Heuerstelle Hamburg of the Bundeagentur für Arbeit is responsible for the placement of seafarers throughout Germany.
The Heuerstelle informs, advises and places professional and managerial personnel of the maritime sector free of charge. Their staff informs and advises about training opportunities and helps find vocational training positions in maritime transport.
Find further in information about the Zentrale Heuerstelle Hamburg at the web pages of the Heuerstelle.