RPSL License Consultant in India | Seafarers recruitment

How do I get a RPSL license?

RPSL stands for Recruitment and Placement Services License. , RPSL License is issued by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. The RPSL License is granted for 5 years; thereafter, it can be renewed every 5 years. The RPSL license remains valid if the company passes an annual inspection. The inspection is conducted by auditors approved by the government, and their primary objective is to determine if the company is in compliance with MLC regulations.

In 2016, the government of India, through its notification, made it mandatory for all seafarer recruitment companies to obtain an RPSL license for employing seafarers on owned vessels or recruiting for principal vessels. No seafarers from India are allowed to get employed on merchant's vessels through unregistered manning agents. Seatime experience will not be considered for any examination conducted by Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) if any seafarers join vessels through any non-registered manning agencies.

It is mandatory for crewing agencies in India to obtain an RPSL license in order to place seafarers on Indian-flag or foreign-flag vessels.

Foreign-flag vessels can only hire Indian seamen through registered RPSL companies.

Foreign ship owners can not directly employ Indian seafarers on their vessels. It would be necessary for ship owners to engage a duly licensed agency to recruit Indian crew. If a seafarer is hired directly by a ship owner, his or her immigration won't be cleared at the airport. Ship owners are mandated by Indian law to recruit Indian seafarers only through registered RPSL companies.

Thus, any Indian seafarers wishing to get employed on merchant ships must approach registered RPSL companies for job placement; currently, there are over 500 registered crewing agencies in India.

Indian ship owners with Indian flag vessels are not required to obtain an RPSL license; however, they must obtain separate approval from Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) by registering themselves as shipping company to place seafarers on their own vessels; however, placing seafarers on other vessels, whether foreign or Indian, requires an RPSL license.

Technical managers, ship managers, or DOC holders of Indian flag vessels are required to obtain an RPSL license in order to place crew on the respective vessels.

A non-seafarer license is required for the placement of repair technicians, engineers, maritime security officers, and surveyors (non-seafarers) on foreign flag ships.

To recruit a crew for the shipyard, you will need to obtain an overseas recruitment license.

What are the requirements to apply for an RPSL license?

You must have a registered company based in India.
At least one key managerial person (Director/Partner/Owner) must have previous sea-service experience (officer or rating), or Minimum three years’ experience in maritime recruitment/placement.
You must have a valid manning agency agreement for the vessels you intend to recruit crew for.
You must have minimum 150 sqft carpet office space, with a cabin for seafarers interview, and the office must be in a commercial building.
You must have a quality management system (ISO certification).
You must also comply with the applicable P&I insurance and financial security requirements for Indian seafarers. For details on the ₹1 crore insurance requirement and approved P&I coverage, refer to DGMA RPSL Insurance Rules 2026

What are the qualification requirements for personnel in an RPS company?

At least one person in the RPS company must have a management-level STCW Certificate of Competency (COC) issued by India, the UK, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, or Malaysia. The COC does not need to be valid.

For the Cruise sector, relevant experience is acceptable instead of a COC.

If the RPS company provides services only for dredgers, an equivalent Dredge Grade COC is also accepted.

What is the procedure to obtain an RPSL license in India?

rpsl license process in india

The procedure for obtaining a Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) involves the following steps:

1. Submission of Application: Any person, company, institution, agency, or other organisation in the public or private sector intending to obtain an RPSL licence must submit a duly completed application to the Issuing Authority, along with the prescribed bank guarantee and applicable fees.
2. Application Scrutiny: Upon receipt of the application, the concerned officers examine the application and verify the submitted documents for completeness and compliance with the applicable requirements.
3. Office Inspection: Following the initial scrutiny, the application is forwarded to the designated Inspecting Authority for inspection of the applicant's office infrastructure, facilities, and other relevant requirements.
4. Inspection Report and Recommendation: Upon receipt of the inspection report, the concerned officer evaluates the findings. If satisfied, the officer submits a recommendation to the Director-General for approval or rejection of the application.
5. Presentation Before the MLC Board: Upon receiving a positive recommendation, the applicant is notified by the Director-General to make a presentation before the Maritime Labour Compliance (MLC) Board.
6. Board Recommendation: Following the presentation, the MLC Board evaluates the application and submits its recommendation to the Director, Seamen's Employment Office.
7. Issuance of RPSL Licence: Based on the final recommendation, the Director, Seamen's Employment Office, issues the Recruitment and Placement Service Licence to the applicant, subject to fulfilment of the applicable requirements.
8. Login Credentials and Commencement of Operations: Upon issuance of the licence, the applicant is provided with the necessary login credentials to access the designated online portal and commence seafarer recruitment and placement activities in accordance with the applicable regulations.

What are the documents required to apply for an RPSL license?

Company registration documents (incorporation certificate, MOA, AOA)
Business office address proof
PAN, TAN and GST registration certificate
Manning agency agreement
Bank guarantee

Following is the bank guarantee required as per the proposed number of seafarers to be placed on the ship per year.

The required bank guarantee and minimum office space depend on the proposed number of seafarers to be deployed on ships annually.

Sr. No.	A number of seafarers	Amount (Rs)	Office space (min. carpet area @sqft)
1.	0 to 50	25 lakhs	150
2.	51-250	40 lakhs	200
3.	251-500	55 lakhs	400
4.	501-750	70 lakhs	500
5.	751-1000	85 lakhs	1000
6.	1001 and above	1 Crore	2000

The above bank guarantee can be increased anytime during the license's validity.

DGMA Fee Schedule for RPSL Companies

The fresh application, renewal, inspection, and change-of-business-address fees are payable to DGMA in addition to the inspecting authority’s fees.

S. No	Particulars	Amount (₹)
1	Application for fresh license	300,000
2	Application for renewal submitted within 3 to 6 months prior to expiry of the current license	100,000
3	Application for renewal submitted after 3 months prior to expiry and until the expiry of the current license	150,000
4	Initial inspection	40,000
5	Annual inspection	40,000
6	Renewal inspection	40,000
7	Application for change of place of business	1,00,000
8	Application for change of name of Recruitment and Placement Service	1,00,000

It's worth checking the new RPSL rules.

FAQS

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Have questions about RPSL License?

We have got you covered:

What does SRPS stand for?

SRPS stands for Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Service(s).
Can we increase the recruitment capacity limit later during the license validity?

Yes, you can submit the additional bank guarantee to increase the seafarer's recruitment limit at any time during the validity of the license. A Recruitment and Placement Service (RPS) company must submit a bank guarantee that is proportionate to the number of jobs and is valid for the duration of the license. If the number of jobs increases, the company is required to provide additional bank guarantees.
Can an RPSL license be used to recruit Indian crew for foreign fishing vessels or trawlers?

No. An RPSL license should not be used to recruit and place Indian crew on foreign fishing vessels or trawlers. Fishing crew are treated as emigrant workers rather than seafarers for this purpose, and recruitment for such workers requires a valid Recruiting Agent (RA) License under the applicable emigration regulations. An RPSL license is primarily intended for the recruitment and placement of seafarers on merchant vessels. Therefore, companies planning to recruit Indian fishermen or fishing crew for foreign fishing vessels should obtain the appropriate RA License instead of relying on an RPSL License.
Which license is required to recruit Indian crew for pleasure yachts operating in foreign coastal waters or rivers?

If the crew going on seamen visa and going to be onboard less then 11 months on the vessel, then RPSL license is required, however if the crew will is goining on a work permit visa staying abroad for more than 11 months then they should be recruited via RA license who may work on land as well as on yachts.
What is the difference between RPSL and ITF in the shipping industry?

RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Services License) refers to crew manning or shipping companies registered with the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), Government of India. They are authorized to hire seafarers for merchant ships. On the other hand, ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) is an international organization, often referred to as the seafarers union, that represents the interests of seafarers worldwide. ITF's main objective is to protect the rights and promote the well-being of transport workers globally. Many shipping companies that operate in European or American ports have affiliations with ITF unions. In India, several RPSL companies are also registered with ITF, and these companies are commonly referred to as ITF companies. It's important to note that ITF-affiliated companies typically offer more competitive salaries and better working conditions compared to non-ITF RPSL companies.
What is the non-seafarers license?

If the company is in the business of recruiting repair technicians or maritime security guards on foreign-flagged vessels, then a non-seafarers license has to be obtained.
I already have an RPSL license, do I still need to obtain a non-seafarers license to place repair technicians on foreign flag vessels?

Yes, riding squids are not allowed to get placed by using the E-migrate system provided under the existing RPSL license; a separate non-seafarers license needs to be obtained for the same. It is also called E-migrate access approval."
What is the license requirement to recruit a hospitality crew or catering staff for cruise liners?

RPSL license is required to be obtained in order to place hospitality seafarers on cruise ships
How long does it take to obtain an RPSL license?

The entire RPSL license process typically takes 3 months, subject to many ifs and buts.
What is the RPSL License fee ?

An application fee of Rs. 3,00,000, along with an initial inspection fee of Rs. 40,000 payable to DGMA and an additional inspection authority fee of Rs. 20,000, is required to be paid at the time of applying for an RPSL licence.

Please note that the inspection authority fees may be higher for offices located in non-metro cities.
What is the required minimum validity of an office rent agreement for obtaining an RPSL license?

The office must have a registered lease or rent agreement with a minimum validity of 2 years.
What is Form 4 in RPSL?

Form 4 (earlier form 7) is an undertaking provided by ship owners to repatriate seafarers stranded anywhere as well as to provide reasonable maintenance and transport of the seafarer's mortal remains in case of death.
What is RPSL full form?

RPSL stands for recruitment and placement services license issued to seafarer recruitment companies in India by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), government of India.
What is RPSL number?

An RPSL Number is a unique alphanumeric license number issued by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) to registered crewing agencies authorized to recruit and place seafarers.

RPSL numbers may appear in different formats, such as RPSL-MUM-666666, RPSL-CHN-0000, or RPSL-KOL-000. Currently, newly issued RPSL licenses generally follow a six-digit numbering format, preceded by the respective jurisdiction code, such as RPSL-MUM, RPSL-KOL, or RPSL-CHN, example: RPSL- KOL-16XXXX.

Seafarers are strongly advised to verify the RPSL number and its current validity status before accepting a job offer or joining a vessel through any RPSL company. This helps ensure that the recruitment agency is properly licensed and authorized to undertake recruitment and placement activities.
What other certifications are required to start a crewing business in India?

Another mandatory requirement for manning agents is MLC certification. Most ship owners prefer to source crew from MLC-certified crewing agencies only.
Is it compulsory that a company director have a marine background in order to apply for an RPSL license?

No, having a marine background as a director is not necessary; however, you must have a technical person on your team to be eligible to apply for an RPSL license. To handle seafarer recruitment, you may appoint a chief engineer and captain to your recruitment team.
What is the validity of an RPSL license?

The validity of an RPSL license is for a period of five years.
What happens if a company operates without an RPSL license?

Operating without an RPSL license is a punishable offense under Indian law. The company may face penalties and legal consequences.
How can a company renew its RPSL license?

A company can renew its RPSL license by submitting an application to the Director General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) along with the necessary documents and fee as stated above. The application must be submitted at least 6 months before the expiry of the current license.
Can an RPSL license be transferred to another company?

No, an RPSL license is not transferable. If a company undergoes a change in ownership or management, it must seek approval from the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) to retain the RPSL license.

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