Visa requirements for crew members

Visa requirements for crew members are administrative entry restrictions imposed by the countries for the pilot or a member of the crew during a transit. The crew visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a country for a short duration and perform the predefined duties in the given areas, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. Validity of transit visas for crew members is usually limited by short terms such as several hours to 10 days depending on the size of the country and the circumstances. The visa policy for crew members is set by the country and applies to during the transit or to join the vessel. It is illegal for the crew members to perform repairs or similar work without work permits in port, or traveling in the waters. By law, only a few countries that offer a visa waiver program or do not issue a crew visa, but allow their entry for a limited time with mandatory clearance documents. Most of the countries permit crew members to travel within the Common Travel Area by carrying a passport or a national identity card.

Overview

A crew visa application in advance of arrival gives non-citizens clearance to enter a country and to remain there within specified constraints and region without a prohibition against employment. They are required to enter into or exit from the country with the aircraft (train and ship) they work for. Many countries require crew to obtain relevant crew visas and they often carry a second passport that allows one to be submitted for visas while other passport as a backup ready in case of a short-notice trip. The flight crew can obtain visas directly from an embassy however, it take longer, the companies have a 3rd-party provider and applies for multi-entry visas whenever possible. Pilots, seamen, air hostesses, flight attendants, stewards, or employees on board a ship whose services is required for normal operation.

Visa requirements

Country	Visa requirement	Notes
Australia	Visa required	Australia offers a Transit visa, Subclass 771 that crew member and their dependents transit through the country for 72 hours.[1] The crew members are also required to produce a police certificate from each country they have lived in for 12 months or more during the last 10 years after turning to 16 years of age.[2]
Brazil	Visa not required[3]	A transit visa is not required through Rio de Janeiro Galeao International or Sao Paulo Guarulhos. The crew member must carry a valid passport with a validity of at least 6 months with 2 blank visa pages and all necessary documents for the next destination.[4]
Canada	Visa required	As of March 2016, Canada offers free visa policy to the crew members from United States with valid travel documents, be in good health, enough money for stay and must have no criminal or immigration-related convictions.[5] The crew members from eTA-required countries will need an eTA, the authorization is electronically linked to the passport and is valid for five years or until the expiry of passport whichever is earlier. The crew members from other countries are required to apply for visa either as tourist for transit or as a business visitor and need to carry travel and identification documents.[6]
China	Visa required	A crew member serving onboard in the China needs a crew visa, C Visa.[7] The visa is issued to foreign crew members and their family members, engaged in cross-border transport activities and they are required must enter into or exit from China with the aircraft (train and ship) he works for. They are required to fill une visa application form V.2013 per person, along with actual passport, photograph, introduction letter from the employer on the business letterhead, copy of employee ID and other relevant documents. Five years multiple-entry visa is only issued to US passport holder. The multiple entry visa is valid for a period of 2 years.[8]
France	Visa required	Visa on arrival if holding a valid visa or permanent resident card for the US or Canada. France has free visa policy for all countries except Albania, Mongolia, Belize, Samoa, Bhutan, St Kitts & Nevis, Dominica, Tuvalu, Hong Kong, Israel and United States of America. The crew members from these countries require a circulation visa valid for one year and American and Israeli crew members visa is valid for five years with respect to reciprocity. During the time of application, the passport validity must exceed by at least 3 months.[9]
Germany	Visa required	The crew member who has Schengen visa is free to transit from Germany. The German Embassy can receive visa applications from accredited shipping agencies and airlines, where crew member need has to establish his identity as a traveler and declare the purpose of his visit.[10]
India	Visa required[11]	The Embassy of India does not issue a crew visa directly, however it is issued by Indian missions and posts. Pilots and crew members are required to needing prior clearance from authorities in India which includes, landing permit issued by the DGCA, ICAO issued by the FAA, Certificate of Incorporation of the airline or cargo operator, Letter of Invitation, business letter and address proof.[12] A landing permit facility, up to a maximum of 72 hours, can be given to a foreigner who enters India by Air or Sea, without a valid visa, under emergent condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.[13]
Indonesia	Visa not required	Passport holders from Visa free countries who wish to enter Indonesia for the transit can do so without visa through all air, sea or land crossing points.
Japan	Visa required	The crew members are required to present a business letter from their company mentioning purpose of the trip, a financial guarantee statement, specify applicant's position, annual salary and employment term. A letter of invitation from the Japan’s company office is also required to visit in Japan.[14]
Sri Lanka	Visa not required	Crew members of flights & ships do not require a visa in Sri Lanka. It offers free visa policy to the crew members for all countries.[15]
United States	Visa required[16]	A crew member serving onboard in the United States needs a crew visa C-1, D, C1/D or a modified B-1 visa. To apply for a crew visa, the crew members must demonstrate purpose of your trip is solely for transit or crew purposes, not to be paid by a U.S. source, stay for a limited period of time and evidence of funds to cover all expenses during the stay.[17]
United Kingdom	Visa required[18]	UK Visas and Immigration department offers CRM01 for seafarers and CRM02 for Aircrew. The immigration act 1971 cover seafarers under Section 8(1) and aircrew under Section 33(1).[19] The aircrew members must have a valid passport, authorized crew member certificate or a pilot’s licence.[20] The security guards, trainee crew members and loadmasters in the country are not considered as operating crew and they need applicable visa to work as a crew.[21] EEA nationals coming on a short term visit are not subject to restrictions, they need only either a National Identity Card or a passport.
Vietnam	Visa not required	The Embassy of Vietnam also does not issue a crew visa, the crew member needs to provide a letter on the company letterhead describing the purpose of their trip, dates of entry and exit and providing a financial guarantee, signed by a company representative.[22] Vietnam has visa exemptions policy for the flight crew members of 12 countries including United States, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Japan, Australia, Russia, Hong Kong, South Korea, France, Kazakhstan, Poland and Luxembourg.[23] The Visa exemption policy for flight crew members was first put into force in 2002.

Passport validity

Many countries require passport validity of no less than 6 months at the time of visa application with a minimum of one or two blank pages.^[24][25]

References