Getting a joining offer can be exciting, especially for freshers and seafarers waiting for their next ship. However, excitement should never make you trust an unknown recruiter, pay money quickly or share important documents without checking the company.
Before accepting any Merchant Navy job, verify the recruiter’s RPSL licence. This simple check can protect your money, passport, CDC, certificates and future career. A genuine job should follow a clear and legal recruitment process.
RPSL means Recruitment and Placement Services Licence. It is issued to companies that recruit and place Indian seafarers on Indian or foreign ships. A company cannot legally carry out this work in India without the required registration and licence.
Licensed agencies must follow the Merchant Shipping Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers Rules. These rules place responsibilities on agencies and provide a more accountable recruitment system for Indian seafarers.
RPSL verification helps you check whether the recruiter is officially allowed to place Indian seafarers. It also helps you confirm whether the licence is valid, expired, suspended, cancelled or withdrawn.
DG Shipping maintains an official list showing valid, invalid and temporarily suspended RPSL agencies. Seafarers should check this list before accepting a job, paying money or handing over important documents.
Fake agents often target freshers, unemployed seafarers and people waiting for urgent joining. They may promise a high salary, immediate joining, no interview, easy visa or guaranteed placement after receiving payment.
Some fraudsters create professional-looking job posters, offer letters, email addresses and social media pages. These things may look genuine, but they are not proof. A confident phone call or attractive WhatsApp message does not make an agency legal.
An unlicensed agent may take money and disappear without providing a job. Your passport, CDC, certificates and personal details may also be misused or kept as pressure to demand more payment.
You may receive a fake joining letter, travel to the wrong place or reach a foreign port without proper support. When recruitment happens outside an authorised system, getting help and fixing the problem may become more difficult.
A seafarer should be extremely careful when someone asks for money only to provide, reserve or guarantee a ship job. Phrases such as “pay now for urgent joining” or “send registration fees to block your seat” are serious warning signs.
Some genuine career expenses, such as approved courses, medical examinations or documents, may have proper charges. However, every payment should have a clear purpose, an official receipt and a verified service provider. Never transfer money only because a recruiter is creating pressure.
Visit the official DG Shipping or DGMA RPSL section and open the list of valid, invalid or temporarily suspended agencies. Search using the exact company name or the complete RPSL number given by the recruiter.
Do not verify the company using only a screenshot sent on WhatsApp. Open the official list yourself. The official RPSL page explains that licensed agencies must follow the applicable recruitment rules and responsibilities.
Check the exact company name, complete RPSL number, office address, contact information, licence validity and current status. All these details should match what the recruiter has provided.
Also check whether the licence is marked valid, expired, suspended, withdrawn or cancelled. A company may have received a licence earlier but may no longer be authorised to recruit new seafarers because its current status has changed.
Fraudsters may use a name that looks similar to a genuine shipping or recruitment company. They may change one letter, add another word or create a fake branch name to confuse job seekers.
Compare the full legal company name shown in the official list with the offer letter, email address and office details. A similar name is not enough. If anything does not match, stop the process and ask for written clarification.
A company with an expired licence should not be treated as an active authorised recruitment agency. Seafarers should not assume that an old RPSL certificate is still valid simply because the company was licensed earlier.
DG Shipping issues suspension and withdrawal orders against agencies when required. Such orders may also state that the agency remains responsible for seafarers it recruited earlier, even when its present recruitment authority is restricted.
Do not casually hand over your original passport, CDC, certificates or other career documents to an unknown person. First verify the company, job offer, office and official communication details.
Where original documents are genuinely needed for a process, ask why they are required and obtain a proper receipt. Keep scanned copies safely. Never allow an unverified agent to keep your documents without clear written proof and a return date.
Be careful when the offer promises an unusually high salary, immediate joining without proper selection or a job that does not match your rank and experience. Pressure to pay on the same day is another major warning sign.
Check whether the offer clearly mentions the company, vessel, rank, wages, contract period, joining port and contact person. Verify the sender’s email domain and call the company through contact details found independently, not only through the number provided in the message.
A proper contract should clearly mention your name, rank, vessel or employer details, salary, contract period, overtime, leave, joining information and return travel conditions. Do not sign a blank or incomplete document.
Read every page before accepting the job. If the salary, vessel or company details are different from what was promised, ask for correction in writing. Verbal promises are difficult to prove after joining the ship.
Do not pay immediately. Ask the recruiter to explain the payment purpose in writing and provide the company’s legal details, official bank account and proper invoice or receipt.
Verify the RPSL status and contact the company through its independently confirmed office details. Never send money to a personal bank account or unknown UPI number for a guaranteed ship job. Save all messages, payment requests and account details as evidence.
If you believe a recruiter is cheating seafarers, collect all available proof. Keep screenshots, job posters, offer letters, phone numbers, email addresses, payment requests, bank details and receipts.
Raise the matter through the proper DG Shipping grievance or complaint channel. Clearly explain what happened, when the recruiter contacted you and whether any money or documents were taken. A complaint with complete proof is stronger than a general accusation.
Never accept a Merchant Navy job only because the offer looks urgent or attractive. Verify the exact company name, RPSL number, validity and current licence status through the official portal. Protect your original documents and never pay for a guaranteed joining without proper verification.
You can also use the Sailor Pro App to organise your maritime documents, receive certificate expiry reminders and stay updated with important seafarer information. A two-minute RPSL check before accepting a job can protect your money, documents and career.
RPSL is the Recruitment and Placement Services Licence issued to agencies authorised to recruit and place Indian seafarers on ships.
Check the exact company name and RPSL number on the official DG Shipping or DGMA list of valid, invalid and temporarily suspended agencies.
Be extremely careful when an agent asks for money only to guarantee or confirm a job. Genuine expenses should have a clear purpose and proper receipt.
An expired licence should not be treated as active. Check the company’s latest status on the official RPSL list before proceeding.
Do not give original documents to an unknown or unverified recruiter. Where submission is genuinely required, take a proper receipt.
Common warning signs include guaranteed joining, urgent payment demands, personal bank accounts, vague vessel details and incomplete contracts.
The official DGMA website provides a list of valid, invalid and temporarily suspended RPSL agencies.
Collect all proof and file a clear complaint through the appropriate DG Shipping grievance channel. Include messages, offer letters, payment details and recruiter information.
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