DGMA Makes Enhanced RPSL Module Live, e-Migrate Consent Coming Soon
India’s Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA, formerly DG Shipping), headquartered in Mumbai, has announced that its Enhanced Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) Module is now launched and working. The update came in an addendum to DGMA Circular No. 68 of 2026, issued on 30 October 2026.
Circular 68, issued earlier this month, set out the rollout of the new module and its linked digital services. The addendum confirms that the module now gives manning agencies a single integrated online platform for recruitment and placement work.
One part is still being finished. The “e-Migrate Consent for Joining Ship” facility for foreign-flag vessels is in its final stages and will go live shortly, with the start date to be announced separately on the DGMA website. Until then, shipping companies and RPS agencies must keep following the existing procedures, including opening the Articles of Agreement (Form I), until further instructions are issued.
Earlier in the week, DGMA also eased one rule in its order on preventing abandonment of Indian seafarers on foreign-flag ships. Under DGMA Order No. 26 of 2026, up to three authorised RPSL companies, instead of two, may now supply crew to one cargo vessel, and there is no limit for cruise and passenger ships. All other conditions of the earlier order, including the lists of restricted and blacklisted vessels, stay the same.
Both steps are part of DGMA’s wider move to digital, traceable crew placement. Indian seafarers joining foreign-flag ships can expect sign-on paperwork to shift online once the e-Migrate facility starts, and they should continue to join only through licensed RPSL agencies.
