DGMA Raises RPSL Limit to Three per Ship, Exempts Cruise Ships
India’s Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) in Mumbai has eased one of the rules it brought in earlier this year to stop the abandonment of Indian seafarers on foreign-flag ships. DGMA Order No. 26 of 2026, dated 26 October and addressed to all RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Services Licence) companies and all Indian seafarers, is an addendum to DGMA Order No. 08 of 2026.
Order 08, issued on 14 May, listed 278 vessels as “Restricted” and 88 as “Blacklisted” for breaking national rules and Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 obligations. One of its conditions was that seafarers on any one ship could be supplied by a maximum of two authorised RPSL companies.
Many RPSL agencies asked for relief from this cap. The Directorate accepted that cruise ships were hit hardest, because they need a wide range of staff that no single agency can supply, and noted that there have been very few abandonment cases on cruise and passenger ships. Under the new order:
- up to three authorised RPSL companies may engage seafarers on any vessel other than cruise or passenger ships;
- there is no limit on the number of RPSL companies for cruise and passenger ships; and
- both rules apply to Indian-flag and foreign-flag vessels.
All other conditions of Order 08 stay unchanged. These include the bar on recruiting for restricted or blacklisted ships, the check of each ship’s IMO number against the ILO/IMO abandonment database, and the requirement for valid registry, financial security and MLC documents. RPSL companies that break these rules can still lose their licence.
The change should make it easier for Indian seafarers, especially hotel and service staff, to find jobs on cruise ships through approved agencies. Seafarers should still join only through DGMA-approved RPSL agencies and check that their ship is not on the restricted or blacklisted lists.
