A lost or stolen seaman book replacement service can only be replace by the flag-state administration that issued it. Your home country, the port you are in and any agency cannot do it. Notify that administration straight away and apply for a replacement, with a sworn statement explaining the loss and whatever copy of the old book you have. Of the seven flags Seaman Books files with, Liberia publishes the most detailed lost-book rule: an affidavit, a USD 50 fee (about AED 184), and the same expiry date as the original book.
Joining date at risk? WhatsApp the replacement desk: +971 55 458 3416. Send the flag, your book number if you have it, and your joining date.
What to do in the first 24 hours
Loss is a documentation problem with a documentation fix. Order matters, because each step produces evidence the next one needs.
- Identify the issuing flag and book number. Check your scans, phone photos, the crew list, your manning agent’s file or the email that came with the book. Without the flag, nobody can start a replacement.
- Report it where it happened. Get a police report or loss report from local police, the port authority or airport police. No flag below publishes this as a requirement for the book. Most people still need it, because it supports the sworn statement, and you need it anyway if your passport went too.
- Notify the issuing administration. Liberia says notice “should be given immediately” to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The Bahamas Maritime Authority says it “should immediately be notified of any SRB that is reported as being lost or destroyed.”
- Tell your company or manning agent the same day. For a Bahamas book, the owner or company is the applicant. For Liberia, the application goes through an agent’s Seafarer Portal.
- Swear a statement. Liberia requires “an affidavit stating the details surrounding the need to replace the book.” Prepare one whatever the flag. It is the core of every replacement file.
- Apply for the replacement. Do not apply for a new book instead. That opens a second record and can conflict with the first.
- Rebuild your sea-service evidence while the application runs (see below).
What each flag publishes about lost or stolen books
The table below covers what each administration publishes, checked on 7 October 2026. Where a flag publishes nothing, we confirm its requirements for each application rather than guess.
| Flag | Administration | Lost/stolen procedure published? | What it asks for | Published fee / time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberia | Liberian Registry (LISCR) | Yes. RLM-118, Rev. 04/2026, §4.5 | Affidavit; old book number “if known” and the reason; copy of page 2 of the book where held | USD 50 for “an original, renewal, or replacement” book. Time not published |
| Bahamas | Bahamas Maritime Authority | Yes, notification. Bulletin 107 | Name, date of birth, nationality, book number if known; copy of a valid medical; fee. Owner or company applies | Processing “within fourteen (14) working days”. Replacement fee: |
| Panama | Autoridad Marítima de Panamá | Not for the book. AMP’s duplicate requirements cover STCW titles only | For a lost title: a letter giving the reason and a police report (denuncia) | Confirmed per application |
| Palau | Palau International Ship Registry | No | Not published | Confirmed per application |
| Belize | IMMARBE | No | Not published | Confirmed per application |
| Honduras | Dirección General de la Marina Mercante | No | Not published | Confirmed per application |
| St Kitts & Nevis | St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry | “Replacement” listed; loss case not described | Form A15, passport, 2 photos, medical, training certificates, payment proof | Confirmed per application |
Liberia: the replacement keeps the original expiry date. Any Special Qualification Certificates are reissued with it. A book the Registry posted that never arrived is replaced “at no additional charge”.
Bahamas: under Bulletin 107 §3.9, a Bahamas record book “is not mandatory to serve on board a Bahamian ship”. Your company may still require one.
St Kitts & Nevis: Marine Circular 146/25 makes the CDC mandatory for “ALL crew members” on St Kitts & Nevis ships, so a lost book there is urgent.
For flag-by-flag fees and validity, see our comparison of all seven flag states.
Documents to prepare for a Seaman book replacement file
Exact lists differ by flag. This set covers every requirement published above, so the file does not go back and forth:
- Passport, valid, with a clear copy of the data page
- Sworn statement or affidavit describing when, where and how the book was lost, stolen or destroyed
- Police or loss report, where you have one
- Copy or scan of the old book, at least the identity page (Liberia asks for page 2)
- Book number and flag, if known
- Current medical fitness certificate (the Bahamas asks for a copy)
- Passport photographs to the administration’s specification
- STCW certificates and any CoC endorsements linked to the book
- Sea-service evidence: discharge certificates, company sea-service letters, contracts.
Seaman book Replacement, renewal or a new book?
| Situation | Route | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Book lost, stolen or destroyed | Replacement | Keeps one record. Liberia keeps the original expiry |
| Book damaged, illegible or full | Replacement, with the damaged book surrendered where held | Liberia: apply “immediately” |
| Book expiring or expired, still in hand | Renewal | Different documents and route |
| Joining a ship under a different flag | New application to that flag | Your existing book stays valid for its own flag |
Applying for a new book when you need a replacement is a common and costly mistake. See the application mistakes that get files rejected.
Will I lose my recorded sea service?
The record held by the administration does not disappear with the paper book. ILO Convention 185 obliges ratifying states to keep an electronic record of every seafarers’ identity document they issue, including those “lost, voided or spoiled”. C185 covers the identity document, not the record book, and none of the seven flags publishes how past sea-service entries carry over to a replacement book.
In practice, protect yourself by collecting company sea-service letters and discharge certificates for every contract on the lost book. You will need them for your next CoC revalidation or upgrade whatever happens to the book. If you kept a scan of every page, this step takes an afternoon. If you did not, start with your most recent employer.
Lost it while in the UAE or GCC
A flag-state book is replaced by the flag, not by UAE or GCC authorities. A loss in Dubai, Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Dammam or Muscat follows the same route as anywhere else. Two local points:
- Report to the police where it happened and keep the report reference. If your passport was lost with the book, contact your own embassy or consulate for the passport. That is a separate process and nobody else can run it.
- You do not need to visit our Business Bay office. Scans go by email or WhatsApp. The replacement book is couriered to you anywhere in the UAE, or to the vessel’s agent at the next port.
If you hold a national document (an Indian CDC, a Philippine SIRB, a UAE seafarer’s book), its replacement runs through that national authority, and Seaman Books cannot file it. See Indian CDC vs foreign seaman book if you are unsure which you hold.
How long does Seaman replacement take, and what does it cost?
Time. The Bahamas publishes 14 working days. No other administration in the table publishes a time. The clock starts when the administration accepts a complete file, so the affidavit and sea-service evidence are what set your timeline.
For eligible Seaman Book or CDC replacement cases handled through SeamanBooks.com in Dubai, our stated service turnaround is 10–20 working days, subject to complete and accurate documentation and the processing requirements of the relevant flag-state authority.
The 10–20 working-day period should be treated as the standard service turnaround, not a guarantee of the flag authority’s final issuance date. Additional time may be required if the issuing authority requests further verification, supporting documents, an affidavit or police report, or if international courier delivery is involved.
Before submission, our documentation team checks the available records and supporting documents to help reduce avoidable delays and application errors.
Important: Actual processing can vary by flag state, case circumstances, document completeness, and authority processing times.
Cost. The total is the administration’s fee plus our service fee. Liberia’s published replacement fee is USD 50 (about AED 184). We confirm other flags’ fees at the quote stage and itemise them separately from our fee before you pay anything.
What Seaman Books does, and does not do
Seaman Books does not issue seaman’s books. Only the flag administration can. We work out which flag issued your book, build the replacement file (affidavit, copies, sea-service evidence) to that administration’s current requirements, file it through the authorised route and track it to delivery. Atomiq Management Consultancies EST. has handled seafarer documentation from Business Bay, Dubai since 2011 and is ISO 9001:2015 certified.
When the replacement arrives, verify it with the issuing administration without going through us.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first if my seaman book is lost or stolen?
Find out which flag issued it and the book number, then get a police or loss report where it happened. Notify the issuing administration and your company the same day. Then prepare a sworn statement describing the loss. Liberia requires one, and it is the core of every replacement file.
Do I need a police report to replace a lost seaman book?
None of the seven administrations publishes a police report as a requirement for the record book. Liberia requires an affidavit instead. Panama requires a police report for lost STCW titles. A police report is still worth getting, because it supports your sworn statement and you need one if your passport was lost too.
How much does it cost to replace a lost seaman book?
Liberia publishes USD 50 (about AED 184) for a replacement book. The other six administrations do not publish a separate replacement fee, so it is confirmed for each application. Your total is the administration’s fee plus a service fee, and both should be itemised separately before you pay.
How long does a seaman book replacement take?
The Bahamas Maritime Authority publishes 14 working days. The other administrations do not publish a figure. Time runs from a complete file, so a ready affidavit, a copy of the old book and sea-service evidence are what shorten it. A pending joining date should be raised at the start.
Will the replacement book have the same expiry date?
For Liberia, yes. A replacement for a stolen, lost or destroyed book is issued “with the same date of expiry as the original”, and Special Qualification Certificates are reissued with it. Other flags do not publish their rule, so confirm it for your flag when you apply.
Can I replace my seaman book while I am abroad?
Yes. The replacement is handled by the flag administration, not by the country you are in, so you can apply from anywhere. Liberia takes applications through an agent’s Seafarer Portal. A Bahamas application is made by the owner or company. The book is couriered to you or to the ship’s agent.
Is a replacement the same as a renewal?
No. A replacement reissues a book that is lost, stolen, damaged or full. A renewal reissues a book you still hold that is expiring or has expired. They use different documents. Applying for a new book instead of a replacement opens a second record, which can cause problems at the next verification.
Can Seaman Books issue a replacement seaman book?
No. Only the flag-state administration that issued your book can issue its replacement. Seaman Books prepares the replacement file to that administration’s requirements, files it through the authorised route and tracks it. You can then verify the new book directly with the administration.
Lost your book? Start the replacement today
Send the flag, your book number if you have it, and your joining date. You will get a free check of what your flag needs, an itemised quote, and a realistic date, before you commit.
WhatsApp +971 55 458 3416 · Call +971 52 943 5973 · dubai@seamanbooks.com #903 Regal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai · 09:30–18:00
Sources: Liberian Registry RLM-118 Rev. 04/2026 §4.5, RLM-280 Rev. 04/26 §2.3 and RLM-273/279 Annex 3; Bahamas Maritime Authority Bulletin 107 Rev. 04; Autoridad Marítima de Panamá “Requisitos para Duplicados” (21 Sep 2022); SKANReg Marine Circular 146/25; ILO Convention 185, Art. 4 and Annex III (NORMLEX). Checked 7 October 2026.
