Ghanaian, Nigerian and other West African seafarers joining ships registered in Liberia, Panama, the Bahamas, Belize, Palau, Honduras or St Kitts & Nevis need that flag’s seaman book. Your national administration doesn’t issue it. You can apply from Accra, Tema, Takoradi, Lagos, Port Harcourt or Dubai without travelling, because Seaman Books prepares and files the application remotely. For Panama, the Processing Certificate is issued in 3–5 business days and is valid for 90 days. The printed 5-year book follows in up to 25–30 days, or within 10 days on urgent processing.
Seaman Books is a documentation consultancy at #903 Regal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai, part of Atomiq Group and operating since 2011. We’re an authorised LISCR filing agent for the Liberian seaman book. We prepare, verify and file. The flag administration issues the book, and no agent can guarantee its decision.
Apply now · Free eligibility check · WhatsApp +971 55 458 3416
National seafarer documents or a flag-state seaman book?
They’re two different documents from two different authorities. Most West African seafarers on international ships hold both.
| Your national documents | Flag-state seaman book (CDC / SIRB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Ghana Maritime : Nigeria: NIMASA, which lists a biometric Seafarers Identity Document and CoC issuance on nimasa.gov.ng | The ship’s flag administration, e.g. LISCR for Liberia, or the Panama Maritime Authority |
| Who can hold it | Nationals of that country | Any nationality the flag accepts |
| Where you apply | Through your national administration, under its own rules | Anywhere. Filed on documents |
| Validity | Set nationally | 5 years for Panama; set by each administration |
| Used for | National-flag ships, national records, your CoC | Foreign-flag merchant, offshore and cruise ships |
| Can Seaman Books file it? | No | Yes |
If your manning agent asks for a Ghanaian or Nigerian national document, apply to your own administration. We’ll tell you that in our first reply rather than take the enquiry.
Which flag West African seafarers apply for
The ship sets the flag, not your nationality. If your contract or offer letter names the flag, apply for that one. If it doesn’t, ask the manning agent before you file, because a book for the wrong flag doesn’t transfer.
From Ghana, seafarers look up Liberia and the Bahamas most often. From Nigeria, Panama and first-book requirements. We file with all seven administrations below.
| Panama, standard | Panama, urgent | Liberia, Bahamas, Belize, Palau, Honduras, St Kitts & Nevis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document to join the ship | Processing Certificate, 3–5 business days | Processing Certificate, 3–5 business days | Quoted after eligibility check |
| Certificate validity | 90 days | 90 days | Set by the administration |
| Printed book | Up to 25–30 days | Within 10 days | Quoted after eligibility check |
| Book validity | 5 years | 5 years | Set by the administration |
| Fee | Standard | Higher, quoted on request | Quoted per application |
A note on Liberia. The Liberian seaman book is issued by the Liberian Registry, administered by LISCR, and applications are filed through authorised agents. Seaman Books is one, so Ghanaian and Nigerian seafarers don’t need to travel to Liberia for it.
Flag guides: Liberia · Panama · Bahamas · Belize · St Kitts & Nevis · Flag states compared
Officers: endorsing a Ghanaian or Nigerian CoC for a foreign flag
Your national Certificate of Competency stays valid. A foreign-flag ship can only carry you in that rank once its flag has endorsed your CoC under STCW Regulation I/10. The flag issues the endorsement after checking the issuing country’s training and certification system.
Note: confirm Ghana and Nigeria on the IMO list of Parties giving full and complete effect to STCW (MSC.1/Circ.1163, current revision), and whether each of the seven flags lists them as recognized. Until then, don’t state that any flag accepts Ghanaian or Nigerian CoCs.
Nigerian officers can check their own CoC on NIMASA’s certificate verification portal. That’s worth doing before an endorsement, because the flag will check it too. See flag-state endorsement.
Documents to send for the free check
The exact list depends on the flag and your rank. This is what we check first.
| Document | What we check |
|---|---|
| Passport | Validity, and the name exactly as printed |
| STCW Basic Training (plus rank-specific certificates) | In date, from an approved institution, same name as the passport |
| CoC (officers) | For endorsement files |
| Seafarer medical certificate | From an examiner the flag recognizes Note : Liberia- and Panama-recognized examiners in Ghana and Nigeria. Note: a Ghanaian or Nigerian medical isn’t an ENG1 equivalent for UK-flag ships |
| Photograph and signature | To the flag’s specification |
| Sea-service record | If you’ve served before |
Scans are enough to start.
The name-order check. West African documents often record names in different orders or with a middle name dropped, for example Kwame Mensah Owusu on the passport and Owusu Kwame on the STCW certificate, or a married name on one document only. The administration can return the file for that. The passport governs. Get a correction or a letter from the issuer before we file. More on this: seaman book correction.
Applying from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or the wider GCC
Many Ghanaian and Nigerian seafarers live and sign on in the Gulf, especially offshore. For a flag-state book you don’t need to fly home. We prepare the file by email and WhatsApp from Business Bay, and the Panama Processing Certificate is issued digitally. Accra is four hours behind Dubai and Lagos is three, so the working days overlap.
Your national documents are different. Renewing them goes through your own administration. Start at least six months before expiry. For seafarer transit and joining visas, see Maritime Visas .
What it costs
| Government fee | Set by each flag. Example: the Bahamas Maritime Authority charges USD 60 (about AED 220) for a Seafarers’ Record Book from 1 April 2026 |
| Our service fee from | WhatsApp for Details Service cost may Vary by different factors and locatiojn |
| Exact figure | Given after the free eligibility check, before anything is filed |
| Quote shows | Government fee and service fee as separate lines |
| Not included | Training, medical, national fees, travel |
STCW training for West African seafarers
Do STCW Basic Safety Training (PST, FPFF, EFA, PSSR) at an institution your administration approves, close to home. . The flag checks that the certificate is in date, issued by an approved institution, and in your passport name. If you’re in the UAE, we can arrange training with an accredited center there. See STCW certifications.
How to check a seaman book is genuine
“Seaman book in 24 hours, no documents” offers turn up in every crewing market. A false book is found at the first port state inspection, and the consequences fall on the seafarer.
- Verify with the administration, not the agent. See how to verify a seaman book online.
- Nobody can guarantee approval. The flag decides.
- Know a certificate from a book. A Panama Processing Certificate in 3–5 business days is real. A printed Panama book in 24 hours isn’t.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Ghanaian seafarer get a foreign seaman book without travelling?
Yes. Seaman Books files the flag-state application remotely from scanned documents. Panama’s Processing Certificate is issued digitally in 3–5 business days and lets you join a Panama-registered ship while the printed book is made. Your Ghanaian national documents follow Ghana’s own process.
Do I have to go to Liberia to get a Liberian seaman book?
No. The Liberian seaman book is issued by the Liberian Registry, administered by LISCR, and applications are filed through authorised agents. Seaman Books is an authorised LISCR filing agent, so you can apply from Ghana, Nigeria or the UAE.
Is a flag-state seaman book legal for Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals?
Yes, when the flag administration itself issues it. Flags such as Liberia and Panama issue books to seafarers of many nationalities serving on their ships. It sits alongside your national documents and doesn’t replace them. Check any book with the issuing administration.
Which flag should I choose?
The flag of the ship you’re joining, which your contract or offer letter should name. If it doesn’t, ask the manning agent before filing, because each flag’s book is separate. Liberia and Panama are the flags West African searchers look up most.
How long does a Panama seaman book take?
The Processing Certificate takes 3 to 5 business days and is valid for 90 days. The printed 5-year book takes up to 25 to 30 days, or within 10 days on urgent processing at a higher fee. Timings start from a complete, verified file.
Can Seaman Books issue my seaman book or my NIMASA documents?
No. Flag administrations issue seaman books, and NIMASA and Ghana’s maritime authority issue national documents. Seaman Books prepares, verifies and files flag-state applications and coordinates with the administration. We don’t file national applications.
Start with the free eligibility check
Send your passport, certificates and joining date. You’ll get a written answer on which flag fits, and an itemised quote before anything is filed.
Apply now · WhatsApp: +971 55 458 3416 · dubai@seamanbooks.com Our office (Dubai): #903 Regal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE · 09:30–18:00 Dubai time (UTC+4).
Also for other nationalities: UK seafarers · Egyptian seafarers · Indian seafarers
