Bahamas Seaman Book Application: Documents, Fees and Timeline
If you are joining a Bahamas-flag vessel, the Bahamas seaman book application is the paperwork that stands between you and your join date. The document — officially the Seafarer Identification and Record Book (SIRB) — is issued by the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) and is the record your future STCW applications will be built on. Get the file right the first time and the BMA turns it around in about three working weeks. Get one photograph or one medical certificate wrong and you are back at the start of the queue.
This guide sets out exactly what the BMA requires in 2026: the document checklist, the current fee schedule, realistic processing times, and the one eligibility rule that catches most seafarers by surprise.
What is a Bahamas seaman book?
A Bahamas seaman book is the Seafarer Identification and Record Book (SIRB) issued by the Bahamas Maritime Authority. It does two jobs: it identifies you as a seafarer so you can travel to your assigned vessel when presented alongside a valid passport, and it is the primary record of your sea service used to support future STCW certificate applications. Bahamas-issued SIRBs are valid for 10 years.
Seafarers and crewing managers often call it the “Bahamas CDC” — Continuous Discharge Certificate — after the equivalent document in other registries. The BMA does not use that name, but if you are searching Bahamas CDC apply, the SIRB is the document you are looking for.
Who can apply for a Bahamas seaman book?
This is the rule that derails most applications, so it comes before the checklist.
The BMA states that applications are accepted only from companies actively engaged in employing, recruiting, or selecting personnel for Bahamian ships. A non-Bahamian seafarer cannot walk up to the BMA and open a personal application — the submission goes through BORIS, the Bahamas Online Registration Information System, under an employing or recruiting company that has accepted responsibility for your assignment.
Two routes exist:
- Non-Bahamian seafarers — applications are submitted electronically through BORIS by the employing or recruiting company.
- Bahamian nationals — may submit paper applications directly to the BMA’s Nassau office.
If you have a confirmed contract, your manning agent or owner handles this. If you are between contracts and want the book in hand before you sign, you need a company or an authorised documentation partner to submit on your behalf. That is the single most common reason an application stalls before it ever reaches the BMA.
Documents required for a Bahamas seaman book application
Every item below is required by the BMA. Missing or low-quality attachments are the leading cause of rejection, not eligibility problems.
Document | Specification | Notes |
National passport | Clear copy of a valid national passport | The BMA states explicitly that a seaman record book is not an acceptable form of ID for application purposes |
Seafarer medical certificate | Clear copy of a valid seafarer medical certificate of fitness | Must be in date on the submission date, not the join date |
Application form | Duly completed, signed by the seafarer and, where applicable, the Company | Unsigned forms are returned |
Photograph (online/BORIS) | Scanned passport-size colour photograph, JPEG, minimum 75 dpi | Plain background, full face, no headwear unless religious |
Photograph (postal) | Two original identical passport-size colour photographs | Only for paper applications via Nassau |
Photograph (digital SIRB) | Colour, taken within the last 6 months, JPEG, 150+ dpi, maximum 2.0 MB | Stricter than the physical-book spec — see the DSIRB section |
Signature scan (digital SIRB) | Signature on a white background, JPEG, 150+ dpi, maximum 2.0 MB | Required only for the digital version |
Practical tip: scan at the DSIRB standard (150 dpi, under 2 MB, photo taken within six months) even if you are only applying for the physical book. One file set then satisfies both specifications, and you can add the digital version later without re-shooting.
Bahamas seaman book fees in 2026
The BMA publishes its charges in Marine Notice MN050. The seafarer-document lines relevant to a seaman book application are:
Service | Fee |
Seaman’s Record Book / SIRB (physical) | $60 per issuance |
Digital Seaman’s Record Book (DSIRB) | $50 per issuance |
Combined SIRB + DSIRB | $90 |
Seafarer certificate or endorsement (initial) | $150 |
Seafarer certificate or endorsement (renewal) | $150 |
Certificate of Discharge validation | $73 per validation |
Certificate of Discharge fast track | $300 |
Note: Bahamas Seaman Book Application Cost and Fees are changed time to time please verify before apply (BMA Application Fee 2026 June)
Fees in MN050 are stated in Bahamian dollars, which are pegged one-to-one with the US dollar. The BMA also accepts payment in US dollars, pounds sterling and euro.
Two things to budget for beyond the BMA fee: the fast-track surcharge if your join date is tight, and courier costs for the physical book, which the BMA does not include in the issuance fee. Note also that no refund is offered once the record book has been issued — an error you catch late is a re-application, not a credit.
If you have seen euro prices quoted for discharge validation: older BMA guidance (Information Notice IN032, September 2025) set out euro-denominated tiers. The current fee schedule, MN050 v3.2 of June 2026, prices the service in Bahamian dollars at $73 per validation with a $300 fast-track fee. Work from MN050 — it is the fee schedule of record.
How long does a Bahamas seaman book take?
Service level | Processing time |
Standard | 15 working days from receipt of the application |
Fast track | 2 business days, for an additional fee |
Fifteen working days is roughly three calendar weeks — and the clock starts when the BMA receives a complete application, not when you send documents to your agent. Build in a buffer for company review and for any document you need to renew first (a medical certificate expiring inside 90 days is worth refreshing before you file, not after).
One deadline that is easy to miss: correction requests must reach the BMA within six weeks of the document’s issue date. Check every field — name spelling, date of birth, passport number — the day your book arrives.
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How to apply for a Bahamas seaman book: step by step
- Confirm your sponsoring company. Identify the employing or recruiting company that will submit through BORIS, or engage a documentation partner authorised to act as the submitting company.
- Assemble and quality-check the file. Passport copy, valid seafarer medical certificate, signed application form, and photograph (plus signature scan if you want the digital version) at the specifications in the table above.
- Choose your format. Physical SIRB, digital only, or combined — selected inside BORIS at the point of application.
- Submit through BORIS. Non-Bahamian applications are filed electronically at the BORIS public portal; Bahamian nationals may file on paper at the Nassau office.
- Pay the BMA fee. Standard issuance, or add the fast-track surcharge if your join date falls inside three weeks.
- Track and receive. Expect 15 working days for standard processing, or 2 business days on fast track. Arrange courier for the physical book.
- Verify on arrival. Check every printed field immediately — corrections must be requested within six weeks of issue.
Digital SIRB (DSIRB): worth adding?
The BMA now issues a digital SIRB — a secure electronic equivalent of the paper book, where entries are created, stored and verified electronically using digital forms and digital certificates.
What it does not do is retire your paper book. The BMA is explicit that existing physical SIRBs remain valid and that seafarers are not required to replace a physical SIRB with a digital version.
How sea service works on the digital version: an approved digital service provider facilitates the creation and approval of records through a mobile app or web platform, and each entry must be digitally approved by the ship’s master or the company. You select your approved provider during the BORIS application.
When the combined option earns its $30 premium: if you rotate between owners, expect to file STCW applications in the next few years, or have ever lost a physical book, the digital record is a durable backup of the sea service that your certificates depend on. If you are on a single long-term contract with one owner and have a stable paper trail, the $60 physical book alone is defensible. Photo and signature specifications are stricter for the digital version, so decide before you shoot the photograph rather than after.
Certificate of Discharge validation is a separate service
Crewing teams routinely confuse this with the seaman book itself. It is not the same application.
Validation of discharge certificates is how sea time served on Bahamas-registered vessels is formally verified — a separate BMA service, separately priced, on its own timetable. It requires a high-definition professional-quality scan of the discharge certificate and of your passport, both as PDFs, plus a full return address and telephone number.
On the current fee schedule the charge is $73 per validation, with a $300 fast-track fee if you need it expedited. The timetable, set out in IN032, is what matters most for planning: standard processing runs up to 30 business days — about six weeks — from the date the invoice is paid (documents may come back sooner), while the fast track completes in five business days. A London in-office option also exists for applicants who can attend in person.
The planning point: if you need validated sea time for an STCW application, start it well before your seaman book expires. Six weeks of validation on top of a book renewal is a two-month runway.
Why Bahamas seaman book applications get delayed
- No sponsoring company. The most common blocker — the BMA accepts applications only from companies engaged in employing, recruiting or selecting crew for Bahamian ships.
- Medical certificate expiring mid-process. Validity is checked at submission; a certificate with weeks left invites a query.
- Photograph below specification. Under 75 dpi for BORIS, or over 2 MB / older than six months for the digital version.
- Passport used as ID substitute. A seaman record book is not accepted as identification for a new application — the national passport copy is mandatory.
- Unsigned application form. Both the seafarer’s signature and, where applicable, the company’s are required.
- Corrections raised after six weeks. Past that window the correction route closes and you are into a re-application, with no refund on the issued book.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Bahamas seaman book valid?
All Bahamas-issued SIRBs are valid for 5 years. Renewal at the end of that period exists mainly so the BMA can update the photograph on the record. Plan the renewal a few months ahead of expiry if you have contracts scheduled.
Can I apply for a Bahamas seaman book myself?
Generally no. The BMA accepts applications only from companies actively engaged in employing, recruiting or selecting personnel for Bahamian ships. Non-Bahamian seafarers apply through their employing company or an authorised documentation partner. Bahamian nationals may file paper applications at Nassau.
How much does a Bahamas seaman book cost?
The BMA charges $60 for the physical SIRB, $50 for the digital version, or $90 for both together, per Marine Notice MN050. Fast-track processing, courier delivery and any agent handling fee are additional. Fees are quoted in Bahamian dollars, which track the US dollar one-to-one.
How fast can I get a Bahamas seaman book?
Standard processing is 15 working days from the BMA’s receipt of a complete application — roughly three calendar weeks. Fast track cuts that to 2 business days for an extra fee. Neither clock includes the time your company takes to review and submit the file.
Is the Bahamas seaman book the same as a Bahamas CDC?
In practice, yes. “CDC” (Continuous Discharge Certificate) is the term used by several other registries; the Bahamas equivalent is the Seafarer Identification and Record Book. If a crewing manager asks for your Bahamas CDC, your SIRB is the document to produce.
Do I need the digital SIRB if I already have a paper one?
No. The BMA confirms that existing physical SIRBs remain valid and that seafarers are not required to replace them with a digital version. The digital book is optional and works as a backup record of sea service rather than a replacement.
Apply for your Bahamas seaman book
Most delays on a Bahamas seaman book application are not eligibility problems — they are a missing sponsoring company, a photograph 20 dpi short, or a medical certificate that expires mid-review. All three are avoidable before anything reaches the BMA.
Seaman Books handles Bahamas SIRB applications end to end for seafarers and crewing teams across the GCC, Dubai and worldwide: document review against the current BMA specification, BORIS submission, fast-track coordination when a join date is tight, and delivery tracking.
Apply for your Bahamas Seaman Book now →
Sailing under a different flag, or need more than the book? See our Panama seaman book and Liberia seaman book services, STCW certification support, or offshore vessel documentation and compliance. Questions about your specific case — talk to our documentation team.
Sources: Bahamas Maritime Authority Marine Notice MN029 (Record of Employment, Bahamas Seaman’s Record Book & Certificate of Discharge), Marine Notice MN050 (Fee Schedule), Information Notice IN030 (Digital version of the Seafarer Identification and Record Book), Information Notice IN032 (Validation of Discharge Certificates), and BMA Bulletin 107. Fees and processing times are current as published by the BMA and are subject to change — confirm before submission.
Last reviewed: 17 August 2026
