Circular No. 022 of the year 2020, Guidelines for the registration of seafaring time for cadets and/or interns
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Ministry of People’s Power for Transport
National Institute of Aquatic Spaces
(Special Notice – COVID-19)
In the exercise of the powers conferred by Article 78, paragraph 1 of the Decree with Rank, Value, and Force of Organic Law of Aquatic Spaces, in accordance with Articles 73, paragraphs 1 and 2; 74, paragraphs 2, 3, 4, and 10 ejusdem, and as provided for in Articles 42 of the Decree with Rank, Value, and Force of Organic Law of Public Administration and 17 of the Organic Law of Administrative Procedures.
CONSIDERING, that the measures adopted to address the emergency of the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak impact the revalidation process of titles and certificates, including medical certificates, as well as the endorsements of titles in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended, and pursuant to the recommendations of IMO Circular No. 4204/Add.5 dated March 17, 2020.
CONSIDERING, that the skills and competencies of seafarers, as well as the human element ashore, can only be sustained, updated, and maintained through effective nautical education, based on the stipulations provided for in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention), 1978, as amended, and by facilitating access to the knowledge and skills required by an increasingly sophisticated maritime technology.
CONSIDERING, that at an international level, seafarers, students, and academic institutions are seeking new ways to ensure that learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic, from which the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is no exception.
CONSIDERING, that currently there are Venezuelan interns and/or cadets who have completed their internship process aboard merchant vessels or merchant fishing vessels, who have not been able to be repatriated and require the registration of their seafaring time on their Form P in order to complete their training process and qualify for merchant marine or merchant fishing marine titles, in accordance with applicable regulations.
CONSIDERING, Decree No. 4,286, published in the Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela No. 6,570 dated September 6, 2020, which extends the State of Exception and Alarm throughout the National Territory, given the social circumstances that seriously endanger public health and the safety of the citizens living in the Bolivarian Republic, so that the National Executive may adopt urgent, effective, and necessary measures to protect and preserve the health of the Venezuelan population.
HEREBY DECIDES
- To authorize, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the La Guaira Port Captaincy of this Institute to carry out the recording of seafaring time for Venezuelan cadets and/or interns who have completed their internship period aboard Merchant or Merchant Fishing Marine vessels, and who have not been able to register their seafaring time on Form P, which is an essential requirement to complete their University studies and request the corresponding Merchant Marine or Merchant Fishing Marine title.
- Venezuelan cadets and/or interns who completed their internship period aboard Merchant or Merchant Fishing Marine vessels and disembarked from foreign-flagged vessels, who have not been able to be repatriated, must comply with the following:
- They must send an email to the La Guaira Port Captaincy at laguaira@inea.gob.ve and coordinaciondocumentacionlaguaira@inea.gob.ve, with a copy to gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve, along with the following attached documents in PDF format:
- Form P.
- Letter from the Master of the Vessel where the internship was performed, indicating the time on board (embarkation and disembarkation dates) and the port of disembarkation.
- Passport with the official SAIME (wet) stamp indicating their departure from the country.
- Crew list of the vessel where the internship was performed.
- The La Guaira Port Captaincy shall request the verification of Form P data from the Seafarers Management Department, attached to the General Directorate of Marine of the Institute, print Form P, record the embarkation(s) and disembarkation(s), sign and seal the cadet’s and/or intern’s Form P, and send it scanned in PDF format to the Cadet’s email address, with a copy to the email of the Seafarers Management Department: gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve.
- They must send an email to the La Guaira Port Captaincy at laguaira@inea.gob.ve and coordinaciondocumentacionlaguaira@inea.gob.ve, with a copy to gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve, along with the following attached documents in PDF format:
- Venezuelan cadets and/or interns who completed their internship period aboard Merchant or Merchant Fishing Marine vessels and who are still embarked on foreign-flagged vessels because they cannot be repatriated, must comply with the following:
- They must send an email to the La Guaira Port Captaincy at laguaira@inea.gob.ve and coordinaciondocumentacionlaguaira@inea.gob.ve, with a copy to gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve, along with the following attached documents in PDF format:
- Form P.
- Letter from the Master of the Vessel where they are embarked and performing their internship, indicating the embarkation date and the date on which the 12 months of seafaring time were completed.
- Passport with the official SAIME (wet) stamp indicating their departure from the country.
- Crew list of the vessel where the internship was performed.
- The La Guaira Port Captaincy shall request the verification of Form P data from the Seafarers Management Department, attached to the General Directorate of Marine of the Institute, print Form P, record the embarkation(s) and disembarkation(s), sign and seal the cadet’s and/or intern’s Form P, and send it scanned in PDF format to the Cadet’s email address, with a copy to the email of the Seafarers Management Department: gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve.
- They must send an email to the La Guaira Port Captaincy at laguaira@inea.gob.ve and coordinaciondocumentacionlaguaira@inea.gob.ve, with a copy to gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve, along with the following attached documents in PDF format:
- Cadets who completed their internship period aboard vessels belonging to PDV MARINA, a subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA):
- They must send an email to the La Guaira Port Captaincy at laguaira@inea.gob.ve and coordinaciondocumentacionlaguaira@inea.gob.ve, with a copy to gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve, along with the following attached documents in PDF format:
- Form P.
- Carta del Capitán del Buque donde realizó las pasantías, señalando tiempo a bordo (fecha de embarque y desembarque) y puerto de desembarque.
- Crew list of the vessel where the internship was performed.
- The La Guaira Port Captaincy shall request the verification of Form P data from the Seafarers Management Department, attached to the General Directorate of Marine of the Institute, print Form P, record the embarkation(s) and disembarkation(s), sign and seal the cadet’s and/or intern’s Form P, and send it scanned in PDF format to the Cadet’s email address, with a copy to the email of the Seafarers Management Department: gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve.
- They must send an email to the La Guaira Port Captaincy at laguaira@inea.gob.ve and coordinaciondocumentacionlaguaira@inea.gob.ve, with a copy to gerenciagentedemar@inea.gob.ve, along with the following attached documents in PDF format:
- The Aquatic Authority, through the General Directorate of Marine and the General Directorate of Operations of the Institute, by means of the La Guaira Port Captaincy, shall ensure strict compliance with this Circular.
Please notify and disseminate the content of this Circular.
In Caracas, on the 9th day of October 2020.
Acting President of the National Institute of Aquatic Spaces
Decree No. 4,309 dated September 15, 2020
Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela No. 41,965 of the same date.
