RPSL software for manning agencies,
the way the licence expects.
MarinaVex RPSL software gives Indian manning agencies and RPSL holders one record for every candidate, from screening to signed Seafarers' Employment Agreement, with certificate and medical validity checked along the way and audit records ready when the inspector asks.
What an RPSL holder has to show
In India, recruitment and placement of seafarers is licensed by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA, formerly DG Shipping) under the Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules, which give effect to Regulation 1.4 of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. A Recruitment and Placement Services Licence (RPSL) comes with obligations: placing only seafarers who hold valid certificates and medical fitness, making sure employment agreements are in order before joining, and keeping records that can be audited.
Most manning offices manage this across spreadsheets, email folders and shared drives. MarinaVex brings it into one pipeline, so the answer to “show me this seafarer's file” is one screen, not an afternoon of searching.
What the RPSL module does
Candidate pipeline
Track every candidate from application and screening to selection and placement, with the stage and owner always visible.
Certificate and medical validity
STCW certificates and medical fitness are checked for validity, and anything expiring is flagged before the seafarer is placed.
Contract and SEA issue
Contracts and Seafarers' Employment Agreements are issued from the same record, so the agreement matches the person and the vessel.
RPSL audit records
Placement history and supporting documents are kept together and ready for licence audits and inspections.
RPSL in India: what your agency works with
A manning agency holding a Recruitment and Placement Services Licence handles the same set of records for every seafarer it places. MarinaVex keeps them in one file per seafarer.
- Identity and sea service: the seafarer's INDoS number and Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC).
- Competence: Certificates of Competency and STCW course certificates for the rank, with expiry dates.
- Medical fitness: a valid medical from a DGMA-approved medical examiner.
- Employment: the Seafarers' Employment Agreement and contract, issued and signed before joining.
- Inspection: placement records and complaints handling, ready when DGMA inspects the agency against the Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules.
Rules are being updated under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025. Always check current DGMA circulars. Seafarers can verify an agency on the DGMA list of valid RPSL holders, linked from our useful Indian maritime websites page.
What the module helps you evidence
Requirements differ by country and licence conditions, but recruitment and placement services operating under MLC 2006 Regulation 1.4 are generally expected to:
- Keep an up-to-date register of seafarers recruited or placed.
- Make sure seafarers hold the certificates and medical fitness required for the position before placement.
- Make sure seafarers are informed of their rights and duties and that the Seafarers' Employment Agreement is in order before they join.
- Not charge seafarers fees for recruitment or placement, and handle complaints properly.
- Keep records that allow the licensing authority to audit the service.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check the current DG Shipping rules and your licence conditions; MarinaVex can be configured around your own procedures.
Built into MarinaVex,
not bolted on.
Once a seafarer is placed, the same record continues in Crewing for assignments and readiness, and in Rest hours once they are on board. No re-typing between the manning office and the fleet.
One file per seafarer
Certificates, medicals, contracts and placement history together, not across email folders.
Expiry flagged early
Certificates and medicals that expire before or during a contract are flagged before placement.
Linked to crewing
Once placed, the seafarer moves into crew management and rest hours on the same record.
Vex AI inside the screens
Ask Vex whose medical expires this month or where a contract is. It answers from your records and names the source.
Questions about RPSL management.
What is RPSL?
RPSL stands for Recruitment and Placement Services Licence. In India it is issued by the Directorate General of Shipping to agencies that recruit and place seafarers, under rules that implement Regulation 1.4 of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.
What is RPSL management software?
Software that runs a manning agency's recruitment and placement process and keeps the records an RPSL holder needs: candidates, certificates, medical fitness, contracts, SEAs and placement history.
Does MarinaVex check certificate and medical expiry?
Yes. Certificate and medical validity is part of the candidate record, and items close to expiry are flagged.
Can a manning office use this without the rest of MarinaVex?
Yes. RPSL management works on its own, and connects to Crewing and Rest hours if the ship manager also uses them.
Is the RPSL module only for India?
It is designed around the Indian RPSL regime, which follows MLC Regulation 1.4. Agencies licensed elsewhere under MLC-based rules can use the same pipeline with their own procedures.
See it on your fleet.
A live walkthrough with your kind of vessels. A real person replies, usually within one working day.