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Singapore

Singapore expands mandatory health declaration rules for arriving vessels

Ships calling at Singapore face stricter health reporting, which affects shipowners, masters and crew planning port calls.

Photo: Cyrill, Pexels

What happened

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore issued Port Marine Circular No. 11 of 2026, setting out updated Maritime Declaration of Health rules for arriving ships. Xinde Marine News+1 The revised rules took effect on 30 October 2026 and replace Port Marine Circular No. 03 of 2026. Xinde Marine News+1 A health declaration is now mandatory if a vessel called at a listed country within the previous 21 days, if crew or passengers visited one, if persons are suspected of infectious disease or human remains are on board, or if sick persons are present. Xinde Marine News+1 The declaration must be submitted to the National Environment Agency Port Health Office no less than 12 hours before arrival, together with supporting documents. Xinde Marine News+1

Around it

According to reports, the list of locations includes 38 places, among them Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Indian states of Kerala and West Bengal. crewmirror.com The supporting documents include crew and passenger lists, a valid Ship Sanitation Certificate, the last 10 ports of call, and a list of anyone with a body temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius. crewmirror.com

Sources

  1. Xinde Marine NewsSingapore Updates Health‑Declaration Rules: Four Categories of Vessels Must Submit Mandatory MDH
  2. crewmirror.comSingapore Updates Maritime Health Declaration Rules for Arriving Ships

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