ITF Research Finds Shore Leave Remains Limited for Many Seafarers

Shore leave remains out of reach for many seafarers, even during contracts lasting months. An ITF Seafarers’ Trust and World Maritime University study of 5,879 seafarers, published in 2025, found that more than a quarter could not go ashore at all during their contract. The findings put a practical focus on port procedures and vessel schedules: a shore leave entitlement has limited value when paperwork, inspections or cargo work consume the available time.

Fabrizio Barcellona, coordinator of the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s Seafarers’ Section, said port practices can make it difficult for crews to exercise their right to go ashore. A TradeWinds report dated November 3, 2026, quoted Barcellona calling for improved checks of seafarers’ documents and stronger protection of their existing rights.

Short visits are common

The study’s figures show that access can be limited even for crew members who do get off the vessel. About one-third of respondents said they went ashore only once or twice during an average duty period of 6.6 months. Among those who managed to go ashore, 47% spent less than three hours on land, while 93.5% spent less than six hours.

Those results distinguish the existence of shore leave from its practical use. A brief visit may leave little time for rest, social contact or other personal needs, particularly when a port is far from a city center or transport is costly. The study also found more restricted opportunities among seafarers on tankers and offshore support vessels.

The research describes several points where time can be lost. Respondents cited bureaucratic procedures, lengthy inspections and security restrictions. In some ports, preparing the documents needed for shore leave took time; checks at port entrances and exits could also shorten the period covered by a permit. The study noted that seafarers from some countries faced greater restrictions.

Port calls leave competing demands

Administrative steps are only part of the problem. Port agents’ delays, expensive transport and the distance between a port and nearby urban areas can all reduce the time available ashore. At the same time, crew members may be assigned to cargo operations, maintenance, refueling and inspections during the call.

That combination matters operationally. A vessel’s port stay is already shaped by work that needs to be completed before departure. When shore leave paperwork or entry procedures take longer, a crew member may have less time to leave the port area—or no workable opportunity at all. The study’s accounts point to a process that depends on timing across the ship, its agent and the port, rather than on a single decision.

The ITF argues that these barriers affect more than personal freedom. Time ashore can give crew members a chance to rest and maintain social connections, including contact with family. When access is limited over a lengthy contract, the federation says, seafarers’ physical and psychological health can suffer.

Inspection timing and crew welfare

The International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention, adopted in 2006, says seafarers should be able to use shore leave in a way that fits their duties and protects their health and welfare. The ITF says administrative, commercial and security considerations can restrict that right in practice.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority addressed the relationship between shore leave and port inspections in a statement published in 2026. It said the possibility of a port state control inspection should not be used to delay or prevent a seafarer from going ashore. The authority also said that having some crew members on land during an inspection would not, by itself, lead to negative action against the vessel.

The ITF links access to shore leave with fatigue and safe work aboard. Its position is that limited rest and social contact can affect crew wellbeing and contribute to fatigue. That makes the issue relevant to ship operators and port-call planning as well as to seafarers: the process for arranging leave needs to fit around operational requirements without allowing routine delays to erase the opportunity.

For port authorities, operators and agents, the practical focus is on reducing avoidable administrative barriers and coordinating document checks, inspections and crew schedules. The study does not suggest every port call can offer the same amount of free time; it does show that many respondents had little or no access during long contracts. How the parties manage paperwork and timing will shape whether shore leave exists in practice for the crews moving goods by sea.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye