Repatriation of Seafarers and Procedures for Its Financing

Issued pursuant to
Section 308, Paragraph four of the Maritime Code

1. The Regulation prescribes the procedures for the repatriation of a seafarer when it is not carried out by the shipowner and also the procedures for requesting, covering and refunding the expenditure related to the repatriation.

2. The Regulation shall apply to the subjects referred to in Section 302, Paragraph one, and Section 272, Paragraph two, Clause 4, Sub-clause "b" of the Maritime Code (hereinafter - the seafarer).

3. To receive help when repatriation is required, the seafarer shall, by presenting all the documents at his or her disposal that verify his or her identity, status of the seafarer and the place of return indicated in the employment contract, submit the repatriation application (Annex) to the the consular official of the diplomatic and consular mission of the Republic of Latvia in the foreign country (hereinafter - the consular official).

4. Upon receipt of a repatriation application, the consular official shall inform the Registry of Seamen of valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas Jūras administrācija" [the State joint-stock company Maritime Administration of Latvia] (hereinafter - the Registry of Seamen) thereof.

5. The Registry of Seamen shall examine whether the seafarer who requires repatriation meets the conditions of Section 302, Paragraph one of the Maritime Code and whether the seafarer has insurance which covers the repatriation expenditure. The Registry of Seamen shall, immediately but not later than within five working days after receipt of the information, inform the consular official of the results of the examination.

6. If, based on the information received, the seafarer meets the conditions of Section 302 of the Maritime Code and there is no such insurance available for the seafarer which covers the repatriation expenditure, the consular official shall, immediately but not later than within five working days after receipt of the information:

6.1. establish the costs of the travel route to the place of return indicated in the employment contract that is the most appropriate in the relevant situation;

6.2. calculate the amount of funds necessary for the repatriation of the seafarer.

7. The expenditure necessary for the repatriation of the seafarer shall initially be covered from the State budget funds allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In order to cover the funds used in accordance with Sub-paragraph 6.2 of this Regulation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall prepare a draft legal act to be submitted to the Cabinet under specific procedures as a matter of the Cabinet regarding the allocation of funds from the State budget programme "Funds for Unforeseen Events".

8. If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have sufficient State budget funds at its disposal to cover the repatriation expenditure of the seafarer, it shall prepare a draft legal act to be submitted to the Cabinet under specific procedures as a matter of the Cabinet regarding the allocation of funds from the State budget programme "Funds for Unforeseen Events".

9. The consular official shall pay for the services related to the travels of the seafarer to the place of return indicated in the employment contract with the funds allocated for the repatriation of the seafarer. In exceptional cases where the abovementioned services cannot be paid for through a non-cash settlement, funds in the national currency of the relevant consular district shall be issued to the seafarer in the foreign country in conformity with the foreign currency rate to be used in accounting on the day of issuing the funds.

10. If the seafarer has been repatriated from a ship flying the flag of Latvia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall notify the shipowner of the repatriation of the seafarer and the amount of funds used for this purpose, and also the procedures for the repayment of the used funds.

11. The shipowner has an obligation to repay the repatriation expenditure of the seafarer covered from the State budget into the State budget within three months from the moment when the repatriation is carried out. If the expenditures are not repaid within the specified time limit, recovery shall be carried out in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law.

12. If the seafarer has been repatriated from a ship flying the flag of a foreign country and the shipowner or the insurance company which has ensured the seafarer against repatriation cases has not repaid the State budget funds used for the repatriation of the seafarer into the revenue of the State basic budget within three months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall request the State budget funds used for repatriation in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 308, Paragraph three of the Maritime Code.

Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis

Minister for Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs

Annex
Cabinet Regulation No. 90
21 February 2017

Uz kuģa nodarbinātas personas repatriācijas iesniegums
Repatriation application for a person employed on a ship

SVARĪGI: Turpmākajās iesnieguma sadaļās, lūdzu, sniedziet informāciju, ciktāl tā jums zināma.
IMPORTANT: In the following sections of the application please provide information to the best of your knowledge.

II. Statuss/Status

Es esmu/I am:
	uz Latvijas karoga kuģa nodarbināts jūrnieks seafarer employed on a ship flying Latvian flag
	uz kuģa nodarbināts jūrnieks, kas ir Latvijas valstspiederīgais seafarer, Latvian national, employed on a ship
	uz Latvijas karoga kuģa nodarbināta persona, kas sniedz ar pasažieru izklaidi saistītus pakalpojumus person who is employed to provide services related to entertainment of passengers on a ship flying Latvian flag
	uz kuģa nodarbināts Latvijas valstspiederīgais, kas sniedz ar pasažieru izklaidi saistītus pakalpojumus Latvian national who is employed to provide services related to entertainment of passengers on a ship

III. Informācija par nodarbinātību, pirms radās nepieciešamība pēc repatriācijas/
Information on employment before the need for the repatriation

IV. Repatriācijas nepieciešamību izraisījušie apstākļi/
Circumstances which led to the need of repatriation

V. Apliecinājums, ka par kuģa darbību atbildīgā persona (kuģa īpašnieks vai operators) nenodrošina repatriāciju/
Confirmation that the persons responsible for the operation of the ship (the ship owner or operator) do not provide the repatriation

VI. Informācija par repatriācijas apdrošināšanu/
Information on repatriation insurance

Vai par kuģa darbību atbildīgā persona (kuģa īpašnieks vai operators) ir apdrošinājis savu atbildību attiecībā uz Jūsu repatriāciju? Has the person responsible for the operation of the ship (the ship owner or operator) insured his/her liability with respect to your repatriation?
	Jā/Yes	Nē/No	Nezinu/I do not know

Ja jā, lūdzu, norādiet/If yes, please indicate:

2. Vai esat personiski vērsies(-usies) pie konkrētā apdrošinātāja? Have you personally approached the given insurer?
	Jā/Yes	Nē/No

VII. Citas iestādes un organizācijas (piemēram, diplomātiskās vai konsulārās pārstāvniecības, policija, aģents, ostas dienesti, nevalstiskās organizācijas), kurām jūs esat lūdzis(-gusi) palīdzību/
Other institutions and organizations (for example, diplomatic or consular missions, police, agent, port authorities, non-governmental organisations) whom you have asked for help

Piekrītu manu personas datu apstrādei, ciktāl tas nepieciešams repatriācijas nodrošināšanai.
I agree to my personal data processing as far as it is necessary for ensuring the repatriation.

Apzinos, ka Latvijas Republikas normatīvie akti paredz atbildību par nepatiesu ziņu sniegšanu.
I am aware that the laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia establish liability for the provision of untruthful information.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)