INDoS, the CDC, e-Samudra and medical fitness
1The lesson in plain words
Every Indian seafarer has an INDoS number, a CDC and an online profile. Keep the three consistent, or applications and sign-ons will be rejected.
INDoS
The Indian National Database of Seafarers (INDoS) gives each seafarer a permanent eight-character INDoS number. The first two characters are the year of issue, followed by a category code, such as N for nautical officers. You get it when you join your first approved course. Every certificate, course and exam result is linked to it, and employers must check it before engaging you.
The CDC
The Continuous Discharge Certificate-cum-Seafarer's Identity Document (CDC) is your identity and sea-service book. It records when you join and leave a ship (sign-on and sign-off). It is separate from India's biometric Seafarer's Identity Document (SID), which uses fingerprints to verify identity. The 2026 eligibility change restricts the route based only on five basic STCW courses. Check DGS Order 12 of 2026 for the conditions and exemptions that apply to you.
e-Samudra
The DGMA's online portal, e-Samudra, replaced the old e-governance system. Profiles were moved to it on 15 January 2026. You use it to apply for certificates and revalidations, book examinations and check records. An application is rejected automatically if your data do not match the INDoS profile. Keep your name, date of birth and passport details exactly the same everywhere.
Medical fitness
Before you sail you need a medical fitness certificate from a DGMA-approved medical examiner. Under STCW it is valid for at most two years, or one year under 18. If it expires during a voyage, it remains valid until the next port where a recognised examiner is available, for up to three months.
Keep your papers
Carry your passport, CDC, certificate of competency (CoC), endorsements, course certificates and medical. Check their expiry dates before each contract. From 2026, Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR) training includes preventing and responding to violence and harassment. If you already serve at sea, complete the DGMA's required e-learning module while ashore.
2Key data
- INDoS number
- Permanent 8-character ID, e.g. year + category + digits
- CDC
- Identity and sea-service book; separate from biometric SID
- e-Samudra
- DGMA portal; profiles migrated 15 January 2026
- Medical certificate
- Max 2 years (1 year under 18); approved examiner
3Key points
- 1
Your INDoS number is permanent and links every certificate and course.
- 2
The CDC records sea service; eligibility rules changed in 2026.
- 3
Apply through e-Samudra; data must match your INDoS profile exactly.
- 4
Medical from a DGMA-approved examiner, valid at most two years.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Any doctor's certificate is accepted for sea service.
Right: Only a DGMA-approved medical examiner can issue the seafarer's medical fitness certificate.
Wrong: Small spelling differences between your passport and INDoS do not matter.
Right: e-Samudra rejects applications whose data do not match the INDoS profile.
5Practice case & exam keys
A junior officer's revalidation application on e-Samudra keeps being rejected. His passport shows "Mohammed" and his INDoS profile "Mohd". His medical expires in three weeks, before his next contract. What do you advise?
Show the answer
Correct the INDoS profile using his passport as proof, then reapply through e-Samudra. Renew the medical with a DGMA-approved examiner before joining. Check its expiry against the voyage plan and any company or flag requirements. Arrange renewal before expiry; do not plan to rely on the limited mid-voyage extension. Keep the application receipts.
Exam keys
- INDoS: permanent ID linking all records.
- CDC: identity and sea-service record; biometric SID is separate.
- e-Samudra portal; data must match INDoS.
- Medical by a DGMA-approved examiner: maximum two years, or one year if under 18.
Finish this unit
When you've read it, answer three questions. Get all three right to finish the unit; opening the page alone doesn't count.
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