For thousands of Ukrainian seafarers now living and working across Europe, the Ukrainian seaman’s book has become more than a simple maritime ID. It has turned into a barrier, a financial burden, and a source of constant uncertainty. At SeaEmploy.com, we hear the same concerns every week: why does the document cost so much in foreign offices, why are applications rejected even when all papers seem correct, and why do so many feel forced to maintain the Ukrainian document even when cheaper alternatives exist?
This article brings together verified information, official references, and the real-life challenges Ukrainian seafarers face today.
Ukrainian seaman’s book abroad: the costs, the rules, and the pressure to comply
After the full-scale war displaced millions of Ukrainians, large groups of seafarers moved with their families to Poland, Romania, Germany, Spain, and other EU countries. Because they still work in the global merchant fleet, they must keep their maritime documents valid. For those holding Ukrainian Certificates of Competency, the Ukrainian seaman’s book remains a core requirement for renewals and verification.
How the system works today
The Ukrainian seaman’s book (ПОМ) is issued through Моррічсервіс (Morrichservice), a state-owned service enterprise operating under the Maritime Administration. It is not an embassy service but a commercial state enterprise with authority to process maritime documents in Ukraine and abroad.
In 2025, the Ukrainian government enabled issuance of maritime documents outside Ukraine. A key step was opening the Warsaw representative office on Jagiellońska 32, which now handles the majority of applications from Ukrainian seafarers in the EU.
This office quickly drew attention not because of availability but because of pricing.
The price difference: Ukraine vs. Warsaw vs. Polish seaman’s book
For a Ukrainian seafarer living abroad, cost is no small detail. And the numbers speak for themselves.
Fees inside Ukraine
Inside Ukraine, the official Morrichservice price for issuing a seaman’s book is roughly:
• Standard (20 days): about 4,183 UAH (around 100$)
• Fast (7 days): about 5,988 UAH (around 143$)
These amounts are clearly listed at Morrichservice service centers and have remained relatively stable.
Fees at the Warsaw representative office
At the Warsaw branch, the price includes two separate payments:
- State administrative fee (paid to the Ukrainian treasury)
- Morrichservice’s service fee (paid by Ukrainian bank card in UAH)
The combined cost reaches:
• 25,260 UAH for 20-day processing (around 600$)
• 42,000 UAH for 7-day processing (around 1000$)
This means a Ukrainian seafarer abroad pays six to eight times more for the same document than a colleague who can travel back to Ukraine.
Comparing it with a Polish seaman’s book
Adding to the confusion is the fact that Ukrainian citizens who legally live in Poland may apply for a Polish seaman’s book for roughly 200 PLN (around 55$). The Maritime Office in Gdynia provides guidance for Ukrainian citizens in English and Polish, and the procedure is straightforward.
Official Polish maritime information
The price difference is dramatic. And yet, many Ukrainian seafarers cannot simply switch to a Polish document.
Why Ukrainian seafarers feel forced to stay with the Ukrainian document
The core reason is simple: Ukrainian Certificates of Competency (CoC) depend on the Ukrainian maritime digital system. Verification platforms and national procedures might change and to use national Seaman’s book as ID only for further procedures.
So even if a Polish seaman’s book is cheaper and valid worldwide, it does not replace the Ukrainian document when dealing with Ukrainian authorities.
Many seafarers need to:
• renew their CoC
• upgrade certificates
• apply for endorsements
• confirm sea service in Ukraine’s digital system
Without a valid Ukrainian seaman’s book, much of this becomes impossible.
This creates a situation where seafarers abroad, even those with legal residence in the EU, feel locked into the Ukrainian system because their professional future depends on it.
Why applications get rejected
A significant number of seafarers report that their applications for a new Ukrainian seaman’s book in Warsaw are rejected due to issues with their previous document’s extensions. Many of these extensions, especially those issued years ago, were never properly recorded in the port authority registers.
The modern digital verification process exposes old flaws. Workers who extended their documents through intermediaries, agencies, or “assistants” now find that their extension stamps exist only on paper, not in the database.
The Diia public portal explains that a Ukrainian seaman’s book may be refused if state registers do not confirm the data.
This has led to many legitimate seafarers being turned away even when they personally did nothing wrong.
Are the high fees abroad about profit? What we can responsibly say
This topic creates strong emotions, but it needs to be phrased carefully. Morrichservice is a state-owned commercial enterprise, not a government passport office. It is allowed to charge service fees, and running a foreign office is certainly more expensive.
However, legal experts in Ukraine have already highlighted structural risks in this model. When a commercial enterprise performs functions usually handled by consular authorities, transparency decreases and the potential for inconsistent pricing increases. The higher fees abroad may reflect operational costs, but the lack of clear regulation leaves seafarers feeling unprotected.
What we can state without speculation:
• the price difference is enormous
• the system forces many seafarers to use the Ukrainian document regardless
• there is no publicly available cost breakdown explaining the foreign pricing
• legal analysts warn that such a model carries corruption risks, even if no wrongdoing is proven
Most Ukrainian seafarers now choose to stay abroad because returning home during the war is unsafe, and this leaves them unable to renew their maritime documents at a fair price. As the cost of getting a Ukrainian seaman’s book abroad keeps rising, more seafarers feel trapped between high fees and the risk of losing their qualifications. This pressure has pushed many to look for long-term alternatives, and a growing number are now considering switching their entire document package — including their Certificate of Competency — to a foreign issuing authority that offers clearer rules, predictable costs, and a more secure future.
