Vessels flagged in Reciprocal Agreements (RAs) and Double Contributions Conventions (DCCs) countries

If you are ordinarily resident in the UK and work on a vessel flagged or owned in any of the following countries we recommend you seek advice from our Cardiff office.

Barbados, Bermuda, Canada (DCC), Israel, Jamaica, Japan (DCC), Jersey and Guernsey, Korea (DCC), Mauritius, Philippines, Turkey, USA and Yugoslavia which includes Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The UK’s bi-lateral Social Security agreements can change the normal rules for Class 1 liability. The agreements vary, but in the main, they provide that a mariner is required to pay contributions (and receive benefits) in the country where the vessel is flagged, unless:

  • the vessel is owned in the UK
  • the mariner is paid from the UK
  • the mariner works in the UK

There are some important provisions in the UK/Bermuda agreement which can be relevant to some UK mariners working on Bermudan flagged vessels.

UK/Bermuda agreement

You will be subject to UK legislation and liable for Class 1 National Insurance contributions as if employed on a UK ship where you are:

  • ordinarily resident in the UK
  • employed as a master or member of the crew of a Bermudan owned ship that is UK registered, or Bermudan ship that calls regularly at UK ports

If you normally live in the UK when you are not on board your vessel, you will be regarded as being ordinarily resident in the UK.

Vessels that are at sea for months at a time but return several times a year to a UK home port are not regarded as calling 'regularly' at UK ports.