Order Pilotage Service

All our services are provided in accordance with the General Operating Conditions.

Passage plans can be accessed here.

All customers must have an operating account with PSA Corporation or PSA Marine in order to engage our services. To open a PSA account, please visit https://www.portnet.com/login. Should you encounter any problems, please contact the Helpdesk at (65) 6321 1173.

For customers without an operating account, a temporary account can be arranged on a per-movement basis. Customers are required to complete the Order Form for the requested service(s) and call us at the stated number.

  • For pilotage service, agents are required to call the Mission Command Centre at (65) 6379 9808 to check the status of their applications before paying the advanced cash deposit at 70 West Coast Ferry Road, Level 4, Singapore 126800. The Mission Command Centre is manned 24/7.
  • Payment by cheque or cashier’s order is accepted provided there are 3 banking days from the presentation of cheque to the service requested time. In other cases, payment should be in cash. However, the value of the cash must not exceed SGD 5,000.
  • Please refer to Port Marine Circular No. 19 of 2002 on the requirement for ship masters to possess a Pilot Exemption Certificate to qualify for exemption for vessels between 300 GT to 2,000 GT in Areas A and D (Western and East Johor Straits) and 300 GT to 5,000 GT for Area B (Eastern).

Pilotage Tariff

1. Arrival Vessels

For safety and operational considerations, Arrival Vessels will be sequenced to arrive at Boarding Grounds in 15-minute slots. Generally, each Boarding Ground can receive up to 3 vessels in each 15-minute slot.

  • Orders for pilotage service should be placed at least 6 hours before the Service Required Time (SRT).
  • Subject to a resource and channel capacity check, a Confirmed Service Time (CST) will be allocated. The party placing or triggering the pilot order should notify Master of Vessel of the CST.
  • Anytime between 72hours to 2.5hours prior to CST, Master of Vessel shall contact Pilot Office for a pre-arrival notification “BGPAN”. This is to track arrival of Vessel at Boarding Ground at CST.
  • Contacts for pre-arrival notification are:
  • The pre-arrival notification message must be formatted as follows:

Email Subject: Vessel Arrival Confirmation (VAC)

Email Content:
{
Vessel Name:
Call Sign:
Arrival Date (DD/MM/YYYY):
Arrival Time (Local Time):
Boarding Ground:
Direction Approaching From: East/West
}
  • After submitting the BGPAN, masters will receive an acknowledgement. 
  • The CST will be “LOCK IN” at CST minus 4 hours.
  • Once CST is “LOCK IN”:
    • If Vessel does not arrive at Boarding Ground at CST, vessel will be allocated a new CST.
    • If Vessel arrives on schedule at Boarding Ground but the berth to which Vessel is destined for is not ready, the Vessel will be anchored and will be subject to a new pilot order and receipt of new CST.
  • Masters will receive a Vessel Arrival Confirmation email message at CST minus 2 hours from Singapore Pilot Office to re-confirm their Boarding Ground arrival.

    For any amendment, please contact SGP Pilot on VHF Ch20:

    Please note that Pilot ladder should be make available for Pilot safe boarding on the leeward side 1m above water level. Combination ladder to be provided when the vessels freeboard is 9m above water level.

    The vessels arrival speed at boarding ground should be less than 4 knots.

    Powered by ONEHANDSHAKE – PSA MARINE

Reporting Procedure and Email Registration-Related Guides:

2. Departure Vessels

  • Orders for pilotage service should be placed at least 6 hours before the SRT.
  • Subject to a resource and channel capacity check, a CST will be allocated. The party that is placing or triggering the pilot order should notify Master of Vessel of the CST.
  • The CST will be “LOCK IN” at CST minus 4 hours.
  • If CST is “LOCK IN” but Vessel is not ready to sail, the pilot job will be cancelled and Vessel will be subject to a new pilot order and receipt of new CST.

In pursuance of Regulations 3(1) and 3(2) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations 1997, ship masters requiring pilotage service are required to furnish the “Vessel’s Checklist for Piloted movements“, duly completed, to the pilots assigned to their vessels before pilotage is undertaken.

Ship masters are also requested to complete the form “Appendix B – Master-Pilot-Exchange of Essential Information on Boarding“, ready for handover to the harbour pilot as part of the Pilot / Master Exchange procedure.

Pilot ladder is to be rigged according to Reg V/23 (Pilot Transfer Arrangements) of SOLAS 74, or Regulation 23 of Chapter V of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Regulations (Cap 179, Reg 11). Due regard shall be paid to the IMO standard for Pilot Transfer Arrangement described in the annex of Resolution A.1045(27) adopted on 30 Nov 2012.

In general, the bottom rung of the pilot ladder should be 1 metre above the waterline. The ladder should be rigged on the “lee side” of the vessel as she approaches the pilot boarding ground. A combination ladder is required if the freeboard is 9 meters and above.

We reserve the right to withdraw the pilot and charge for the service ordered should an unsatisfactory pilot ladder be provided and/or if the cooperation from the vessel is not forthcoming to the extent that the safety of the pilot is compromised.

Upon approval of pilotage orders and amendments, an SMS will be automatically sent to the agent.

Agents can check the status of their pilotage orders / amendments via IMOS or Portnet.

Information for Merchant Ships