The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has published updated guidance clarifying how crew agreements should be retained on UK sea‑going ships and yachts that are not covered by the Maritime Labour Convention.
The document, titled Guidance: MGN 474 (M) Amendment 2 retention of crew agreements where appropriate, was issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on 25 August 2026. It amends existing MGN 474 (M) material and sets out the regulator's expectations for the custody of crew agreements where MLC requirements do not apply.
At its core the guidance requires that crew agreements are maintained for UK sea‑going ships and yachts which are not subject to the Maritime Labour Convention. The agency states that retention of those agreements is appropriate in such cases, and the publication clarifies the circumstances in which they should be kept available for inspection.
The amendment is directed at vessels and operators outside the MLC regime rather than at ships already governed by that convention. By focusing on retention of crew agreements the MCA aims to provide a consistent baseline for records that relate to seafarer employment on UK‑registered sea‑going craft and pleasure vessels carrying out commercially relevant voyages.
Owners, masters and operators of affected UK sea‑going ships and yachts are identified by the guidance as the principal parties with responsibility for maintaining the agreements. The document explains the MCA's expectations for keeping those records where they are deemed appropriate to retain.
Scope and application
The guidance applies to UK‑flagged sea‑going ships and yachts which are not within the Maritime Labour Convention framework. It sets out when the MCA considers retention appropriate, and clarifies the practical circumstances in which crew agreements should be held and produced for regulatory purposes.
Practical implications for operators
The publication intends to reduce uncertainty about recordkeeping for vessels outside the MLC. Operators are directed to ensure that crew agreements are available where required by the amendment, and that they can be produced for inspection in the circumstances described by the MCA.
The MCA issued the guidance on 25 August 2026 on its government website as an amendment to MGN 474 (M). The document is presented as clarification rather than as a change to the convention‑based rules that govern MLC‑applicable vessels, and it is intended to align expectations for record retention across the segments of the UK fleet that fall outside that treaty.
Owners and operators affected by the amendment will find the formal wording and any procedural detail in the published MGN 474 (M) Amendment 2 notice. The MCA's notice supplies the definitive statement of the agency's position on retention of crew agreements where the Maritime Labour Convention does not apply.
The publication represents the regulator's most recent guidance on this narrow administrative matter as of 25 August 2026 and should be consulted by parties seeking to confirm their obligations under UK maritime administrative practice.