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Fishing crew jobs on Taiwanese vessels: requirements, costs, pay, documents and red flags

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated Last verified

Open Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels

Legal only through an official placement body or as an independent crew member under PP 22/2022. Independent fishing crew may not work for an individual employer.

Status as of 7 October 2026 Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

Summary

  • Migrant fishing crew are Indonesian migrant workers under Law 18/2017 Article 4, and their placement is governed by Government Regulation (PP) 22/2022.
  • Crew are placed by BP2MI, a P3MI agency, or a company placing its own crew.
  • Fishing crew working independently may not work for an individual employer or principal.
  • The Buku Pelaut seafarer's book is not a travel document and cannot replace a passport.
  • Taiwan's distant-water fishing vessels hire foreign crew outside Taiwan under specific rules in force since 20 January 2017.
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On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. What are the steps?
  5. Which schools or training lead to Taiwan?
  6. How do Taiwan-based fishing boats differ from distant-water vessels?
  7. How much do fishing crew earn in Taiwan?
  8. Which documents do you need?
  9. What are the warning signs of offers to Taiwan through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels 境外僱用非我國籍船員 · Overseas employment of non-national crew members (distant-water fishing) Through a licensed P3MI agency; Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer Ministry of Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection (KP2MI) Official source Through a P3MI, the employer bears placement costs; worker costs must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Independent applications follow this route’s specific cost rules. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in Taiwan through Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in Taiwan through Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels: Through a licensed P3MI agency; Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer. Age limits: at least 18 years.

Placement channels from Indonesia
Through a licensed P3MI agency; Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer An independent migrant worker goes without an agency, only to a legal-entity employer, and must report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission. This is not the same as an individual employer (a household), or an individual who places migrant workers, which is banned.
Age
at least 18 years
Job types
Crew on distant-water fishing vessels, Crew on other fishing vessels

What does working in Taiwan through Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels cost, and who pays?

For placement through a P3MI on the Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels route to Taiwan, the employer bears placement costs; any costs charged to the worker must be written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Independent applications follow the route-specific cost rules below.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

  • Costs charged to you: If you go through a P3MI, every cost charged to you must be listed with its amount in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  • Training and certification: Training and certification are placement-cost components that Article 2(6) puts on the employer, unless a lawful written exception applies. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

What is the minimum pay for working in Taiwan through Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels?

Not enough data: we have not found an official pay floor for this route that we could verify.

What are the steps to work in Taiwan through Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels?

  1. Prepare your seafarer documents: passport, Buku Pelaut, seafarer identity document, and competency, proficiency or skills certificates.
  2. Choose an official placement body: BP2MI, a P3MI listed as Aktif on SISKOP2MI, or a company placing its own crew.
  3. Go through selection and medical and psychological checks, sign the Placement Agreement, then register for social security.
  4. Sign a PKL endorsed by the harbour master before you leave, and keep a copy somewhere safe.
  5. If you work independently, report your departure plan to the district labour office or LTSA with your passport, Buku Pelaut, PKL, social security proof, health certificate, work visa and certificates.
  6. Independent crew must report their arrival to the Indonesian mission through Portal Peduli WNI or in person (PP 22/2022 Article 4).

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

Which schools or training lead to Taiwan?

The education and training routes linked to working in Taiwan through Migrant fishing crew on Taiwanese vessels: Vocational high school (SMK) in Indonesia, BNSP competency certification in Indonesia, BLK and BPVP.

How do Taiwan-based fishing boats differ from distant-water vessels?

These are two different working environments. Taiwan's distant-water fishing vessels hire foreign crew outside Taiwan under specific distant-water fishing rules in force since 20 January 2017, which also regulate intermediaries in Taiwan. Fishery businesses based in Taiwan employ migrant workers through Taiwan's labour system, as recorded in the Taiwan Ministry of Labor's migrant worker survey for agriculture, forestry, fishery and livestock businesses. Ask about the vessel type, home port, time at sea and who your employer is before you sign anything.

How much do fishing crew earn in Taiwan?

Not enough data. As of 7 October 2026, KarirAman has not found a minimum pay figure for foreign fishing crew that we could verify from an official Taiwanese source, so we show no figure. Make sure the pay, currency, payment method and schedule, and any lawful deductions are clearly written in your PKL.

For foreign workers employed through an agency in Taiwan, Taiwan's Ministry of Labor allows only a monthly service fee up to the caps below, after a written contract and actual service, and never in advance. Distant-water vessels that recruit crew outside Taiwan follow separate distant-water fisheries rules.

Monthly service fee caps for agencies in Taiwan
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
Taiwan agency fee, third year onwards Applies to: Monthly service fee a licensed Taiwanese agency may charge a foreign worker, by time worked in Taiwan since the latest entry; only after a written contract and actual service, never in advance Excludes: Registration fees or fees for changing employer, which may not be charged to the foreign worker TWD 1,500.00 per month agency fee cap, not a wage In force from Not enough data yet rate as of 8 October 2026
Taiwan agency fee, second year Applies to: Monthly service fee a licensed Taiwanese agency may charge a foreign worker, by time worked in Taiwan since the latest entry; only after a written contract and actual service, never in advance Excludes: Registration fees or fees for changing employer, which may not be charged to the foreign worker TWD 1,700.00 per month agency fee cap, not a wage In force from Not enough data yet rate as of 8 October 2026
Taiwan agency fee, first year Applies to: Monthly service fee a licensed Taiwanese agency may charge a foreign worker, by time worked in Taiwan since the latest entry; only after a written contract and actual service, never in advance Excludes: Registration fees or fees for changing employer, which may not be charged to the foreign worker TWD 1,800.00 per month agency fee cap, not a wage In force from Not enough data yet rate as of 8 October 2026

Ministry of Labor, Taiwan (勞動部) Ministry of Labor, Taiwan (勞動部), Workforce Development Agency

Which documents do you need?

Under PP 22/2022 Article 4, independent crew report their departure plan with a passport, Buku Pelaut, PKL, proof of social security membership, a health certificate from medical and psychological checks, a work visa, a seafarer identity document, and competency, proficiency or skills certificates. Guides to getting a passport, a police clearance (SKCK) and visas are in the Related guides section below.

What are the warning signs of offers to Taiwan through this route?

  • There is no PKL endorsed by the harbour master before you leave.Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  • The sending agency is not listed as an Aktif P3MI on SISKOP2MI.KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI)
  • You are offered work as independent fishing crew for an individual boat owner. PP 22/2022 forbids this.
  • The recruiter says the Buku Pelaut is enough instead of a passport. The Buku Pelaut is not a travel document.Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  • You are asked to pay cash for training, certificates or uniforms with no written breakdown in the Placement Agreement.Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  • An agency in Taiwan collects several months of service fees in advance or charges more than the official monthly cap set by Taiwan's Ministry of Labor.Ministry of Labor, Taiwan (勞動部)

How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers

KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money. Our no-fee policy

Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

What is a PKL and why does it matter?

A PKL (Perjanjian Kerja Laut, sea employment agreement) is the individual employment agreement between a crew member and the party acting for the employer or principal, setting out each side's rights and duties and endorsed by the harbour master (syahbandar). Without a valid PKL it is hard to claim wages and other rights if something goes wrong.

Can I go on my own without an agency?

Yes. PP 22/2022 lets crew work independently, but independent fishing crew may not work for an individual employer or principal, and they carry their own employment risks. You must report your departure plan to the district labour office or LTSA with the required documents.

How much do fishing crew earn in Taiwan?

Not enough data. KarirAman has not verified an official Taiwanese minimum pay figure for foreign fishing crew. Make sure the pay, payment method and deductions are clearly written in your PKL before you leave.

May an agency in Taiwan deduct fees from a fishing crew member's pay?

Taiwan's Ministry of Labor limits what a Taiwanese agency may charge a foreign worker to a monthly service fee, after a written contract and actual service, and never in advance. The cap for each year is in the table on this page. Distant-water vessels that recruit crew outside Taiwan follow separate fisheries rules, so make sure every deduction is written in your PKL.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 22 Tahun 2022 tentang Penempatan dan Pelindungan Awak Kapal Niaga Migran dan Awak Kapal Perikanan Migran Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · PP 22/2022 · accessed
  2. 遠洋漁業三法子法同步生效 (Council of Agriculture, 2017) Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan (農業部, formerly Council of Agriculture) · accessed
  3. 114年移工管理及運用調查 摘要 (2025 migrant worker management and employment survey, summary) Ministry of Labor, Taiwan (勞動部) · accessed
  4. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  5. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
  6. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 2 Tahun 2026 tentang Tata Cara Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia oleh Pelaksana Penempatan Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 2/2026 · accessed
  7. SISKOP2MI: Profil Lembaga P3MI, detail dan daftar sanksi administratif KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
  8. Portal Peduli WNI: pelayanan dan pelindungan WNI di luar negeri Kementerian Luar Negeri RI · accessed
  9. 【澄清稿】落實保障外籍勞工勞動權益，勞動部鼓勵企業(雇主)使用「直接聘僱聯合服務中心」 (klarifikasi Kementerian Tenaga Kerja Taiwan tentang biaya agensi) Ministry of Labor, Taiwan (勞動部) · accessed
  10. 勞動部重申，仲介公司不得向外國人收取轉換雇主費用 (Kementerian Tenaga Kerja Taiwan: agensi tidak boleh memungut biaya pindah majikan dari pekerja asing) Ministry of Labor, Taiwan (勞動部), Workforce Development Agency · accessed
  11. Kementerian P2MI/BP2MI: beranda dan kontak pengaduan Kementerian Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia/BP2MI · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Fishing crew jobs on Taiwanese vessels: requirements, costs, pay, documents and red flags. Updated 8 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/taiwan/fishing-crew/

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Change log
  • : Added the monthly service fee caps for Taiwanese agencies from Taiwan's Ministry of Labor and how distant-water vessels differ.