POEA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 18

: The e-Card is designed to facilitate seafarers' transactions with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA).
: The issuance of the e-Card took effect on 14 July 2003.
: No, the e-Card shall be issued free of charge to all qualified seafarers.
: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is responsible for issuing the e-Card.
: A seafarer must submit the Seafarer’s e-Card ID Form, a 2x2 passport-quality picture with a plain background, and a photocopy of the identification page of the Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB).
: The application for the e-Card issuance is processed simultaneously with the employment contract, subject to submission of required documents and payment of the Welfare Fund Contribution.
: The required documents and payment of the Welfare Fund Contribution must be submitted to the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) cashier.
: They provide a copy of the Request to Process Seafarer (RFS) Form stamped 'Received for Processing.'
: The e-Card can be claimed from the OWWA counter located at the Philippine One Stop Processing Center (PSOC) on the ground floor lobby of the POEA building.
: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) are involved.