Introduction
If you work in a maritime security zone, you need to hold a Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC).
The MSIC is a national identification card that proves you have passed a background check, and met the minimum security requirements to work unescorted or unmonitored in a maritime security zone. The MSIC is not an access card, so you'll also have to request access from individual port or facility control locations.
You'll need to hold a MSIC if, at least once a year, you require unmonitored access to a maritime security zone, as part of your employment as a:
- port, port facility or port service worker
- stevedore
- transport operator, including train and truck drivers
- seafarer on an Australian regulated ship, or
- work on and/or supply to offshore oil and gas facilities.
To apply for a 2 year or 4 year MSIC, you'll need to:
- provide evidence of your operational need to hold a MSIC, with a letter of sponsorship from your employer or the port facility
- lodge an application through a MSIC issuing body, and
- undergo a background check process to: check your criminal history, complete a security assessment, and confirm your right to work in Australia.
If you hold a 4 year MSIC, you'll need to complete a follow-up background check 2 years after your MSIC is issued.
For more information about applying for a MSIC, visit the Department of Home Affairs.