Information

Privacy Policy

Global Maritime Services LLC (GMS)

Revision: 1.1
Date: 01 April 2026

1. Introduction

Global Maritime Services LLC (“GMS”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity and security of your personal data.

This Privacy Policy explains how GMS collects, uses, stores, shares, transfers and protects personal data when you visit www.gm-services.com.ua; create or submit a candidate profile; complete a seafarer application form; upload your CV, certificates, licences, identification documents or other records; apply for a maritime position; communicate with GMS; participate in recruitment, selection, verification, mobilisation or placement processes or otherwise use our seafarer recruitment and placement services.

GMS provides recruitment and placement services to seafarers seeking employment aboard vessels operated or managed by foreign and international shipowners, ship managers, vessel operators and other maritime employers.

Personal data is processed in accordance with applicable Ukrainian data protection legislation, including the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and other applicable data protection requirements. GMS also takes into account the privacy and confidentiality principles applicable to seafarer recruitment and placement activities under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), including Regulation 1.4 and the related Code and Guidelines.

By submitting personal data to GMS, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. Where consent is required by applicable law, GMS will request such consent separately.

2. Who We Are

Global Maritime Services LLC (GMS) is a maritime recruitment and placement company based in Odesa, Ukraine.

GMS recruits and selects qualified seafarers for employment aboard vessels operated or managed by foreign shipowners, ship managers, vessel operators and other maritime employers.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, GMS may act as a data controller in relation to personal data collected directly from candidates. Depending on the circumstances, shipowners, ship managers, vessel operators, employers, recruitment partners and other recipients of candidate information may act as independent data controllers or processors.

Data Controller: Global Maritime Services LLC
Registered Address: 48 Maysterska str., 65051, Odesa, Ukraine.
Website: www.gm-services.com.ua
Privacy Contact: info@gm-services.com.ua

For privacy-related requests, please use the subject “Personal Data Request”. Please do not send unsolicited CVs, passports, medical certificates or other sensitive documents to the privacy contact unless specifically requested. Applications should be submitted through the designated recruitment channels.

3. Personal Data We May Collect

Because maritime recruitment requires verification of professional qualifications, identity, fitness, experience, and eligibility to serve aboard vessels, GMS may process a wider range of information than an ordinary employment website. We collect only information that is reasonably necessary for recruitment, placement, mobilisation, compliance, safety, contractual or related legitimate purposes.

3.1 Identification and Personal Details

full name and previous names, where relevant;
date and place of birth;
gender, where relevant and legally permissible;
nationality and citizenship;
country and place of residence;
residential or correspondence address;
photograph;
marital status where legitimately required;
identification numbers contained in documents submitted to us;
passport details;
seaman’s book / Seafarer’s Identity Document details;
other identification or travel-document information required for employment or mobilization.

4. Contact Information

telephone and mobile numbers;
email addresses;
residential or correspondence addresses;
emergency contact details;
next-of-kin contact information;
other communication details voluntarily provided by the candidate.

Where you provide personal information concerning a next of kin, emergency contact, referee or another person, you should ensure that you are authorised to provide such information where required by applicable law.

5. Professional and Maritime Employment Information

rank and position; preferred position; preferred vessel type; availability date;
expected or previous remuneration where relevant;
employment history and sea service history;
vessel names, vessel types, vessel particulars and flag States;
shipowners, ship managers and dates of joining and leaving vessels;
previous employers and reasons for leaving previous employment where relevant;
appraisal, performance and professional reference information;
competence, specialist experience and professional skills;
DP experience and DP logbook information, where applicable;
offshore and specialist vessel experience;
language proficiency and training history;
interview and assessment results;
recruitment notes reasonably necessary for assessing suitability for employment.

6. Certificates, Licences and Qualifications

GMS may collect and process copies or details of professional documentation, including:

Certificate of Competency (COC) and Certificates of Proficiency (COP);
STCW certificates and endorsements;
flag-State endorsements;
GMDSS certificates;
Dynamic Positioning certificates and records;
offshore training certificates, including BOSIET, FOET, HUET or equivalents where applicable;
security, tanker, medical and safety training certificates;
professional licences and educational diplomas;
maritime academy or training records;
other certificates required for a particular vessel, flag State, client or position.

We may verify the validity and authenticity of such documents with issuing authorities, training institutions, previous employers, shipowners or authorised verification providers where lawful and necessary.

7. Medical and Fitness Information

Employment at sea may require evidence that a seafarer is medically fit for duty. Accordingly, GMS may process limited health-related information where necessary and legally permitted, including:

seafarer’s medical fitness certificates;
validity and expiry date of medical certificates;
fitness status or restrictions relevant to employment at sea;
vaccination records where required for travel, vessel operations, or entry requirements;
drug and alcohol testing status or results where lawfully required;
other medical information specifically required for a maritime position, flag State, vessel, shipowner or applicable regulation.

GMS does not seek to collect unnecessary medical histories. Health information will be processed only where there is an appropriate legal basis and, where applicable, an additional lawful condition for processing sensitive or special-category personal data. Access is restricted to persons who reasonably require it for recruitment, placement, mobilisation, occupational fitness, safety, compliance or other lawful purposes.

8. Visa, Immigration and Travel Information

visa information, residence permits and work permits;
immigration and travel documents;
flight or other transportation details;
joining-port information and travel itineraries;
hotel information and crew-change arrangements;
information necessary for port, immigration, flag-State or border formalities.

9. References and Verification Information

GMS may contact previous employers, shipowners, ship managers, crewing agencies, referees, educational establishments, certification authorities or other relevant organisations for legitimate recruitment purposes.

professional references;
confirmation of sea service;
verification of certificates;
previous employment verification;
competence or performance information;
information concerning professional conduct where relevant and legally permissible;
results of verification checks.

Such checks will be proportionate to the position concerned and conducted in accordance with applicable law.

10. Information Collected from Third Parties

GMS may receive personal information about candidates from shipowners, ship managers, vessel operators, previous employers, professional referees, recruitment partners, maritime training institutions, certification bodies, competent maritime authorities, publicly available professional sources, recruitment platforms and other lawful sources. Where required by applicable law, we will provide appropriate information concerning such processing.

11. Website and Technical Data

IP address;
browser type, device type and operating system;
date and time of access;
pages visited and referring page;
server and security logs;
session information;
other technical information necessary for website operation, security, troubleshooting, and fraud prevention.

We do not use technical information to make employment decisions unless necessary to protect the security or integrity of our recruitment systems.

12. Purposes for Which We Process Personal Data

registering and maintaining your candidate profile;
reviewing your application;
assessing your qualifications, experience, competence and suitability for maritime employment;
matching your profile with current or future vacancies;
contacting you regarding employment opportunities;
conducting interviews and assessments;
verifying identity, qualifications, certificates, sea service, employment history and references;
presenting suitable candidates to shipowners, ship managers, vessel operators and prospective employers;
arranging recruitment and placement;
facilitating employment documentation and medical fitness verification where appropriate;
organising visas, travel, crew changes, mobilisation and joining arrangements where applicable;
complying with requirements of shipowners, flag States, port States, immigration authorities and other competent authorities;
maintaining seafarer recruitment and placement records;
administering ongoing relationships with seafarers previously placed through GMS;
considering candidates for future vacancies;
communicating with candidates;
investigating complaints or recruitment-related incidents;
complying with applicable maritime, labour, employment, immigration, data protection and other legal requirements;
establishing, exercising or defending legal claims;
maintaining information security and protecting our systems;
maintaining and improving recruitment processes and services;
conducting internal audits, compliance checks and quality-management activities.

GMS does not sell candidates’ or seafarers’ personal data.

13. Legal Bases for Processing

13.1 Steps at Your Request Before Entering Into a Contract

Processing may be necessary to consider your application, identify suitable employment opportunities and take recruitment or placement steps requested by you.

13.2 Performance of a Contract

Processing may be necessary where GMS has contractual obligations concerning recruitment, placement, mobilisation or related services.

13.3 Legitimate Interests

GMS may process personal data where necessary for legitimate business purposes, including recruitment and placement operations, candidate management, verification of professional qualifications, communication with shipowners and employers, prevention of fraud, information security, compliance, quality assurance and protection of GMS’s legal interests, provided such interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

13.4 Legal Obligations

Processing may be necessary to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, maritime, labour, immigration, taxation, accounting or other obligations.

13.5 Consent

Where required, GMS may rely on your consent, particularly for certain optional processing activities, sensitive information, international transfers where consent is an appropriate mechanism or retention for future employment opportunities. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, subject to applicable law. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

14. Special Categories of Personal Data

Certain information, particularly medical information, may receive additional protection under applicable law. GMS processes such information only where it is necessary for legitimate maritime employment purposes, applicable law permits such processing an additional legal condition applies where required and appropriate confidentiality and security measures are implemented.

Candidates should avoid providing unnecessary information concerning political opinions, religion, trade union membership, sexual orientation or other sensitive matters unless specifically required by law and requested through an appropriate channel.

15. Sharing Personal Data with Shipowners and Maritime Employers

A fundamental part of GMS’s recruitment activity is introducing qualified seafarers to maritime employers. For this purpose, GMS may disclose relevant candidate information to foreign and Ukrainian shipowners, ship management companies, crew management companies, vessel operators, offshore vessel operators, prospective employers and authorised representatives of those organisations.

Information disclosed may include your CV, professional experience, sea service, qualifications, certificates, availability, references and other information reasonably necessary for evaluating your suitability. Copies of identification, medical, visa or other sensitive documents will be shared only, where reasonably necessary and legally permissible. A recipient may become an independent data controller and may provide it’s own privacy information.

16. Other Recipients of Personal Data

flag-State administrations, port or immigration authorities, consular or visa authorities and maritime authorities;
training institutions and certification bodies;
medical providers;
travel agencies, transportation providers, airlines and hotels;
insurers where relevant;
professional verification providers;
IT, cloud, website hosting and communications providers;
auditors, professional advisers, certification and inspection bodies;
competent government authorities, courts or law-enforcement authorities, where legally required.

Service providers processing data on our behalf are expected to process it only for authorised purposes and subject to appropriate confidentiality and security obligations.

17. International Transfers of Personal Data

Maritime recruitment is inherently international. A seafarer recruited in Ukraine may be considered for employment by a shipowner or ship manager located in another country and may serve aboard a vessel registered under the flag of another State. Accordingly, personal data may be transferred to or accessed from countries outside Ukraine and, where applicable, outside the European Economic Area.

GMS takes reasonable steps to ensure that international transfers are made in accordance with applicable law. Depending on the legal regime and destination, transfer mechanisms or safeguards may include recognition of an adequate level of protection, contractual data protection safeguards, Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable, explicit consent where legally appropriate, transfers necessary for entering into or performing arrangements made in the candidate’s interest or other mechanisms permitted by applicable law.

Because some countries may provide a different level of data protection than Ukraine or the EEA, GMS will use applicable safeguards where required.

18. MLC 2006 and Seafarer Confidentiality

GMS recognises the importance of confidentiality in seafarer recruitment and placement. Consistent with the principles of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, GMS seeks to ensure that personal information used in recruitment and placement is collected, maintained, stored and communicated with due regard to the seafarer’s right to privacy and the need to protect confidentiality.

Recruitment records may include qualifications, employment records, personal information relevant to employment, and medical information relevant to employment. Access to candidate information is limited to personnel and authorised recipients who have a legitimate need for the information.

19. Candidate Database and Future Vacancies

Maritime recruitment is often cyclical and suitable employment may become available after an initial application. Subject to applicable law and, where required, your consent, GMS may retain your candidate profile in it’s recruitment database to contact you regarding future vacancies, match you with future shipowner requirements, maintain your employment and sea-service history, update certificates and qualifications, and facilitate future recruitment and placement. You may contact GMS to request that your profile be updated or, where applicable, removed.

20. Data Retention

GMS does not retain personal information indefinitely. Retention periods depend on the type of information, recruitment relationship, legal requirements, operational requirements, and potential legal claims.

When the applicable retention period expires, personal information will be securely deleted, destroyed, anonymised or otherwise rendered inaccessible unless further retention is legally required or otherwise lawfully justified.

21. Data Accuracy and Candidate Responsibilities

Candidates should provide accurate, complete and current information and should inform GMS when relevant information changes, including contact details, availability, passport or Seaman’s Book details, certificates, medical fitness status, visas, sea service, and professional qualifications. GMS may periodically request candidates to confirm or update their records. Providing false or misleading information may affect suitability for recruitment or placement.

22. Data Security

GMS implements technical and organisational measures appropriate to the nature of the information processed and the associated risks. These may include:

role-based access controls and user authentication;
restrictions on access to recruitment databases;
secure storage and backup controls;
network and endpoint protection;
access logging where appropriate;
secure transmission methods;
confidentiality requirements for employees;
controlled disclosure to clients and partners;
incident management procedures;
regular review of information-security measures.

No electronic transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Nevertheless, GMS takes reasonable measures to protect personal information against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. If you believe your information has been compromised, contact info@gm-services.com.ua.

23. Personal Data Breaches

Where GMS becomes aware of a personal data breach, it will assess the nature and potential consequences of the incident and, where required by applicable law, take appropriate steps including containment and investigation, corrective action, documentation, notification of relevant authorities and notification of affected individuals where legally required.

24. Automated Decision-Making

GMS does not intend to make recruitment decisions based solely on automated processing that produces legal or similarly significant effects on candidates unless this is lawfully implemented and candidates are provided with the information and rights required by applicable law. Recruitment decisions normally involve assessment by GMS personnel, shipowners, ship managers or other authorised representatives.

25. Your Rights

Depending on applicable law and the circumstances, you may have the right to:

obtain information about the processing of your personal data;
request access to your personal data;
request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
request deletion of personal data where legally applicable;
request restriction of processing;
object to certain processing;
withdraw consent where processing relies on consent;
request portability of eligible information where applicable;
obtain information concerning recipients of your personal data;
raise concerns about unlawful processing;
lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority.

To exercise a right, contact info@gm-services.com.ua with the subject “Personal Data Request”. Please describe your request sufficiently for us to identify the relevant information. For security reasons, GMS may request reasonable information to verify your identity before responding. Do not send copies of passports or other identification documents with your initial request unless requested by GMS.

26. Withdrawal of Consent

Where GMS relies on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting info@gm-services.com.ua. Withdrawal will not affect processing lawfully carried out before withdrawal and may not require GMS to delete information that must be retained for legal, contractual, regulatory, compliance, dispute-resolution or other lawful purposes. Where withdrawal makes it impossible to process information necessary for recruitment or placement, GMS may be unable to continue providing the relevant recruitment service.

27. External Recruitment Platforms

GMS may provide access to third-party recruitment platforms or systems. If you submit personal information directly to an external platform, that provider may process information under its own privacy policy. Candidates should review the relevant privacy notice before providing information. Where a third-party provider processes information on behalf of GMS, GMS will seek to establish appropriate contractual and data protection arrangements according to the provider’s role and applicable law.

28. Cookies

The GMS website may use cookies or similar technologies necessary for website operation, security, session management, user preferences and technical performance. If GMS uses optional analytics, advertising, marketing or other non-essential technologies requiring consent, appropriate information and consent controls should be provided before those technologies are activated. Users can also control cookies through browser settings; blocking essential cookies may affect website functionality.

29. Third-Party Websites

The GMS website may contain links to shipowners, clients, maritime organisations, recruitment platforms, social media services, training providers or other external websites. GMS is not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third parties. You should review their privacy notices before providing personal information.

30. Children’s and Young Seafarers’ Data

GMS recruitment services are intended only for persons legally eligible for the relevant maritime employment. GMS does not knowingly recruit persons below the minimum age permitted for the relevant employment at sea. Where additional protections apply to young seafarers, GMS will process their personal information in accordance with applicable maritime, employment and data protection requirements. If you believe that information concerning an ineligible minor has been submitted to GMS, please contact us.

31. No Sale of Personal Information

GMS does not sell, rent or trade seafarers’ personal information to third parties for advertising or unrelated commercial purposes. Sharing candidate information with shipowners, ship managers, vessel operators and prospective employers for legitimate recruitment and placement purposes is part of GMS’s recruitment service and is governed by this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

32. Changes to This Privacy Policy

GMS may periodically update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in legislation, recruitment practices, technology, service providers, international data-transfer arrangements, or GMS’s business operations. The current version will be published on the GMS website together with the Last Updated date. Where required by law, GMS will provide additional notice concerning material changes.

33. Contact Us

Global Maritime Services LLC (GMS)
Location: Odesa, Ukraine
Registered Address: 48 Maysterska str., 65051, Odesa, Ukraine.
Website: www.gm-services.com.ua
Privacy Email: info@gm-services.com.ua
Subject: Personal Data Request

Please use the designated recruitment channels on the GMS website for CVs and new employment applications.