In order to trade and, more importantly, to get Customs clearance at each port of call, the vessel must maintain and carry on board at all times a complete set of certificates. A missing or expired certificate is one of the fastest routes to a Port State Control detention.
Core identity certificates
| Certificate | Issued by | Validity | What it states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Registry | Flag State | Until the vessel is sold | Name, official number, call sign, principal dimensions, owners |
| International Tonnage Certificate | Flag State (usually from Class measurements) | Until the vessel is sold | Gross Tonnage (GT) and Net Tonnage (NT) |
| Certificate of Class | Classification Society | Per class cycle | Confirms the vessel is classed; refrigerated cargo installations are certificated separately |
Statutory convention certificates
- Load Line Certificate — four years (subject to annual inspection); details the vessel's freeboard measurements.
- Safety Construction Certificate — four years (annual inspection); confirms the good condition of the hull.
- Safety Equipment Certificate — two years (annual inspection); lifeboats, liferafts, pyrotechnics, fire-fighting equipment and emergency radios. The surveyor also examines charts and nautical publications — Pilot Books, Lists of Lights, Nautical Almanacs.
- Safety Radio Certificate — the first page confirms radio and radar equipment meet international regulations; the following pages list equipment required and fitted.
- International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (IOPP) — confirms the vessel is equipped to remove oil from ballast and/or bilge water pumped overside.
- International Safety Management Certificate (SMC) — compliance with the ISM Code.
- International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC) — compliance with the ISPS Code.
The four Safety certificates are required under SOLAS; the IOPP certificate relates to MARPOL. All are usually issued on behalf of the Flag State by an authorised Classification Society (Recognised Organisation). The statutory surveys are totally independent of class surveys.
Editor's note: under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC), most SOLAS, Load Line and MARPOL certificates are now issued for up to five years with annual/intermediate surveys, and the Deratting Certificate has been replaced by the Ship Sanitation Control / Exemption Certificate under the IHR 2005. Always check the current Flag State requirements.
MARPOL pollution-prevention certificates
| Certificate | Applies to |
|---|---|
| International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate | Oil tankers > 150 GT; other vessels > 400 GT |
| International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk | Chemical tankers |
| International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk (NLS) | Other vessels certified to carry NLS in bulk |
| International Sewage Pollution Prevention (ISPP) Certificate | Vessels > 400 GT and/or carrying more than 15 persons |
| International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) Certificate | Vessels > 400 GT |
| Engine International Air Pollution Prevention (EIAPP) Certificate | Marine diesel engines > 130 kW |
Trade- and cargo-specific documents
- Lifting Appliance Certificate — required when working cargo with ship's own gear; details the cargo gear survey and safe working loads (SWL).
- Deratting Certificate — confirms the vessel is free of rats; issued by a Port Health Authority, valid for six months.
- Safe Manning Certificate — issued by the Flag State; states the minimum number and ranks of crew the vessel may sail with.
- Dangerous Goods Certificate — confirms the vessel meets requirements and details the segregation available for carriage of dangerous goods.
- Grain Book — for bulk grain; stability calculations for grain loading, authenticated by the Flag State.
- Deadweight Scale — shows the vessel's immersion (draft) at any degree of loading.
Master's checklist
- Keep a certificate expiry matrix and plan surveys inside their windows.
- Present originals — not copies — to Customs and Port State Control.
- Remember that a valid class certificate does not replace any statutory certificate.