Survey execution

Survey Procedures

IMRS surveys are planned against the vessel, the requested survey type, applicable class rules, statutory instruments, flag-state instructions, and previous survey status. The surveyor verifies the actual condition and operation of the ship; a certificate form is the controlled output after a satisfactory survey, not the survey procedure itself.

Before attendance: The owner or manager submits the survey application, vessel particulars, requested scope, location, readiness date, previous certificates and reports, outstanding recommendations or deficiencies, and any repair or modification information. IMRS confirms the attending surveyor, applicable scope, and required access or tests.

Standard survey workflow

Plan

Confirm the survey type, due window, vessel status, applicable requirements, previous findings, approved plans, and test program.

Open

Hold an opening meeting, verify identity and certificates, agree safe access, confirm operational readiness, and define witness points.

Examine & test

Inspect the structure, machinery, systems, equipment, records, and arrangements included in the scope. Witness tests and take measurements where required.

Record findings

Document objective evidence, deficiencies, repairs, limitations, recommendations, and the evidence required for closure.

Close & report

Hold a closing meeting, verify rectification or define follow-up, complete the survey report, and forward the record for technical review and certification.

Detailed procedures by certificate and survey

Select a certificate group to review its applicable instrument, survey occasions, pre-attendance documents, technical inspection points, required evidence, and completion criteria.

CLHMCertificate of Classification — Hull & Machinery

Applicable instrument: IMR Class Rules govern this class certificate; applicable rule edition, vessel service, notation and additional requirements must be confirmed with IMR.

Survey occasions

Initial or class-entry survey covers design appraisal, approved plans, construction supervision and commissioning before class issuance.
Periodic class-maintenance surveys include annual, intermediate where required, and special or renewal surveys under the applicable class cycle.
Bottom, docking, shaft, stern-tube, boiler, pressure-vessel or planned-machinery surveys apply only when required by notation or class rules.
Occasional survey follows damage, breakdown, accident, important repair, alteration, transfer, notation change, unapproved work or reactivation.
Remote survey or RIT may be accepted only when IMR agrees that the method and evidence are sufficient.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit the survey request, vessel particulars, due survey, class status, notations, previous reports, open Conditions of Class and authorization needs.
Provide approved drawings, calculations, as-built documents, manuals, material and welding records, alteration proposals and planned tests for entry or major work.
Prepare safe, clean, ventilated and illuminated spaces with staging, access equipment, confined-space controls, gas testing, rescue equipment and responsible crew.
Arrange accepted service suppliers and calibrated equipment for thickness measurement, NDT, diving, pressure testing and machinery testing; provide maintenance records.
For underwater attendance, submit the hull plan, cleaning method, diver or ROV procedure, communications method and dated visual-recording plan.

Technical examination and tests

Examine shell, decks, framing, bulkheads, tanks, voids, machinery spaces, openings, boundaries, welds, corrosion, deformation, leakage and coatings.
Measure thickness and perform accepted NDT at rule-selected or suspect locations; extend measurements and conduct tightness tests when the approved programme requires.
Inspect underwater hull, rudder, propeller, stern seal, sea chests, inlets, outlets, valves, fastenings, anodes and coating condition where applicable.
Examine propulsion, auxiliary machinery, boilers, pressure vessels, piping, shafting, bearings, foundations, controls, lubrication, leakage and condition-monitoring evidence.
Test steering, emergency power, essential pumps, alarms, automation, remote shutdowns, electrical systems and trials where class rules or alterations require.
Verify approved repair materials, welding, workmanship, NDT, completion tests and any documented limitation or Condition of Class with due date.
Confirm class-affecting defects, overdue items and unapproved alterations are corrected or formally accepted before class continuation.

Records and objective evidence

Current class certificate, status, notations, previous survey reports, findings and open or closed Conditions of Class.
Approved structural and machinery drawings, survey programme, manuals, coating records, damage history and repair or alteration approvals.
Thickness reports, NDT results, pressure or tightness tests, material and welding certificates, and repair completion evidence.
Machinery logbooks, PMS or CMS records, overhaul reports, clearances, calibration certificates, safety-valve records and condition-monitoring data.
Function-test, dock-trial, sea-trial, diving or ROV reports, dated photographs, access declarations and surveyor findings.

Issuance or endorsement condition: IMR may issue or endorse CLHM after the applicable class survey scope is completed by an accepted surveyor and hull, machinery, equipment, tests and records comply with the applicable IMR Rules. Class-affecting defects, unsafe conditions and overdue items must be corrected or accepted under a documented, time-limited Condition of Class or restriction. CLHM does not replace statutory certificates.

Application note: CLHM is a class certificate, not a statutory certificate. The public IMR Class material does not publish the exact CLHM code, complete IMRS rules or universal due intervals; confirm nomenclature, authority, notation and dates directly with IMR/IMRS.

Primary references: imrclass.com.pa 1 imrclass.com.pa 2 www.imo.org 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 iacs.org.uk 5

ITCInternational Tonnage Certificate (1969)

Applicable instrument: TONNAGE 1969 Articles 1–13 and Annexes I–II govern measurement and certification for qualifying ships on international voyages, subject to Convention exceptions.

Survey occasions

Initial measurement determines gross and net tonnage before the certificate is issued by the Administration or specifically authorized measurer.
Existing ships may be measured when the Convention is applied, substantially altered, transferred from a national regime or measured at owner request.
Re-determination follows changes to arrangement, capacity, space use, passenger numbers, load line or draught affecting recorded tonnage.
Flag transfer requires transmission and replacement under the Convention; the former certificate lasts no more than three months or until replacement.
The Convention prescribes no universal annual, intermediate, periodical or five-year ITC survey cycle.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit flag or RO application with ship identity, dimensions, builder, build dates, voyage, flag and whether measurement, transfer or remeasurement is requested.
Provide lines, offsets, general arrangement, construction, capacity, hydrostatic, deckhouse, hatch, appendage and enclosed-space plans needed for calculations.
Make relevant spaces accessible and provide an authorized representative familiar with boundaries, openings, closures, space use and alterations.
For transfer, provide the current ITC, former calculations, protocol, general arrangement and declaration of unchanged spaces, disclosing conversions.
Identify unusual features, recesses, coolers, open-top spaces, load-line changes, passenger changes and national or canal certificates beforehand.

Technical examination and tests

Verify Convention length, breadth, moulded depth, upper-deck definition and keel-laying or major-alteration data.
Measure volumes to the applicable structural boundaries, include permitted appendages, exclude permitted open spaces and record measurement precision.
Classify every space as enclosed or excluded, checking openings, closures, coverings, boundaries, recesses and cargo-securing arrangements.
Calculate GT from enclosed volume and NT from cargo volume, draught, depth, passenger counts and applicable Regulation 4 minimums.
Verify cargo spaces included in Vc are enclosed GT spaces, permanently marked CC and consistent with passenger and certificate data.
Reconcile drawings, physical arrangements, modifications, capacities, space classifications and calculations; obtain Administration decisions for unusual craft.
Treat the attendance as measurement and document verification, not a generic class, machinery, hull-strength or safety-condition survey.

Records and objective evidence

Traceable GT and NT calculations with dimensions, volumes, exclusions, formula inputs, passenger data and draught or load-line basis.
Drawings, offsets, capacity plans, construction plans, deck and hatch details, appendage information and scaled sketches where needed.
Measurement protocol, attendance notes, space decisions, onboard measurements, photographs, CC-mark evidence and prior calculations for remeasurement.
Annex II certificate data, issuer authority, ship identity, dimensions, GT, NT, dates, spaces, passenger counts and remarks.
Current ITC onboard, transfer correspondence, receiving-flag review and copies transmitted to the Administration when required.

Issuance or endorsement condition: Issue or endorse the ITC only after the Administration or specifically authorized measurer completes the applicable measurement, determines GT and NT under Annex I, verifies principal characteristics and resolves discrepancies. Use the Annex II form and replace the certificate after qualifying changes or flag transfer. The Administration retains responsibility; the ITC is statutory and does not prove class or seaworthiness.

Application note: TONNAGE 1969 is a measurement convention without a universal periodic survey cycle. Flag rules may add attendance, validity, transfer, remeasurement or domestic requirements, including for ships outside Convention scope; confirm flag, trade, modifications and authorization.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 treaties.un.org 2 www.imo.org 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 www.amsa.gov.au 5

LLInternational Load Line Certificate (LL)

Applicable instrument: LL 1966/1988 governs freeboard, load-line marks, reserve buoyancy, stability, structural strength and watertight or weathertight integrity.

Survey occasions

Initial survey reviews design, freeboard calculations, construction, marks, inclining or lightweight evidence and loading information before service.
Annual survey checks certificates, hull, marks, closures and freeboard arrangements; satisfactory completion endorses the certificate.
Renewal repeats the annual scope and examines hull strength for the assigned draught before a new certificate is issued.
Additional attendance may follow material alteration, repair, damage or deficiency; it is not a universal recurring category.
National terminology may call the renewal survey periodical; do not import flag-specific labels or intervals universally.

Pre-attendance preparation

Apply to the Administration or authorized RO and confirm flag-specific forms, notice, fees, scope and attendance arrangements.
Submit approved plans and calculations for strength, stability, loading, ballasting, inclining or lightweight data and conditions of assignment.
State freeboard type, intended service, geographic limits and desired summer freeboard or draught where required.
Provide hull, superstructure, hatch, ventilator, air-pipe, side-opening and closure details supporting the freeboard assignment.
Have certificates, endorsements, stability information, approved modifications and safe access to deck, closure, drainage and crew-protection fittings ready.

Technical examination and tests

Verify approved strength, stability, loading, ballasting, inclining or lightweight evidence and all conditions of freeboard assignment.
Examine hull construction, repairs and alterations relevant to strength; renewal scope must establish strength for assigned draught.
Check deck line and load-line marks for position, permanence, visibility and consistency with any hull or superstructure change.
Examine superstructure openings, hatches, coamings, covers, securing appliances, ventilators, air pipes and shell-opening closures for integrity.
Check drainage, scuppers, discharges, windows, side openings, bulwarks, freeing ports, guardrails, gangways and safe-passage arrangements.
Verify Type A, Type B, reduced or increased freeboard and timber-deck-cargo arrangements only where assigned.
Perform hose, pressure, thickness, tank or other tests only when required by the flag, RO, approved plan or condition.

Records and objective evidence

International Load Line Certificate, prior annual endorsements and any separate exemption certificate.
Approved freeboard drawings, calculations, specifications, stability and loading or ballasting information.
Inclining or lightweight results, approved modifications and records of new equipment or repairs.
Survey reports, mark-position verification, measurements or tests performed, deficiencies and corrective-action evidence.
Required certificate, survey report and loading or ballasting information transmitted or carried under the applicable Administration procedure.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or duly authorized RO may issue or endorse LL after satisfactory survey confirms compliance with LLC 66/88 and flag requirements, including correct permanent marks. Initial issue, annual endorsement and renewal follow the applicable statutory framework; certificate validity and any extension depend on the Administration. A class certificate is not interchangeable with LL.

Application note: LL applicability and timing depend on flag, Convention participation, ship type, length, voyage and exemptions. HSSC 2025 is a baseline, not a replacement for flag instructions; do not publish universal dry-dock, test or interval claims.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 wwwcdn.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.dco.uscg.mil 4 www.ecfr.gov 5

SCCargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate (SC)

Applicable instrument: SOLAS 1974 Chapter I and applicable construction, subdivision, machinery, electrical and fire-safety provisions govern this statutory cargo-ship certificate.

Survey occasions

Initial survey verifies approved design, construction, installations, tests and onboard documents before the ship enters service.
Annual survey is completed within the applicable anniversary window and checks certificates, structure, machinery, equipment and specified functions.
Intermediate survey replaces one annual survey and adds age- and type-dependent internal ballast or cargo-space examinations.
Renewal survey leads to a new certificate, normally with the HSSC maximum validity framework.
Outside-bottom inspections and additional surveys follow HSSC or flag requirements after accidents, defects, repairs or significant changes.

Pre-attendance preparation

Coordinate with the flag or authorized RO and confirm ship type, age, build-date triggers, anniversary window, ESP plan and exemptions.
Submit approved hull, subdivision, machinery, electrical, fire, stability, cargo, loading and alternative-arrangement plans as applicable.
Have statutory and class records, safety manuals, loading information, Ship Construction File, coating file and repair history available.
Prepare spaces for safe examination with cleaning, ventilation, gas-free controls, lighting, staging, rafts and approved docking or afloat access.
Arrange demonstrations, tests and competent crew for steering, alarms, machinery, electrical, bilge, watertight and cargo-related systems.

Technical examination and tests

Verify watertight subdivision, doors, decks, shell openings, ballast, bilge drainage, water-level alarms and required construction tests.
Examine propulsion, boilers, pressure vessels, piping, steering, essential auxiliaries, shutdowns, communications and dead-ship capability.
Check main and emergency electrical sources, distribution, lighting, protective arrangements and unattended-space alarms or shutdowns.
Verify fire boundaries, insulation, dampers, fire doors, ventilation stops, means of escape and ship-type-specific fire arrangements.
Examine hull, closing appliances, ballast, bilge systems, mooring equipment, coatings and unapproved structural or equipment changes.
At intermediate or renewal, apply age-, cargo-, tanker-, bulk-carrier- and fuel-specific internal or functional checks where required.
For outside-bottom inspection, examine shell, keel, rudder, propeller, shaft seals, sea chests and accessible underwater items.

Records and objective evidence

SC certificate and endorsements, survey report, completed survey type and deficiency or condition records.
Approved plans, Ship Construction File, coating technical file, enhanced-survey records and approved structural alterations.
Stability, damage-control, manoeuvring, cargo-securing, loading, emergency-towing, safe-manning and STCW evidence.
Machinery, steering, electrical, alarm, bilge, coating, mooring, atmosphere-instrument and ship-type-specific test records.
Dry-dock or in-water reports, underwater images, measurements, close-up or NDT data and access or gas-free evidence.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The flag Administration or authorized RO issues SC after satisfactory initial or renewal survey and endorses required annual, intermediate and outside-bottom inspections. The ship and its systems must comply with applicable SOLAS requirements, correspond with certificate particulars and be fit for service. Unsafe or unresolved non-compliance prevents issue or endorsement; class status is not a substitute.

Application note: HSSC 2025 harmonizes the framework but does not replace flag rules, RO authorization or ship-specific plans. Scope depends on flag, tonnage, type, age, cargo, ESP, exemptions and alternatives; do not universalize class-only or flag-specific tests.

Primary references: wwwcdn.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.legislation.gov.uk 4 www.legislation.gov.uk 5

SECargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate (SE)

Applicable instrument: SOLAS Chapters I, II-2, III and applicable Chapter V provisions govern statutory fire, life-saving, navigation and pilot-transfer equipment certification.

Survey occasions

Initial survey reviews plans, documents, installed equipment and tests before the ship enters service or the instrument first applies.
Annual survey examines and function-tests required safety equipment within the applicable anniversary window.
Periodical survey replaces one annual survey and adds specified fire, life-saving and navigation checks.
Renewal survey repeats the applicable scope and adds renewal-specific tests before a new certificate is issued.
Additional survey follows accidents, defects, repairs, renewals, replacements or significant modifications affecting certification.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit application, ship particulars, approved fire, life-saving, launching, detection, alarm and navigation plans.
Have current SE, Form E, alternative certificate, exemptions, statutory records, class status and Continuous Synopsis Record available.
Prepare fire-control plans, muster lists, emergency instructions, LSA plans, manuals, onboard maintenance checklists and manufacturer information.
Provide drill, training, boat, fire, alarm, launching, servicing and equipment-maintenance records with authorized service-provider evidence.
Make survival craft, launching appliances, release gear, pumps, fixed systems, alarms and navigation equipment safe and accessible for tests.

Technical examination and tests

Verify fire pumps, emergency pump, fire main, hydrants, extinguishers, breathing apparatus, fixed systems and detection or alarm arrangements.
Check survival-craft capacity, stowage, embarkation, launching, recovery, release mechanisms, hydrostatic releases, signals and communications.
Function-test fire pumps and applicable fire systems; demonstrate required water delivery only where the approved statutory scope requires.
Examine lifeboats, rescue boats, engines, release gear, launching appliances and MSC.402(96) service and test evidence.
Check navigation equipment, charts, publications, lights, shapes, signals, compasses, pilot-transfer arrangements and related records.
Apply periodical, five-year, tanker, container, dangerous-goods or gas-fuel checks only when the ship and flag scope require.
Identify unapproved modifications, deterioration, defects and failed demonstrations, extending examination when evidence creates doubt.

Records and objective evidence

SE certificate, Form E or alternative Cargo Ship Safety Certificate and approved exemptions or alternatives.
Approved fire, LSA, navigation, emergency, maintenance and training plans, manuals and technical documentation.
Survey reports, deficiency records, statutory and class certificates, CSR and completed functional-test results.
SOLAS drills, musters, launchings, training, alarm, fire and LSA maintenance records.
MSC.402(96) service reports, provider authorization, personnel certificates, LSA certificates and equipment-service evidence.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RO issues SE after satisfactory initial or renewal survey and endorses annual or periodical surveys. Equipment must comply with applicable SOLAS, LSA and FSS requirements, match certificate particulars and remain fit for sea. Deficiencies must be corrected or formally accepted under flag procedure; class status alone cannot issue SE.

Application note: SE is statutory flag certification, not class certification. Population, exemptions, service-provider requirements, survey windows, remote methods and tests vary by flag and RO; do not apply one national threshold or checklist universally.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 wwwcdn.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 www.imo.org 5

SR / RTCargo Ship Safety Radio (SR) and Cargo Ship Safety Radiotelephony (RT)

Applicable instrument: SR follows SOLAS Chapter IV GMDSS and cargo-ship radio certification; RT follows the issuing flag’s national radiotelephony regime, which has no universal global checklist.

Survey occasions

SR initial survey verifies approved design, installed radio equipment, life-saving radio equipment and functional tests before first issue.
SR periodical or annual survey repeats the radio technical scope and results in endorsement when satisfactory.
SR renewal survey reviews equipment, records, tests and maintenance arrangements before a new certificate and Form R.
RT initial, renewal or periodical surveys occur as prescribed by the issuing flag; national examples must not be generalized.
Additional survey follows material alteration, accident, radio defect or any flag-required change affecting radio completeness.

Pre-attendance preparation

Arrange attendance before entry, expiry or the flag window through the Administration, authorized RO or approved radio surveyor.
Submit application, ship particulars, sea areas, exemptions, approved plans, equipment specifications, antennas, energy sources and maintenance method.
Have certificate, Form R or national form, radio licence, identity data, equipment inventory and type-approval evidence ready.
Provide service-firm reports, calibrated test equipment, battery evidence, EPIRB tests, shore-maintenance records, manuals, spares and operator certificates.
Make radio spaces, antennas, feeders, batteries, EPIRB, SART, portable VHF and survival-craft radios accessible and safe to test.

Technical examination and tests

Confirm sea areas, required equipment, maintenance option, independent distress paths, reserve energy and approved plans against installation.
Inspect radio locations, protection, antennas, feeders, insulation, position input, controls, markings, accessibility and emergency power.
Test batteries, chargers, VHF, DSC, MF/HF, satellite equipment, distress alarms and applicable shore or ship contact functions.
Check NAVTEX, enhanced group call, EPIRB coding, float-free mounting, hydrostatic release, SART or AIS-SART response and battery expiry.
Verify test equipment, spares, manuals, radio logs, licences, operator qualifications and maintenance arrangements.
For RT, apply only the radiotelephony equipment and performance checks required by the issuing flag and certificate regime.

Records and objective evidence

Survey report naming scope, tests, results, omissions, deficiencies and authorized organization.
SR certificate with Form R or the applicable RT national certificate and equipment schedule.
Radio station licence, GOC or ROC evidence, radio log, ITU publications and operator records.
Approved plans, type approvals, service reports, calibrated measurements, call or hard-copy tests and battery or EPIRB evidence.
Endorsements, renewal record, deficiency notices, corrective action and approved maintenance arrangements.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The authorized issuer issues or endorses SR when radio installations and radio life-saving equipment satisfy SOLAS and applicable performance standards. RT is issued only when the installation satisfies the issuing flag’s statutory requirements. Significant deficiencies must be corrected or accepted under flag procedure before issue or endorsement.

Application note: SR is a harmonized SOLAS certificate within its scope; RT is flag-dependent. Class or service-provider reports do not replace statutory certification unless the flag has expressly delegated that function.

Primary references: wwwcdn.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 www.gov.uk 5

CSS500 / GPPCargo Ship Safety Certificate under 500 GT (CSS500) and Garbage Pollution Prevention Statement (GPP)

Applicable instrument: CSS500 is a flag-specific or regional under-500-GT safety certificate; GPP verifies MARPOL Annex V controls as a voluntary or separately required statement.

Survey occasions

CSS500 initial survey reviews plans, structure, machinery, equipment, documents and tests before service.
CSS500 annual, intermediate, renewal and outside-bottom surveys apply only where the flag adopts the relevant HSSC or national scheme.
CSS500 additional survey follows casualty, damage, repair, modification, transfer or deficiency verification under flag procedure.
GPP issuance occurs at owner request or under a specific flag or contract arrangement; it has no universal IMO certificate cycle.
GPP follow-up may follow alteration, pollution incident, deficiency or issuer request rather than a mandatory recurring interval.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit ship identity, flag, GT, dimensions, build date, service, voyage and exact certificate scope or authorization.
Provide approved plans, safety records, current certificates, endorsements, exemptions, manuals and national Record of Approved Safety Equipment.
Prepare bottom-inspection, fire, LSA, navigation, radio, emergency, lifting-appliance and service reports only where the flag scope requires.
Make machinery, equipment, cargo spaces and bridge accessible, systems operational and responsible crew available for demonstrations.
For GPP, provide Garbage Management Plan, placards, Garbage Record Book, segregation or processing arrangements and crew familiarization.

Technical examination and tests

Reconcile GT, length, flag, voyage, ship type, construction date, certificate scope, exemptions and approved arrangements.
Inspect structure, machinery, watertight integrity, fire protection, life-saving appliances and underwater condition to the flag-defined scope.
Check navigation, emergency equipment, radio or GMDSS, cargo operations and lifting appliances only where applicable to certificate scope.
For GPP, verify placards, plan, record-book entries, garbage storage, processing, discharge restrictions and delivery evidence.
Confirm no unapproved changes and that defects, service findings and required corrective actions are closed or formally accepted.

Records and objective evidence

Survey report or verification checklist with scope, examinations, tests, defects, photographs and final condition.
CSS500 safety-equipment record, equivalent statutory forms, approved plans, manuals and operating instructions.
Fire, LSA, radio, navigation, emergency, AIS or LRIT and lifting-appliance service records where applicable.
Bottom inspection reports, photographs, measurements, repairs, endorsements, exemptions and flag approvals where required.
GPP plan, Garbage Record Book, placard and equipment evidence, crew familiarization and port-reception records.

Issuance or endorsement condition: CSS500 may be issued or endorsed only by the flag or expressly authorized RO after the applicable under-500-GT requirements, equipment, documents and tests are satisfactory. GPP/SOC-GPP follows satisfactory Annex V verification when requested or required, but remains separate from mandatory Annex V duties and has no universal IMO validity.

Application note: CSS500 is not one universal IMO certificate, and GPP is not a standardized mandatory certificate. Intervals, scope, thresholds, bottom inspections and radio requirements are flag-dependent; confirm the certificate specimen and delegation.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 www.panamashipregistry.com 5

IOPPInternational Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (IOPP)

Applicable instrument: MARPOL Annex I Regulations 6–10 govern IOPP certification for qualifying oil tankers and other ships on international voyages to another Party’s jurisdiction.

Survey occasions

Initial survey examines Annex I structure, equipment, systems, fittings, arrangements and materials before first issue.
Annual survey checks continued maintenance and Annex I equipment within the applicable anniversary window.
Intermediate survey replaces one annual survey and focuses on equipment, pumps, piping, ODME and tanker systems.
Renewal survey completes the required Annex I scope and leads to a certificate with maximum five-year validity.
Additional survey follows qualifying accident, defect, important repair or renewal and verifies effective corrective work.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit application, current IOPP, Form A or B, prior endorsements, survey reports and open-deficiency status.
Provide approved Annex I drawings for discharge, bilge, sludge, ballast, fuel protection, ODME, SBT, COW and tanker arrangements as applicable.
Have approved manuals, type approvals, calibration certificates, Oil Record Books, SOPEP or SMPEP and STS plan where applicable.
Prepare tanks and spaces safely, with gas-free controls, accessible piping, pumps, alarms, interlocks, recorders and discharge-control systems.
Disclose repairs, alterations, exemptions, equivalents and class evidence; class records support but do not replace IOPP certification.

Technical examination and tests

Verify oil-discharge controls, approved OWS, ODME, sludge tanks, discharge connections, fuel protection and oil or ballast segregation.
Examine and function-test oily-water equipment, alarms, automatic discharge stops and special-area arrangements as applicable.
For tankers, check ODME, COW, SBT or CBT, slop tanks, interfaces, cargo piping, stripping, dirty ballast and cross-connection controls.
At intermediate or renewal, verify equipment, pumps, piping, manuals, calibration, simulated or equivalent operations and tanker protection.
Confirm no unapproved changes and that repairs, materials, workmanship, records and operational controls remain satisfactory.

Records and objective evidence

IOPP Certificate with Form A or B, endorsements, survey report and repair or deficiency history.
Approved Annex I plans, type approvals, manuals, calibration certificates, alarm, interlock and automatic-stop test evidence.
Oil Record Book Part I and Part II for tankers, including accepted electronic records where applicable.
SOPEP or SMPEP, COW, DCBT, ODME, stability, CAS and STS documents where required.
Class status, PSC evidence and additional-survey records as supporting documentation only.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RO issues IOPP after satisfactory initial or renewal survey and endorses annual or intermediate surveys. Annex I equipment, systems, records and condition must comply, and repairs or deficiencies must be resolved or formally handled under flag procedure. Validity may not exceed five years.

Application note: IOPP is statutory MARPOL certification, not a class checklist. Exact extent, tank-entry methods, alternatives, extensions and additional checks depend on flag, vessel type, build date, equipment and RO authorization.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

IAPP (MARPOL Annex VI, Appendix I) / HSSC survey code A: AI initial, AA annual, AIn intermediate, AR renewal; Ad additional surveyInternational Air Pollution Prevention Certificate (IAPP)

Applicable instrument: MARPOL Annex VI Regulations 4–18 and related provisions govern IAPP for generally applicable ships of 400 GT and above, plus applicable platforms or drilling rigs on international voyages.

Survey occasions

Initial survey reviews plans, records, installations and tests before first issue or when a new instrument applies.
Annual survey checks certificates, records, visual condition and specified functions within the anniversary window.
Intermediate survey replaces one annual survey and applies the relevant annual-scope verification.
Renewal survey adds applicable incinerator safety-device verification and leads to a new certificate, subject to the five-year maximum.
Additional survey follows important repair, renewal or investigation-related repair affecting Annex VI compliance.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit application, ship particulars, exemptions, special conditions and initial design documents required by HSSC.
Have IAPP supplement, approved ODS, NOx, SOx, EGCS, VOC and incinerator documents available as applicable.
Prepare EIAPP certificates, NOx Technical Files, parameter records or OMMs for each applicable diesel engine.
Provide fuel-changeover records, EGCS plans and logs, ODS records, VOC plan, incinerator approvals, BDNs and retained samples.
Keep related IEE, SEEMP, DCS, CII and EEXI documents available without treating them as substitutes for IAPP.

Technical examination and tests

Verify approved ODS, NOx, SOx, particulate, EGCS, VOC and incineration arrangements against plans and installation.
Check ODS equipment, prohibited substances, leak or maintenance evidence and absence of deliberate emissions where applicable.
Verify engine Tier, Technical File, components, settings, test methods, calibrated instruments and direct-monitoring arrangements as applicable.
Check compliant fuel, changeover, EGCS monitoring, designated sampling points and approved operating documentation.
Examine VOC collection systems and verify the VOC Management Plan for applicable crude-oil ships.
Inspect incinerator marking, operation, training, leakage, temperature and renewal alarm or safety-device testing where applicable.
Confirm no unapproved modifications and extend checks when condition or evidence raises doubt.

Records and objective evidence

IAPP Certificate, supplement, endorsements, approved plans, exemptions and prior survey records.
EIAPP certificates, NOx Technical Files, parameter records, OMMs, calibration data, fuel samples and test reports.
ODS list and record book, leak, maintenance, recharge, disposal and reception-facility evidence.
Fuel-changeover records, BDNs, MARPOL samples, EGCS logs, SECP, ETM or OMM and VOC records.
Incinerator approval, manual, training, maintenance and temperature records, plus related energy-efficiency records.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RO issues IAPP after satisfactory Annex VI survey and endorses satisfactory annual or intermediate surveys; renewal issues a new certificate. Applicable equipment, systems, materials, records and repairs must comply, and unresolved non-compliance prevents issue or endorsement.

Application note: IAPP is statutory MARPOL certification, not class certification. Applicability of NOx, EGCS, VOC, ODS, incinerator and related checks depends on ship particulars, dates, equipment, trading and flag instructions; do not publish a universal calendar.

Primary references: wwwcdn.imo.org 1 wwwcdn.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

ISPP / International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate / MARPOL Annex IV regulation 5International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate (ISPP)

Applicable instrument: MARPOL Annex IV Regulations 2, 4–11 govern ISPP for ships of 400 GT and above and smaller ships certified to carry more than 15 persons on applicable international voyages.

Survey occasions

Initial survey examines the Annex IV sewage system and discharge arrangements before first issue.
Renewal survey occurs at Administration-specified intervals not exceeding five years and leads to a new certificate.
Additional survey follows accident, defect, important repair, renewal or system change affecting Annex IV compliance.
Specific validity extensions or endorsements may apply under Regulation 8; they are not routine annual surveys.
Qualifying accidents or defects must be reported so the Administration or RO can determine additional attendance.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit application, ship particulars, approved sewage plans, piping diagrams, exemptions and special conditions.
Provide treatment-plant type approval or approved holding-tank calculations, operating manual, nameplate and limitations.
Prepare current ISPP, survey history, repair records, discharge records and evidence of sanctioned changes.
Make treatment plant, comminuting or disinfecting system, holding tank, piping and discharge connection accessible and operational.
Use safe access and provide competent crew for functional checks without unsafe tank entry.

Technical examination and tests

Verify an approved treatment plant, comminuting or disinfecting system, or Administration-approved holding tank arrangement.
Examine sewage treatment plant type, installation, nameplate, operating limits and satisfactory operation.
Functionally inspect comminuting or disinfecting equipment and temporary storage where the system uses it.
Check holding-tank construction, capacity, level indication, discharge pipeline and Administration-approved discharge rate.
Verify standard shore discharge connection, piping, certificate particulars, maintenance and absence of unapproved modifications.
Treat type-approval performance sampling as approval or commissioning evidence, not an automatic routine renewal test.

Records and objective evidence

ISPP Certificate, endorsements, extensions and certificate particulars.
Approved sewage drawings, piping, calculations, specifications and exemption or equivalent approvals.
Treatment-plant type approval, test appendix, commissioning evidence or holding-tank and discharge-rate approvals.
Operating manual, equipment labels, crew familiarization, maintenance and discharge records.
Survey reports, photographs, defect, repair, modification and corrective-action evidence.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or expressly authorized RO issues ISPP after satisfactory initial or renewal survey confirms compliant sewage equipment, arrangements, discharge connection and records. Validity may not exceed five years; extensions require specific Regulation 8 conditions. Class work alone is not ISPP certification.

Application note: ISPP has no universal annual cycle under Annex IV. Flag or RO procedures may add checks, documents or sampling; MEPC.227 performance values are not routine renewal tests for every ship.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 wwwcdn.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 www.aph.gov.au 5

IEE / SEEMP / FUELEnergy efficiency, SEEMP approval and fuel-oil consumption compliance (IEE, SEEMP, FUEL)

Applicable instrument: MARPOL Annex VI Chapter 4 governs IEE, SEEMP confirmations, DCS data verification and operational CII Statements of Compliance for applicable ships.

Survey occasions

IEE initial or major-conversion survey verifies EEDI or EEXI and applicable energy-efficiency arrangements.
SEEMP Part I is retained onboard; Part II is verified before applicable data collection and after required revisions or transfers.
SEEMP Part III is verified initially, on required updates and at the stated recurring verification interval under the applicable rules.
Annual FUEL verification reconciles each calendar year’s data and determines the ship’s CII rating where applicable.
Additional verification follows corrective-action plans, major conversions, flag or company transfers and certificate-invalidating changes.

Pre-attendance preparation

Identify flag authorization, ship type, GT, voyage, propulsion, exemptions and whether EEDI, EEXI, DCS or CII applies.
Submit EEDI or EEXI Technical Files, speed-power evidence, engine data, capacity, fuel, SFC, auxiliary-power and EPL or OMM information.
Provide SEEMP Part II methodology, fuel consumers, BDN method, meters, tank readings, data gaps, controls, responsibilities and revision history.
Provide SEEMP Part III CII methodology, three-year SMART plan, self-evaluation and corrective-action plan where triggered.
For FUEL verification, submit annual reports, BDNs, logs, voyage data, auto-logs, calculations, correction factors and prior Statements of Compliance.

Technical examination and tests

Review EEDI or EEXI calculations, required index, MCR, speed, fuel, capacity, auxiliary power and energy-saving assumptions.
Verify overridable power limitation, OMM, seals, speed-power evidence, sea-trial or in-service performance where applicable.
Assess SEEMP Part II coverage of all fuel consumers, metering, tank reconciliation, calibration, fallback and data-gap controls.
Check DCS fields for fuel, consumer type, distance, hours, transport work, voyage adjustments and applicable implementation dates.
Assess SEEMP Part III targets, measures, responsibilities, self-evaluation, data quality and corrective-action plan.
Reconcile annual data to BDNs, logbooks, oil records, voyage reports, distance, hours, prior periods and CII calculations.
Do not infer a universal physical meter or tank-gauge test from the documentary verification framework.

Records and objective evidence

IEE Certificate and energy-efficiency Record of Construction, Technical Files, calculations and speed-power evidence.
SEEMP Parts I–III, confirmations, revisions, implementation plans, self-evaluations and corrective-action evidence.
DCS reports, disaggregated records, BDNs, logs, voyage reports, auto-logs, calibration and maintenance data.
Fuel-oil and CII Statements of Compliance, ratings, transfer statements and required onboard retention evidence.
Company audits, shipboard verification reports, workpapers, correction factors and assigned responsibilities.

Issuance or endorsement condition: IEE is issued or endorsed after authorized verification of applicable Chapter 4 compliance; SEEMP confirmations follow satisfactory documentary verification; FUEL Statements of Compliance follow annual DCS and CII verification. The Administration retains responsibility, and corrective plans must be verified before required statements are issued after persistent poor ratings.

Application note: Scope and timing are flag- and authorization-dependent. EEDI, EEXI, SEEMP, DCS and CII checks depend on ship category, dates and exemptions; 2027 amendments adopted in 2026 are not mandatory at the September 2026 cutoff.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

IAFSInternational Anti-Fouling System Certificate (IAFS)

Applicable instrument: The AFS Convention and Annexes 1 and 4 govern anti-fouling-system control, survey and certification; generally the certificate applies to qualifying ships of 400 GT and above on international voyages.

Survey occasions

Initial statutory survey occurs before service or first issue and covers applicable AFS Convention requirements.
Additional survey follows anti-fouling system change or replacement; a substantial repair may be treated as change under the Convention.
After satisfactory change or replacement, the Record of Anti-fouling Systems is endorsed with the new system details.
The Convention provides no universal annual, intermediate, renewal or five-year IAFS survey cycle.
Port-State inspection is separate and may involve documentary checks or sampling only when clear grounds exist.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit survey request with ship name, registry, GT, distinctive number and IMO number.
Provide manufacturer declaration identifying system type, product, colour, active ingredients, CAS numbers and Convention version.
For replacement, provide current certificate and record, system history, removal or sealer-coat evidence and new declaration.
Have MSDS, receipts, invoices, containers, application dates, facilities and hull areas accessible for verification.
Use safe access and corroborate application history with shipyard, log and dry-dock evidence without assuming dry-dock attendance is mandatory.

Technical examination and tests

Match the applied system, product, colour and sealer coat to the manufacturer declaration and record.
Verify prohibited organotin systems and cybutryne-containing systems were removed or covered within applicable Convention controls.
Check certificate status entries, system history, application dates, manufacturer, active ingredients and CAS numbers.
Sample or test distinct systems only when documentation leaves reasonable doubt, using representative locations and accepted laboratories.
For cybutryne or organotin investigations, apply Administration-accepted analytical methods and documented concentration guidance.
Confirm non-compliant systems are repaired or replaced; do not expand the survey into general coating workmanship or hull condition.

Records and objective evidence

IAFS Certificate with permanently attached Record of Anti-fouling Systems.
Manufacturer declaration, MSDS, product-container linkage, invoices, application and removal or sealer-coat records.
Survey request, record endorsements, shipyard or dry-dock confirmations, log entries and relevant statutory evidence.
Sampling locations, photographs, inspection report, laboratory results, facility identity, authenticity and chain-of-custody records.
Owner Declaration for ships in the sub-certificate regime, where applicable, kept distinct from an IAFS Certificate.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RO issues IAFS after satisfactory initial survey confirms Annex 1 compliance and attaches the Record; the Record is endorsed after satisfactory change or replacement survey. A class coating survey or voluntary statement is not IAFS unless the flag has specifically delegated the statutory function.

Application note: IAFS has no universal annual cycle, fixed sampling, mandatory dry-dock or blanket paint-workmanship test. Scope, thresholds, declarations and regional requirements depend on flag, voyage, ship size and authorization.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

IBWMInternational Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWM)

Applicable instrument: The BWM Convention Sections B–E govern the approved Ballast Water Management Plan, record book, D-1/D-2 or D-4 arrangements, survey, issuance and validity.

Survey occasions

Initial survey verifies the approved plan, systems, documents and commissioning evidence before first issue.
Annual survey checks plan-associated items, records and BWMS operation and endorses the certificate when satisfactory.
Intermediate survey replaces one annual survey and examines D-2 BWMS equipment for defects, deterioration or damage.
Renewal survey repeats the intermediate scope and may confirm prototype treatment operation before a new certificate.
Additional survey follows retrofit, change, replacement, significant repair, accident or defect affecting ballast-water capability.

Pre-attendance preparation

Apply to the flag or authorized RO with current certificate, plan, ship particulars and retrofit or repair history.
Provide approved BWMP, BWMS installation plans, prototype plans, BWRB and relevant technical drawings.
For D-2, prepare type approval, environmental testing, manuals, P&IDs, commissioning, calibration, sampling and active-substance evidence.
Make BWMS, piping, pumps, controls, alarms, bypass, recorders and sampling points accessible for examination and tests.
For D-4 or retrofit work, provide prototype compliance, revised drawings, commissioning, calibration and repair evidence.

Technical examination and tests

Verify BWMP, BWRB, design, installation plans, type approval and prototype compliance against applicable BWM regulations.
Check BWMS installation, inlets, outlets, penetrations, workmanship, manuals, calibration, sampling facilities and component conformity.
Function-test controls, monitoring, alarms, recording devices, bypass safeguards, event records and commissioning completion.
At annual or intermediate survey, examine external condition, operation, calibration evidence, records and active-substance instructions.
At renewal or additional survey, repeat relevant scopes and confirm effective retrofit, repair, replacement or prototype operation.
Apply D-2 checks only where D-2 equipment is applicable; do not infer them for lawful D-1 operation.

Records and objective evidence

Approved BWMP, current IBWM, BWRB, survey report, endorsements, ship particulars and approved drawings.
BWMS type approval, environmental test statement, manuals, P&IDs, commissioning, calibration and monitoring records.
Operational BWRB entries for uptake, treatment, discharge, reception facilities, bypasses and exceptional events.
Prototype compliance and continuing-operation evidence, repair records and completion evidence for additional surveys.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RO issues IBWM after successful statutory E-1 survey confirms the plan, equipment, systems and applicable commissioning. The certificate may not be issued to a non-Party flag under the Convention rules; annual or intermediate endorsements and renewal validity follow Administration procedure, with a maximum five-year period.

Application note: IBWM is statutory, not class or voluntary certification. Administration and RO control delegated scope and local procedures; D-2 checks do not apply to lawful D-1 operation, and ballast sampling or PSC checks are separate enforcement activities.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

DOC / SMCISM Document of Compliance (DOC) and Safety Management Certificate (SMC)

Applicable instrument: SOLAS Chapter IX makes the ISM Code mandatory for ships within its application; DOC is shore-side verification and SMC is shipboard verification.

Survey occasions

Interim DOC and SMC verifications support new companies, ship types, new ships, management changes and flag transfers under controlled flag procedures.
Initial DOC audit assesses shore-side SMS conformity and effectiveness; initial SMC audit verifies shipboard implementation for the relevant DOC ship type.
Annual DOC verification occurs around the DOC anniversary; an intermediate SMC verification is required where applicable.
Renewal DOC and SMC audits complete the full scope before expiry and normally produce certificates valid up to five years.
Additional verification follows organizational changes, casualty, detention, reactivation, major non-conformity or corrective action; remote audits remain exceptional.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit audit request, scope, locations, ships, timing, working language, responsible escort and opening or closing arrangements.
Provide current SMS manuals, ship-specific procedures, implementation plans, revision records and controlled forms.
Prepare company profile, organization, shore locations, ship-type list and implementation evidence for interim or new DOC audits.
Make certificates, survey history, PSC, casualty, maintenance, internal audits, management reviews, DPA records, training and drills available.
For onboard audit, have DOC, SMC, ship SMS, certificates, records, crew and safe access ready; arrange representative demonstrations safely.

Technical examination and tests

Audit SMS policy, safe operation, pollution prevention, authority, communication, reporting, emergency response, internal audit and management review.
Verify DOC identity, ship-type scope, validity, CSR correspondence and a copy onboard each covered ship.
Test that SMS is implemented through interviews, records, observation and representative operational sampling, not documentation alone.
Verify DPA access, Master overriding authority, crew competence, safe manning, familiarization, working language and communication controls.
Sample navigation, mooring, cargo, bunkering, maintenance, permits, tank operations and ship-specific operational risk controls.
Review emergency plans, drills, evaluations, shore response, SOPEP or SMPEP and security interfaces as applicable.
Classify findings, establish objective evidence, corrective action, root cause, prevention and due dates; do not duplicate physical surveys.

Records and objective evidence

SMS manuals, procedures, forms, controlled revisions, company profile, organization and DPA contacts.
DOC, SMC, interim certificates, validity history, CSR correspondence and prior audit reports.
Internal audits, management and Master reviews, non-conformities, corrective-action plans and closure evidence.
Statutory or class certificates, survey, PSC, casualty, maintenance, defect, crew, training and safe-manning records.
Operational logs, permits, voyage plans, drills, emergency plans, response communications and traceable audit evidence.

Issuance or endorsement condition: DOC and SMC are issued or endorsed by the flag or authorized RO after satisfactory shore-side or shipboard verification demonstrates ISM conformity and effective implementation. A major non-conformity prevents issue, renewal or endorsement until corrective action and any additional audit are accepted. These are management-system certificates, not class or equipment surveys.

Application note: ISM verification is an audit and sampling exercise, not a universal technical test list. Scope, ship types, domestic application, remote attendance, findings and extensions remain flag- and RO-dependent; A.1188(33) is the cited current IMO guideline.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 wwwcdn.imo.org 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 iacs.org.uk 5

ISSCInternational Ship Security Certificate (ISSC)

Applicable instrument: SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and ISPS Code Part A govern statutory ship-security verification, the approved Ship Security Plan and associated security equipment.

Survey occasions

Initial verification confirms the security system, equipment and approved SSP before first ISSC issue.
Renewal verification occurs at Administration-specified intervals not exceeding five years and reassesses the complete security system.
At least one intermediate verification is required during validity, normally between the second and third anniversaries when one is used.
Additional verification follows SSP amendment, security-equipment change, SSAS work, ship or flag change, company change or non-conformity.
Interim ISSC may support delivery, re-entry, flag or company change for up to six months; ISSC is not an HSSC annual survey.

Pre-attendance preparation

Apply to the flag or authorized Recognized Security Organization with ship identity, certificate status and requested verification type.
Submit approved SSP, SSA, revision history, approval evidence and changed sections for amendments.
Provide ISSC, reports, registry, DOC, company information, CSO and SSO designations, training and competency evidence.
Prepare SSAS configuration, activation points, destination, test report, maintenance and calibration records.
Make security records, restricted areas, personnel and equipment accessible for interviews, document sampling, tours and requested drills.

Technical examination and tests

Verify SSP basis in SSA, implementation, protection, security levels, access, restricted areas, cargo, stores, drills and communications.
Tour access points, visitor controls, screening, restricted areas, monitoring, lighting, locks, seals, CCTV or equivalent SSP measures.
Check cargo, stores and unaccompanied baggage authorization, integrity, inspection, screening and anti-tampering controls.
Interview Master, SSO and personnel about duties, escalation, response, reporting, security levels, SSP and port interface.
Review audits, reviews, drills, incidents, breaches, security-level changes, amendments, corrective actions and equipment maintenance.
Verify SSAS activation, independent locations, flag-destination transmission, no onboard alarm, reset controls and test evidence.
Confirm unapproved changes are absent and close deficiencies under the Administration or RSO procedure.

Records and objective evidence

Approved SSP, SSA, revision history, amendments, approval letters and implementation records.
ISSC, verification reports, endorsements, RSO authorization and closure of findings or corrective-action plans.
Security training, drills, incidents, breaches, communications, audits, reviews, amendments and equipment records.
Declarations of Security, port-interface records, SSAS tests, maintenance, calibration and equipment inventories.
Registry, DOC, company information, CSO or SSO appointments, competence evidence and protected working-language records.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RSO issues ISSC after satisfactory initial or renewal verification confirms the security system, associated equipment and approved SSP comply with SOLAS XI-2 and ISPS Part A. Intermediate verification is endorsed. Interim ISSC additionally requires the prescribed SSA, SSP, SSAS, company, SSO and implementation conditions.

Application note: ISSC has no universal annual survey. Scope, SSP workflow, retention, SSAS testing, training, findings and extensions are Administration or RSO dependent; class, commercial security audits and ISM attendance do not replace it.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.gov.uk 4 www.sdir.no 5

MLCMaritime Labour Certificate (MLC)

Applicable instrument: The ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended, governs statutory certification of seafarers’ working and living conditions through DMLC Parts I and II.

Survey occasions

Initial certification reviews DMLC Part II and inspects onboard compliance before first issue.
Renewal survey occurs before expiry; certificate validity may not exceed five years.
Intermediate inspection for a five-year certificate occurs between the second and third anniversaries and has renewal-level scope.
Interim MLC may apply for new delivery, flag change or new shipowner operation for up to six months.
Additional inspection follows substantial Title 3 alteration or re-registration; non-certified or smaller eligible ships remain subject to applicable flag inspection.

Pre-attendance preparation

Confirm flag, trade, GT, ship type, construction status and RO authorization; obtain current flag DMLC Part I.
Prepare shipowner DMLC Part II, implementation measures, procedures and referenced documents for continuous compliance.
Provide accommodation drawings, prior reports, deficiencies, corrective actions and alteration approvals for initial or renewed attendance.
Have crew, age, medical, STCW, SEA, CBA, work/rest, wage, accommodation, food, medical, OSH, complaint, repatriation and liability records ready.
For interim certification, demonstrate procedures, Master familiarity, document access, vessel availability and private crew interview arrangements.

Technical examination and tests

Compare DMLC Parts I and II, inspect spaces and equipment, review evidence and privately interview representative seafarers.
Verify age, medical fitness, qualifications, safe manning, SEA, CBA, recruitment controls and employment records.
Check posted work arrangements, rest records, logs, fatigue controls and national or collective exceptions.
Inspect accommodation, recreation, sanitation, heating, ventilation, lighting, noise, vibration, food, water, galley and menus.
Verify OSH policy, risk controls, PPE, accident reporting, machinery, enclosed-space, dangerous-goods, emergency and harassment controls.
Check medical care, medicines, complaints, wages, financial security for repatriation and shipowner-liability documentation.
Confirm corrective actions, posted documents, translations and DMLC records are current and available.

Records and objective evidence

DMLC Part I and certified Part II, MLC, translations, postings and certificate or endorsement.
Crew, age, medical, STCW, safe-manning, SEA, CBA, recruitment, work/rest, log, payroll and wage records.
Accommodation, food, water, medical, OSH, complaint, accident and safety-committee records.
Financial-security documents for repatriation and shipowner liability, plus prior reports and corrective-action evidence.
Inspection results, deficiency lists, DMLC updates and interim-certification evidence.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The competent authority or authorized RO issues MLC after inspection confirms all applicable certified areas meet flag requirements and DMLC Part II measures are implemented. The certificate accompanies DMLC Parts I and II for no more than five years; intermediate endorsement and interim issuance require the Convention’s prescribed conditions.

Application note: MLC is statutory flag certification, not class or ISM/ISPS certification. Validity, DMLC national requirements, equivalences, sampling, evidence and amendments in force depend on the flag; verify the 2026 ILO Compendium against national law.

Primary references: www.ilo.org 1 www.ilo.org 2 www.ilo.org 3 normlex.ilo.org 4 www.gov.uk 5

CG / DG / SBC / GRAINCargo gear, dangerous goods, solid bulk cargo and grain authorization (CG, DG, SBC, GRAIN)

Applicable instrument: SOLAS Chapters II-1/3-13, II-2/19, VI and VII, the IMSBC and Grain Codes, and applicable ILO or flag rules govern these distinct cargo-related functions.

Survey occasions

CG design, installation, testing and examination follow the applicable SOLAS or ILO/flag regime, including after major repair or alteration.
DG verification accompanies applicable statutory surveys and each shipment’s operational manifest, stowage and segregation controls.
SBC uses ship-specific stability, loading and cargo approvals; loading plans and cargo information are checked before operations.
GRAIN initial approval issues the Document of Authorization; changes require reapproval or additional survey.
Class, statutory, port, competent-authority and terminal checks may be separate; no universal recurring SBC interval is prescribed.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit ship identity, flag, GT, certificates, cargo plans, prior findings, approved drawings and intended cargoes or ports.
For CG, provide appliance inventory, SWL, rigging plans, registers, certificates, tests, examinations, maintenance and defects.
For DG, provide II-2/19 Document of Compliance, cargo spaces, permitted classes, IMDG documents, fire, ventilation and electrical plans.
For SBC, provide stability, loading manual, limits, cargo information, moisture or TML evidence, competent-authority treatment and terminal plan.
For GRAIN, provide Document of Authorization, grain manual, calculations, approved fittings, securing plans and revision history.

Technical examination and tests

Examine lifting appliances, foundations, sheaves, pins, hooks, wires, brakes, controls, safety devices, SWL markings and supporting structure.
Witness CG load or operational tests and thorough examinations only to the applicable Administration, IMO or ILO procedure.
Verify DG spaces, electrical, fire, ventilation, boundaries, alarms, water or bilge systems, manifest, packing, labels and segregation.
Check SBC stability, loading sequences, hull-force limits, cargo group, moisture, flow-moisture point, hazards, trimming, ventilation and fumigation.
Verify Grain Code heeling moments, authorized loading conditions, divisions, feeders, securing, trimming and no unapproved alterations.
Record cargo-specific limits and separate class or statutory structural examinations rather than conflating them.

Records and objective evidence

CG drawings, type certificates, SWL, rigging, test and thorough-examination records, registers and defect or repair evidence.
DG Document of Compliance, approved cargo-space plans, manifests, declarations, IMDG procedures and service or calibration reports.
SBC stability, loading, IMSBC cargo forms, shipper declarations, moisture or TML certificates, competent-authority approvals and terminal plans.
GRAIN Document of Authorization, grain manual, calculations, fitting approvals, revision history and representative loading plans.
Surveyor completion evidence identifying attendance, equipment, tests, defects, limitations, document numbers and statutory authority.

Issuance or endorsement condition: Each code is issued or endorsed only within flag or RO authority and its approved scope. CG requires satisfactory design, SWL, tests, examination and records; DG requires compliant II-2/19 arrangements and cargo documentation; SBC requires approved loading and stability arrangements; GRAIN requires Grain Code compliance and the Document of Authorization. Close or formally accept deficiencies before endorsement.

Application note: CG, DG, SBC and GRAIN are an internal group, not four universally named IMO certificates. Cargo-gear intervals, DG scope, SBC documents, Grain endorsements, exemptions and retention depend on flag, cargo, class, competent authority and terminal requirements.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 www.imo.org 5

ICIHMInternational Certificate on Inventory of Hazardous Materials (ICIHM)

Applicable instrument: The Hong Kong Convention governs ICIHM and the Inventory of Hazardous Materials for generally applicable ships of 500 GT and above, subject to Convention exclusions.

Survey occasions

Initial survey verifies Part I before new service or certificate issuance; existing-ship timing follows HKC entry and recycling deadlines.
Renewal survey occurs at Administration-specified intervals not exceeding five years and confirms maintained, updated Part I.
Additional survey follows change, replacement or repair affecting IHM and may endorse the certificate.
Final survey before recycling verifies Parts I–III, Ship Recycling Plan and facility authorization and leads to an IRRC.
Port-State inspection is separate and normally checks the certificate and IHM unless clear grounds justify detailed inspection.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit application with ship identity, registry, GT, IMO number, owner or company identifiers and construction date.
For new ships, provide Part I, Material Declarations, Supplier Declarations and source documents linked to locations.
For existing ships, provide Part I, Visual or Sampling Check Plan, check report and documentary analysis.
For renewal or additional survey, document every relevant installation, removal, replacement, repair, conversion and controlled update.
For final survey, provide ICIHM, complete IHM, Parts II–III, approved Ship Recycling Plan and facility DASR.

Technical examination and tests

Verify ship-specific Part I, applicable hazardous-material thresholds, locations, quantities and Appendix 1 controls.
Check Material Declarations, Supplier Declarations, product identity, declaration data, constituents and supporting source documents.
Compare Part I diagrams with actual structure and fixed equipment through visual checks and investigate omissions or substitutions.
Apply the approved visual or sampling plan, mark sample points, preserve chain of reference and use competent laboratories.
Classify inaccessible locations as potentially containing hazardous material only with documented justification and controlled updates.
Check asbestos, ODS, PCBs, anti-fouling substances and Appendix 2 materials under the current HKC lists and thresholds.
At final survey, reconcile Parts I–III, Ship Recycling Plan, safe-entry or hot-work controls and facility authorization.

Records and objective evidence

ICIHM and attached Part I with matching identification number, issue, validity and authorized-issuer data.
Application, survey report, deficiencies, corrective-action evidence and certificate history.
Part I diagrams, MDs, SDoCs, VSCP, visual or sampling reports, photographs, laboratory results and expert qualifications.
IHM maintenance procedure, responsible person, revision history and records for installations, removals, repairs or conversions.
Final-survey Parts II–III, Ship Recycling Plan, DASR and competent-authority acknowledgement where applicable.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The flag or expressly authorized RO issues ICIHM after satisfactory initial or renewal survey confirms Part I compliance; Part I must accompany the certificate. Validity may not exceed five years, and additional endorsements follow successful survey. Final survey instead supports an IRRC, normally limited to three months.

Application note: HKC does not impose universal annual or intermediate ICIHM surveys or a global submission deadline. Flag and RO procedures, EU or UK regional substances and non-Party treatment may add requirements; distinguish ICIHM from class or regional documents.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.basel.int 3 wwwcdn.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

FVSCFishing Vessel Safety Certificate (FVSC/IFVSC)

Applicable instrument: The 2012 Cape Town Agreement and applicable flag rules govern international fishing-vessel safety certification; the CTA was scheduled to enter force in February 2027 at the research cutoff.

Survey occasions

Initial survey covers structure, machinery, equipment, life-saving, fire, navigation and radio systems before service.
Renewal survey occurs at Administration-specified intervals, subject to the applicable flag framework, and leads to a new certificate.
Annual, intermediate and periodical surveys apply according to the CTA or flag regime and are endorsed when satisfactory.
Outside-bottom inspections and additional surveys follow the applicable flag schedule, damage, repair, alteration or modification.
Flag examples below or above 24 metres are not universal and must not be presented as global requirements.

Pre-attendance preparation

Apply to the flag or authorized RO with vessel particulars, fee, current certificates and requested survey type.
Provide plans, stability, Record of Equipment, exemptions, registry, previous surveys, class or equivalent records and approved modifications.
Prepare safe access, hull cleaning, underwater or out-of-water arrangements, shaft, rudder, propeller, valve and draft-mark access.
Arrange qualified radio surveyor, test equipment, competent crew and required stability or inclining arrangements.
Have fire plans, LSA manuals, muster lists, drills, navigation records, radio licence, crew and servicing documents ready.

Technical examination and tests

Examine hull, subdivision, watertight integrity, shell openings, closures, vents, freeing ports, rails, ladders, anchoring and bottom condition.
Verify stability, draught, loading, fishing-method conditions, fish-hold flooding, severe-weather criteria and approved information.
Inspect machinery, steering, pumps, fuel systems, controls, electrical power, fire protection, alarms and emergency arrangements.
Check survival craft, launching, release gear, personal LSA, signals, rescue boats and required functional or overload tests.
Verify navigation equipment, lights, shapes, signals, compasses, radar, GNSS, indicators and bridge communications.
Test radio sea-area equipment, independent distress paths, antennas, power, batteries, DSC, MF/HF, satellite, EPIRB and SART.
Review maintenance, drills, records, new approvals, class presentation and flag-specific equipment scope.

Records and objective evidence

FVSC or IFVSC with Record of Equipment and any exemption certificate.
Survey reports, endorsements, class or equivalent status, approved plans, stability and radio reports.
Hull, machinery, electrical, steering, shaft, rudder, tank, maintenance, service, measurement and defect-closeout records.
Fire-control, LSA, training, muster, drill, navigation, chart, publication and compass-deviation records.
Separate ILO C188 living and working-condition documents where applicable, kept distinct from FVSC evidence.

Issuance or endorsement condition: The Administration or authorized RO issues FVSC or IFVSC after satisfactory initial or renewal survey and required Record of Equipment; prescribed annual, intermediate, periodical and bottom inspections are endorsed when applicable. The vessel must comply with flag or CTA requirements, match its certificate and remain fit to proceed; unresolved unsafe conditions invalidate or prevent certification.

Application note: CTA timing and certificate names were not yet universal at the September 2026 cutoff, with entry into force scheduled for February 2027. Thresholds, windows, exemptions, RO authority and checks remain flag- and voyage-dependent; UK examples are not global rules.

Primary references: www.imo.org 1 www.imo.org 2 www.imo.org 3 www.imo.org 4 wwwcdn.imo.org 5

SWSeaworthiness and towing certificate (SW)

Applicable instrument: SW is a source-backed IMRS or flag baseline for declared seaworthiness, towage service, route and restrictions; it is not a standardized IMO certificate title.

Survey occasions

Initial, entry or reissue survey precedes first issuance, register entry, flag or RO change, or new towage service or route.
Endorsement, periodical or renewal survey occurs only at the interval stated by the certificate, flag delegation or IMRS rules.
Additional survey follows casualty, heavy weather, damage, structural or machinery repair, tow-gear failure, alteration or service change.
Drydock, out-of-water or internal examination applies when required by flag, class, IMRS rules or hull condition.
Single-tow attendance verifies the specific tug or tow, route, limits, loading, connections, stability and emergency plan before departure.

Pre-attendance preparation

Submit vessel, flag, type, GT, dimensions, propulsion, manning, service, tow status, route, ports and environmental limits.
Provide current SW, class and statutory certificates, registry, load-line documents, prior reports, deficiencies, repairs and authorizations.
Submit arrangements, structural data, tank plan, closures, stability, freeboard, load-line and towing or mooring plans.
Provide towing design, bollard-pull assumptions where relevant, towline MBL, fitting SWL or TOW, supporting calculations and maker instructions.
Provide tow-gear inventory, certificates, Emergency Towing Booklet, rigging diagrams, communications plan and equipment locations.

Technical examination and tests

Inspect hull, structure, shell, framing, bulkheads, decks, attachments, corrosion, damage, repairs and condition-driven thickness or NDT.
Check closures, sea valves, drainage, downflooding, freeboard, marks, stability, trim, ballast and declared tow condition.
Verify bitts, bollards, fairleads, chocks, rollers, winches, strong points, supporting structure, SWL or TOW and load directions.
Examine hawsers, wires, bridles, chains, shackles, hooks, push gear, chafe, end connections, rigging and emergency release.
Operate winches, brakes, controls, alarms, emergency stops and power systems as appropriate; bollard-pull testing is not universal.
Test propulsion, steering, essential machinery, electrical, navigation, communications, fire, life-saving and pollution-prevention systems as applicable.
Evaluate bow and stern emergency towability, line handling, connection strength, lighting, power, communications and operating limits.
Review maintenance, inspection, drills, crew familiarity, route restrictions and unapproved modifications.

Records and objective evidence

Signed application, attendance report, checklist, photographs, measured findings, deficiencies, conditions and close-out evidence.
Towing or mooring plans, structural calculations, SWL or TOW or MBL data, stability, freeboard, load-line and route restrictions.
Maker, type and test certificates for tow gear, winches, brakes, release equipment, radios and safety-critical items.
Current class, statutory and flag certificates, SW endorsements, survey history, repairs, NDT and machinery, fire or LSA records.
Emergency Towing Booklet, distribution evidence, rigging diagrams, communications, inventories, drills and maintenance records.

Issuance or endorsement condition: Issue or endorse SW only after IMRS, an authorized RO or the Administration is satisfied that structure, watertight integrity, stability, machinery, safety systems, towing fittings, gear, procedures and records comply with the applicable rules and declared service. Safety-critical deficiencies must be corrected or formally accepted, and restrictions for tow status, route, weather, speed, draft, displacement, capacity and validity must be stated. A commercial or class document is not statutory unless the flag authorizes that function.

Application note: No public IMRS rulebook, SW specimen or delegation schedule was located. This is a conservative source-backed baseline, not a claim that every item or interval is mandatory. Confirm the controlling IMRS procedure, flag authority, vessel type, tug or tow status, route and exemptions; no universal annual, bollard-pull, overload or dry-dock interval is asserted.

Primary references: wwwcdn.imo.org 1 wwwcdn.imo.org 2 www.classnk.or.jp 3 www.imo.org 4 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk 5

Expanded statutory survey and verification references

This supplementary directory extends the detailed IMRS procedures above to the wider ship and MODU certification scope. Every entry identifies the applicable population, the survey or verification basis, and the normal validity or endorsement pattern. The controlling convention, flag authorization, approved IMRS procedure, and ship-specific scope always take precedence.

SOLASInternational Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended, including its mandatory SOLAS codes

Exemption Certificate (SOLAS) SOLAS EC (no universally standardized IMO acronym)

Applies to: Any SOLAS ship, including a MODU only where a SOLAS exemption has actually been granted and the unit is within the relevant SOLAS chapter's application.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration/authorized RO verifies the exemption's legal basis, equivalent safety and stated conditions; the exemption is recorded on/with the relevant statutory certificate and reported through the Administration's statutory processes where required.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent convention-wide period. Validity and conditions are those stated by the Administration and normally track the affected statutory certificate/operation; do not assume a five-year period or a flag-independent interval.

MODU application: Possible but not automatic. A MODU's dedicated MODU certificate may carry Code exemptions under the MODU Code, which are distinct from a SOLAS I/12 Exemption Certificate.

Passenger Ship Safety Certificate PSSC

Applies to: Passenger ships to which SOLAS chapter I applies, including passenger high-speed craft only through the applicable HSC/SOLAS arrangement rather than an ordinary cargo certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12; HSSC 2025 Annex 1, passenger-ship survey guidelines. The survey covers applicable SOLAS II-1, II-2, III, IV, V and other requirements; the certificate has the permanently attached Record of Equipment for Passenger Ship Safety (Form P).

Validity and survey cycle: SOLAS I/14 framework: normally not more than five years, subject to the applicable initial and renewal surveys, endorsements and any statutory extensions permitted by the Convention. HSSC 2025 identifies initial and renewal surveys for this certificate; do not add flag-dependent annual intervals.

MODU application: Normally none: a MODU is not thereby a passenger ship. If a unit is separately certified and operated as a passenger ship, the passenger regime is assessed independently; a MODU Safety Certificate does not replace this certificate.

Record of Equipment for Passenger Ship Safety Form P

Applies to: Passenger Ship Safety Certificate; also the current model supplement for the Nuclear Passenger Ship Safety Certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12 certificate model and HSSC 2025 passenger survey scope; records the life-saving, fire-safety, radio/navigation and other equipment particulars supporting the certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity. It remains attached/current with the parent certificate and is amended or replaced when the statutory equipment particulars change or the certificate is renewed.

MODU application: No dedicated MODU Form P. A MODU has no SOLAS Form P unless it is separately in the passenger-ship certification category.

Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate CSSC-Construction

Applies to: Cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and over meeting the SOLAS cargo-ship construction regime; not the ordinary certificate for a MODU certified under a MODU Code.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12 and 1988 Protocol I/12; HSSC 2025 Annex 1 section 2: initial, annual, intermediate and renewal construction surveys, including hull, machinery, structural fire protection and applicable II-1/II-2 requirements.

Validity and survey cycle: Normally up to five years under SOLAS I/14, subject to annual/intermediate/renewal surveys, endorsements and permitted statutory extensions; exact due windows are those in SOLAS/HSSC and are not invented here.

MODU application: A dedicated MODU Safety Certificate is the relevant unit certificate under the applicable MODU Code. A self-propelled MODU may still have separate SOLAS certificates where a SOLAS chapter applies, but a MODU certificate is not a class certificate and is not automatically interchangeable with this cargo construction certificate.

Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate CSSEC

Applies to: Cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and over complying with SOLAS II-1, II-2, III, V and other applicable SOLAS requirements.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12; HSSC 2025 Annex 1 section 1: initial, annual, periodical and renewal equipment surveys; certificate is supplemented by Record of Equipment Form E.

Validity and survey cycle: Normally up to five years under SOLAS I/14, with the HSSC annual/periodical/renewal endorsement pattern and any Convention-permitted extension; no flag-dependent interval is assumed.

MODU application: No dedicated MODU Form E. A MODU may be subject to selected SOLAS safety-equipment requirements through its applicable statutory regime, but the MODU Code certificate remains distinct.

Record of Equipment for Cargo Ship Safety Form E

Applies to: Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12 model and HSSC equipment-survey scope; records life-saving appliances, fire-safety equipment, navigational systems/equipment and other equipment particulars.

Validity and survey cycle: No separate validity; remains current with the parent CSSEC and is updated/reissued when equipment particulars change or the certificate is renewed.

MODU application: No separate MODU Form E is created by the MODU Code model.

Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate CSSRC

Applies to: Cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage and over fitted with a SOLAS radio installation, including applicable radio equipment in life-saving appliances.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12 as amended by GMDSS amendments; HSSC 2025 Annex 1 section 4: initial, periodical and renewal radio surveys; supplemented by Form R.

Validity and survey cycle: Normally up to five years under SOLAS I/14, subject to the HSSC periodical/renewal survey pattern and endorsements; do not infer an annual interval beyond the Convention/HSSC requirements.

MODU application: Important for self-propelled MODUs and other units to the extent the MODU Code/Administration applies cargo-ship SOLAS chapter IV radio requirements; it is separate from and does not replace the MODU Safety Certificate.

Record of Equipment for Cargo Ship Safety Radio Form R

Applies to: Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS I/12/GMDSS certificate model and HSSC radio survey; records radio installations and associated equipment particulars.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity; follows the parent CSSRC and must match the radio installation actually surveyed.

MODU application: May be relevant to a self-propelled MODU through its cargo-ship radio regime; no separate MODU-specific Form R is prescribed.

Cargo Ship Safety Certificate CSSC-Consolidated (often CSSC; distinguish from CSSC-Construction)

Applies to: Cargo ships complying with the relevant SOLAS II-1, II-2, III, IV and V requirements as modified by the 1988 SOLAS Protocol.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS 1988 Protocol I/12; HSSC 2025 survey items are the combined applicable construction, equipment and radio scopes; supplemented by Form C.

Validity and survey cycle: Normally up to five years under SOLAS I/14, with the component survey/endorsement pattern and permitted extensions; the consolidated certificate does not eliminate the underlying statutory survey obligations.

MODU application: Not the default MODU certificate. A MODU may need selected underlying SOLAS certificates/requirements, but the consolidated cargo certificate should not be presumed equivalent to the MODU Code certificate.

Record of Equipment for Cargo Ship Safety Form C

Applies to: Cargo Ship Safety Certificate; also the current model supplement for the Nuclear Cargo Ship Safety Certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS 1988 Protocol certificate model; identifies the combined equipment particulars supporting the consolidated certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity; follows the parent consolidated/nuclear cargo certificate and must be kept consistent with surveyed equipment.

MODU application: No separate MODU Form C under the MODU Code model.

Nuclear Passenger Ship Safety Certificate NPSSC

Applies to: Nuclear-powered passenger ships subject to SOLAS chapter VIII.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS VIII/9-10 and the current certificate model: survey includes the nuclear propulsion plant and conformance with the approved ship Safety Assessment, in addition to relevant passenger-ship SOLAS requirements; supplemented by Form P.

Validity and survey cycle: Follows the relevant passenger-ship SOLAS survey/validity framework under SOLAS I/14 and VIII/9; normally not more than five years, subject to Administration endorsements and nuclear safety surveys.

MODU application: No automatic MODU relevance. A nuclear-powered MODU would require a separate regulatory determination; the ordinary MODU certificate does not become a nuclear passenger certificate.

Nuclear Cargo Ship Safety Certificate NCSSC

Applies to: Nuclear-powered cargo ships subject to SOLAS chapter VIII.

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS VIII/9-10 and current model: nuclear propulsion plant/Safety Assessment plus the applicable cargo-ship construction, equipment, radio and other SOLAS requirements; supplemented by Form C.

Validity and survey cycle: Follows the cargo-ship SOLAS I/14/HSSC survey framework as adapted by chapter VIII; normally not more than five years, subject to nuclear and statutory endorsements.

MODU application: No automatic MODU relevance; a MODU Safety Certificate is not a nuclear cargo certificate.

Document of Compliance with the Special Requirements for Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods DoC-DG (distinct from ISM DOC)

Applies to: Ships carrying dangerous goods for which SOLAS II-2/19 applies, subject to the regulation's exceptions (including specified classes/limited quantities).

Survey or verification procedure: SOLAS II-2/19.4; Administration verifies construction and equipment against the special fire-safety requirements for the ship's dangerous-goods carriage.

Validity and survey cycle: SOLAS II-2/19.4 does not provide one universal five-year/annual validity statement in the FAL description. Use only the period, endorsements and change-control terms stated by the issuing Administration; re-verification is required when the ship/equipment/cargo authorization changes.

MODU application: Conditional only if an MODU is a ship to which II-2/19 applies and carries the regulated dangerous goods; the MODU Safety Certificate is not this document.

Continuous Synopsis Record CSR

Applies to: Every ship to which SOLAS chapter I applies; application to an MODU depends on whether it is within that SOLAS ship/certificate scope.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued/updated by the flag Administration to maintain the ship's ownership, flag, company, registry and other prescribed history; PSC verifies continuity and completeness rather than surveying equipment for a certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No expiry date or five-year survey cycle. It is maintained throughout the ship's life and updated/reissued when the prescribed historical particulars change or the ship changes flag/ownership/company.

MODU application: Possible for an MODU falling within SOLAS XI-1/5; a dedicated MODU Safety Certificate does not itself replace the CSR.

SOLAS IX / ISM CodeSOLAS chapter IX — Management for the Safe Operation of Ships, which makes the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (International Safety Management (ISM) Code) mandatory

Document of Compliance DOC

Applies to: Company responsible for operating one or more ships within SOLAS IX/ISM scope, including a MODU type only when that type is explicitly covered by the DOC. It is a company document; a copy must be carried/available on each applicable ship.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the Administration/authorized RO after initial verification of the Company’s shoreside safety-management system and its implementation. Verification includes an ISM safety-management audit and evidence that the SMS meets the Code’s objectives. Validity is maintained by annual verification/audit addressing the SMS and applicable activities, within three months before or after each DOC anniversary date; renewal and additional verification apply as relevant. ISM verification does not duplicate or substitute surveys for other statutory certificates or class surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding five years. Annual verification is required within the ±3-month anniversary window. Renewal verification is performed before expiry; any exceptional extensions/endorsements are governed by the ISM Code and the Administration, not by a universal flag-independent interval.

MODU application: The official DOC model expressly lists ‘Mobile offshore drilling unit’ as a ship type. For the SOLAS IX applicability stated by IMO, self-propelled MODUs of 500 GT and above on international voyages are within scope. The DOC must explicitly include MODU/type limitations. The separate 2009 MODU Code Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Safety Certificate is not a DOC and is outside this instrument group.

Safety Management Certificate SMC

Applies to: Each ship within SOLAS IX/ISM scope, including an applicable self-propelled MODU, after verification that the Company’s DOC/Interim DOC is relevant to that ship type and that the shipboard SMS is implemented.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued after initial shipboard ISM audit/verification of the Company and shipboard management against the approved SMS, including verification that the DOC is relevant to the ship. Validity is maintained by at least one intermediate verification; the intermediate audit addresses all SMS elements and relevant activities. Renewal and additional verification apply as relevant. The SMC model is endorsed for intermediate verification and, where applicable, additional verification.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding five years. If only one intermediate verification is required for a five-year SMC, it is between the second and third anniversary dates. Renewal is completed before expiry; the ISM Code contains specific renewal/extension provisions that must be applied by the Administration rather than assumed as a flag-independent interval.

MODU application: The official SMC model’s permitted ship-type list expressly includes ‘mobile offshore drilling unit’. A self-propelled MODU of 500 GT and above on an international voyage therefore receives an SMC when SOLAS IX/ISM applies and the DOC is relevant. This SMC is separate from the MODU Code’s construction/safety certificate.

Interim Document of Compliance Interim DOC (IDOC; common shorthand)

Applies to: Company responsible for ships within ISM scope, including a company seeking MODU ship-type coverage, in the specific transitional situations in ISM Code paragraph 14.1.

Survey or verification procedure: Interim verification is an assessment of the Company’s offices/shoreside SMS arrangements under ISM Code 14.1 and A.1118 section 4.2. The Company must demonstrate the objectives-level SMS and planned full implementation; the interim document is not the same as completion of the full initial DOC audit. A copy should be made available to each applicable ship and shoreside premises.

Validity and survey cycle: Not exceeding 12 months under ISM Code 14.1. The Code does not provide a general DOC-style extension in paragraph 14.1; any later full DOC issuance and any Administration action must follow the Code and flag procedures.

MODU application: The interim DOC can include MODU as an explicitly verified ship type where the Company is newly established or is adding that type. It does not itself create or replace the separate MODU Safety Certificate under the 2009 MODU Code.

Interim Safety Management Certificate Interim SMC (ISMC; common shorthand)

Applies to: Ship within SOLAS IX/ISM scope, including an applicable MODU, in one of the specific transitional cases in ISM Code paragraph 14.2.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued only after the paragraph 14.4 verification: relevant DOC/Interim DOC; ship SMS contains key ISM elements and has been assessed/demonstrated; Company has planned the ship audit within three months; master and officers are familiar with the SMS and planned implementation; essential instructions are aboard before sailing; and SMS information is in a language understood by personnel.

Validity and survey cycle: Not exceeding six months. In special cases the Administration or, at its request, another Contracting Government may extend it for a further period not exceeding six months from expiry. It is superseded by the full SMC after the required verification/audit.

MODU application: An applicable self-propelled MODU may receive an Interim SMC in any paragraph 14.2 case, provided the relevant DOC/Interim DOC covers MODU and all 14.4 conditions are verified. It is separate from the MODU Code’s Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Safety Certificate.

SOLAS XI-2; ISPS CodeSOLAS chapter XI-2 / International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), ship component

International Ship Security Certificate ISSC

Applies to: Every passenger ship or cargo ship of 500 GT and upwards, including high-speed craft and MODUs, to which SOLAS XI-2/ISPS applies and which is engaged on an international voyage. It is a ship certificate; a port facility does not receive an ISSC.

Survey or verification procedure: ISPS Code Part A section 19: initial verification before the ship is put in service; renewal verification at the prescribed renewal interval; an intermediate verification between the second and third anniversary dates; and additional verification after relevant changes. The ISSC is issued after initial or renewal verification by the Administration or an RSO acting for it. Verification addresses the ship security system and implementation of the approved Ship Security Plan, including applicable security arrangements/equipment; port-State control may inspect the certificate and security arrangements.

Validity and survey cycle: Maximum validity is five years under ISPS A/19. The intermediate verification is the ISPS-specific endorsement event between the second and third anniversaries. Do not label this as an annual ISPS certificate, and do not infer flag-dependent extensions or windows from other SOLAS certificates. The certificate may be electronic where the IMO electronic-certificate conditions are met.

MODU application: A MODU expressly falls within the IMO-stated XI-2 population when it meets the applicable 500-GT/international-voyage criteria; there is no separate MODU ISSC model or MODU-specific ISPS validity period. A MODU on location may interface with fixed/floating platforms or other units outside XI-2; the approved SSP should address those interfaces and additional measures/Declarations of Security as applicable.

Interim International Ship Security Certificate Interim ISSC (often abbreviated I-ISSC)

Applies to: A ship otherwise subject to SOLAS XI-2/ISPS, including an in-scope MODU, when one of the limited A/19.4 situations exists, such as delivery or entry/re-entry into service while no full certificate exists, assumption of operation by a new Company, or change of flag.

Survey or verification procedure: ISPS Code Part A section 19.4 interim verification/assessment basis, rather than the full initial or renewal verification for the ISSC. The ship must demonstrate the interim conditions required by A/19.4, including the relevant approved/submitted and implemented Ship Security Plan arrangements and required security alert/security-officer arrangements.

Validity and survey cycle: Valid for no more than six months, or until the full certificate required by A/19.2 is issued, whichever occurs first; it may not be extended under the Code. A subsequently and consecutively issued Interim ISSC can be a clear ground for port-State scrutiny where it appears intended to avoid full compliance. Any flag-created ‘short-term ISSC’ or administrative extension should not be treated as a third IMO Code certificate type without checking the issuing Administration’s law.

MODU application: There is no separate MODU interim model. An in-scope MODU uses the same Interim ISSC rules and Appendix 2 model when one of the A/19.4 situations applies; an MODU outside XI-2 scope has no ISPS Interim ISSC obligation unless its flag applies an additional national regime.

SOLAS X; 1994 HSC Code; 2000 HSC CodeSOLAS chapter X / International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 1994 and 2000

High Speed Craft Safety Certificate HSC-SC-1994 (working IMRS code; IMO does not prescribe an acronym)

Applies to: Qualifying passenger and cargo high-speed craft on international voyages to which the 1994 HSC Code applies, principally craft built on or after 1 January 1996 and before the 2000 Code construction cutoff. It is not a general certificate for every ship.

Survey or verification procedure: 1994 HSC Code 1.5 and 1.8: initial survey before service/first issue; renewal survey at an Administration-specified interval; periodical survey within three months before or after each certificate anniversary, endorsed on the certificate; and additional survey after relevant repairs, renewals or investigations. The initial survey appraises design assumptions, supporting calculations/tests/trials, FMEA, manuals and makes a complete inspection of structure, safety equipment, radio and other Code items. Renewal and periodical surveys include complete inspection, including the outside of the bottom. Administration officers or nominated surveyors/recognized organizations may conduct the survey; the Administration remains fully responsible.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding five years. The Code provides renewal/extension rules, including limited voyage-to-survey extensions; a periodical survey is tied to the anniversary-date window above. Do not invent a fixed annual or RO interval: the exact renewal interval and any extension depend on the Administration and Code provisions.

MODU application: No MODU-specific applicability. A MODU receives this certificate only if, on the facts and flag-State determination, it is also a qualifying high-speed craft within SOLAS X; being a MODU does not itself qualify it. Ordinary MODU certification is under the separate MODU regime, not this certificate.

High-Speed Craft Safety Certificate HSC-SC-2000 (working IMRS code; IMO does not prescribe an acronym)

Applies to: Qualifying passenger and cargo high-speed craft on international voyages whose keels are laid or which reach a similar stage of construction on or after 1 July 2002, within 2000 HSC Code 1.3.4 limits.

Survey or verification procedure: 2000 HSC Code 1.5 and 1.8: initial survey before service/first issue; renewal survey at an Administration-specified interval; periodical survey within three months before or after each certificate anniversary and endorsed; and additional survey after relevant repair/renewal or investigation. Initial survey covers design assumptions/limitations, safety data, FMEA, manuals and complete inspection of structure, safety equipment, radio and other equipment. Renewal/periodical surveys include the structure and outside bottom out of water. Administration officers or delegated nominated surveyors/ROs may survey; the Administration retains full responsibility.

Validity and survey cycle: Issued for an Administration-specified period not exceeding five years. Code 1.8 governs renewal timing, anniversary endorsements and tightly limited extensions; 1.8.4-1.8.12 should be read rather than substituting a presumed class cycle. Permit validity follows these rules through 1.9.5.

MODU application: No MODU-specific applicability. A MODU would fall into this HSC certification only if it independently meets the HSC definition/application and the Administration applies SOLAS X; MODU status alone does not create an HSC certificate.

Record of Equipment for High Speed Craft Safety Certificate HSC-ROE-1994 (working IMRS code; often called HSC ROE; no IMO acronym prescribed)

Applies to: The equipment record accompanying the Annex 1 1994 High Speed Craft Safety Certificate for an applicable 1994-Code HSC.

Survey or verification procedure: The Annex 1 record is completed from the HSC survey and records life-saving appliances, navigational systems/equipment, radiocommunications and other prescribed equipment. Its entries are verified during the applicable initial, renewal, periodical and additional surveys and the relevant periodical endorsements. The record does not replace the survey or certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No separate validity, survey interval or extension. It travels with and supports the associated HSC Safety Certificate and must remain accurate after survey, approved changes or equipment alterations.

MODU application: No standalone MODU record. It is relevant to a MODU only if the unit is actually certified as an applicable 1994 HSC; ordinary MODU equipment lists or MODU Code records are outside this group.

Record of Equipment for High-Speed Craft Safety Certificate HSC-ROE-2000 (working IMRS code; often called HSC ROE; no IMO acronym prescribed)

Applies to: The equipment record accompanying the Annex 1 2000 High-Speed Craft Safety Certificate for an applicable 2000-Code HSC.

Survey or verification procedure: Annex 1 records the equipment particulars supporting the Safety Certificate, including life-saving appliances, navigational systems/equipment and radiocommunications. Entries are checked as part of initial, renewal, periodical and additional HSC surveys and remain subject to Administration/RO verification.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity or survey cycle; coextensive with the associated HSC Safety Certificate and its endorsements. It must be updated when approved equipment or arrangements change.

MODU application: No standalone MODU record. A MODU has this HSC ROE only if it is separately determined and certified to be a 2000-Code HSC; MODU Code records are not created by SOLAS X/HSC.

Permit to Operate High Speed Craft HSC-PTO-1994 (working IMRS code; often HSC Permit to Operate)

Applies to: An applicable 1994-Code passenger or cargo HSC that is to operate commercially. A transit voyage without passengers or cargo may be undertaken without the permit.

Survey or verification procedure: 1994 HSC Code 1.9: the Administration issues it to certify compliance with 1.2.2-1.2.7 and to state operating conditions, based on the route operational manual. Before issue, the Administration consults each port State and places applicable conditions on the permit/manual. A port State may inspect and audit documentation for permit matters; deficiencies make the permit invalid until corrected. Section 1.8 rules apply to issue and validity through 1.9.5.

Validity and survey cycle: The permit has the same Code-governed validity framework as the Safety Certificate: Administration-specified, not exceeding five years, with renewal/periodical endorsement and limited extensions under section 1.8. No separate fixed permit interval should be assumed.

MODU application: No MODU-specific permit. A MODU would need this only if it is an applicable 1994 HSC and is being operated commercially under the HSC regime; a MODU operating under its own MODU framework does not obtain this permit from HSC status alone.

Permit to Operate High-Speed Craft HSC-PTO-2000 (working IMRS code; often HSC Permit to Operate)

Applies to: An applicable 2000-Code passenger or cargo HSC that is to operate commercially. A transit voyage without passengers or cargo may be undertaken without the permit.

Survey or verification procedure: 2000 HSC Code 1.9: the Administration issues it to certify compliance with 1.2.2-1.2.7, stipulate operating conditions and use the route operational manual; port-State operational conditions must be consulted and shown. Port State may inspect/audit permit matters, and deficiencies suspend validity until resolved. Section 1.8 applies to issue and validity through 1.9.5.

Validity and survey cycle: Same validity framework as section 1.8: Administration-specified period not exceeding five years, with renewal/periodical endorsement and only the Code's limited extensions. It is not correct to assign an automatic one-year or class validity.

MODU application: No MODU-specific permit. It applies to a MODU only if the Administration determines that the unit is also a qualifying 2000-Code HSC and it is commercially operated under that regime; normal MODU operation is outside HSC chapter X certification.

SOLAS XIV / Polar CodeSOLAS chapter XIV and the MARPOL-linked International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), including mandatory Part I-A safety provisions and Part II-A pollution-prevention provisions

Polar Ship Certificate PSC

Applies to: Every ship to which the Polar Code applies, principally a passenger or cargo ship operating in Arctic waters or the Antarctic area and certified in accordance with SOLAS chapter I; the certificate records Category A, B or C, ice class/draught range, low-air-temperature/PST status, rescue time, operational limitations and any approved alternative design or arrangements.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the Administration or an SOLAS XI-1/1-recognized organization, with the Administration retaining responsibility. Initial or renewal survey is required, except for the Category C documented-verification pathway. Under HSSC 2025, Polar Code items are surveyed in the context of SOLAS surveys and do not constitute a separate survey type: initial, annual, intermediate, periodical and renewal items apply as appropriate. HSSC 2025 states that the relevant SOLAS certificates are endorsed before the PSC is issued or endorsed.

Validity and survey cycle: Validity, survey dates and endorsements are harmonized with the relevant SOLAS certificates under SOLAS I/14; do not assign a universal Polar-specific expiry. In the HSSC framework, cargo-ship certificates have a maximum five-year validity and a one-year standard survey pattern, with annual, intermediate and periodical surveys as applicable; the passenger-ship certificate has a different SOLAS validity regime. The PSC may cease or be reinstated independently of other certificates, subject to Administration action.

MODU application: Not automatically applicable to a MODU that is certified only under the 1979, 1989 or 2009 MODU Code. The MODU Code records that conventional SOLAS and Load Line conventions cannot apply to MODUs in the ordinary case. A PSC for a MODU would require the unit to be treated as a SOLAS chapter I ship and the Administration to apply the Polar Code; neither follows merely from a MODU Safety Certificate.

Record of Equipment for the Polar Ship Certificate REPCS (PSC Record)

Applies to: Every ship issued a PSC; the model is the Part I-A Appendix I record permanently attached to the PSC and records required Polar Code life-saving, navigation and communication equipment.

Survey or verification procedure: Completed and authenticated by the Administration or recognized organization with the PSC; the listed equipment is checked through the relevant SOLAS/Polar Code surveys under HSSC 2025. It is not a class inventory or a manufacturer certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No separate validity period. It remains attached to and follows the PSC, with changes made when the certificate/equipment particulars change and at the relevant statutory surveys.

MODU application: No Polar Code REPCS is created for a MODU merely holding a MODU Safety Certificate. If an Administration exceptionally treats the unit as a SOLAS chapter I ship and issues a PSC, the PSC model requires the attached equipment record.

Polar Water Operational Manual PWOM

Applies to: Every ship to which the Polar Code applies; the manual is ship-specific and covers capabilities, limitations, risk-based normal/emergency procedures, voyage planning, forecasts, equipment functionality and icebreaker assistance where applicable.

Survey or verification procedure: The Administration/recognized organization verifies its presence and relevant content during the statutory Polar/SOLAS survey context. The operational assessment under Part I-A 1.5 supplies the limitations and procedures that the PWOM must contain; alternative designs must also be recorded in the PSC and PWOM.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed convention validity or survey interval. It must remain ship-specific and current as operations, limitations, equipment or approved arrangements change; its status follows the ship's ability to retain a valid PSC.

MODU application: No automatic Polar Code PWOM obligation for a MODU outside SOLAS chapter I. A flag or coastal State may require a polar operating manual under national, MODU or approval arrangements; that is not a Polar Code certificate.

SOLAS XV / IP CodeSOLAS chapter XV — Safety measures for ships carrying industrial personnel / International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel

Industrial Personnel Safety Certificate IPSC / IP Safety Certificate; HSSC survey identifier T (the IMO model does not prescribe IPSC as a formal acronym)

Applies to: Every ship to which the IP Code applies: principally SOLAS cargo ships and high-speed cargo craft carrying more than 12 industrial personnel. For high-speed craft, the certificate covers the Part V regime, including the limit of not more than 60 persons on board. Transitional cases are identified in the certificate model by SOLAS XV/3.2 or XV/3.3; a pre-authorized ship under XV/3.2 or 3.3 is not the same as a newly certified ship under XV/3.1 or 3.4.

Survey or verification procedure: IP Code I/3.2 requires issuance after an initial or renewal survey showing compliance; I/3.3 permits the Administration or an RO recognized under SOLAS XI-1/1 to issue it, while the Administration retains full responsibility. The certificate model checks the applicable XV/3.1/3.4 or XV/3.2/3.3 survey basis and compliance of structure, equipment, fittings, materials and, if fitted, personnel-transfer arrangements. Under HSSC 2025 section 5.14 for non-high-speed ships, there is no separate IP survey type: IP Parts I–IV items are surveyed within the relevant cargo-ship safety-construction and safety-equipment initial, annual, intermediate, periodical and renewal surveys, with the SOLAS certificates endorsed first. High-speed craft use the HSC survey regime rather than section 5.14.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent universal IP-only interval is prescribed. IP Code I/3.5 harmonizes validity, survey dates and endorsements with the relevant SOLAS I/14 or X/3.2 certificate. HSSC 2025 provides the harmonized pattern: annual surveys within three months before/after anniversary, intermediate surveys within three months before/after the second or third anniversary where applicable, periodical equipment surveys, and renewal survey; cargo-ship certificates have a maximum validity of five years. For an HSC, the HSC Code's cycle applies and the maximum is five years. These are maxima/windows, not a claim that every flag issues the same term.

MODU application: None by MODU status. SOLAS XV names cargo ships and high-speed cargo craft, not MODUs, and the IP Code does not turn a MODU into an IP-Code ship. A MODU therefore receives no IP Safety Certificate solely because it carries offshore personnel. The separate MODU certificate is addressed below and must not be conflated with this certificate.

Record of Equipment for the Industrial Personnel Safety Certificate (Form IP) Form IP / IP Record of Equipment

Applies to: The same IP-Code ships and high-speed cargo craft for which an Industrial Personnel Safety Certificate is issued; it is the standardized companion record, not an independent ship certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: The model is in the IP Code appendix and is to be permanently attached to the IP Safety Certificate. It records the certified person capacity and life-saving-appliance inventory, including lifeboats, rescue boats, liferafts, MES, buoyant apparatus, lifebuoys, lifejackets, immersion suits and thermal protective aids. The underlying items are checked in the applicable IP/SOLAS or HSC surveys; the certificate model separately requires satisfactory personnel-transfer arrangements when fitted.

Validity and survey cycle: The Form IP has no separate validity period or independent survey cycle in the Code. It follows the associated IP Safety Certificate and must remain accurate; changes are handled through the flag/RO statutory survey and endorsement process. Do not assign it a separate five-year term.

MODU application: None. The IP Code provides no Form IP for a MODU, and the 2009 MODU Code appendix contains a MODU Safety Certificate model rather than an IP Form IP.

IBC/BCH; IGC/GC; INF; GrainSOLAS/MARPOL specialized bulk-cargo certification codes: IBC/BCH; IGC/GC (including the historical EGC distinction); INF; International Grain Code

International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk IBC Certificate of Fitness; IBC COF/ICOF

Applies to: Ships/chemical tankers on international voyages carrying products covered by the IBC Code; generally chemical tankers constructed on or after 1 July 1986. The Code applies to covered ships regardless of size; the certificate model is the IBC appendix model.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration/flag survey, or a recognized organization/nominated surveyor authorized under SOLAS I/6/MARPOL Annex II. Initial survey precedes service/first issue; renewal survey examines structure, equipment, fittings, arrangements and materials; annual survey is within 3 months before/after each anniversary; intermediate survey is within 3 months before/after the second or third anniversary and replaces one annual; additional survey follows relevant casualty, defect, repair or renewal. HSSC 2025 sections D/DI/DA/DR provide the harmonized implementation checks.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding 5 years. Annual and intermediate endorsements are required on the HSSC/code cycle; renewal is at intervals specified by the Administration but never over 5 years. Code extensions/grace periods are exceptional and flag/Administration-controlled; do not treat them as a standard interval.

MODU application: No IBC certificate is issued merely because a unit is a MODU. The IBC model and IMO carriage rules identify ships/chemical tankers, not a separate MODU category. A MODU would need a specific statutory determination by its Administration if it were also legally a covered ship engaged in the relevant carriage; the ordinary MODU certificate remains separate.

Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk BCH Certificate of Fitness; BCH COF

Applies to: International-voyage chemical tankers constructed before 1 July 1986 and subject to the predecessor BCH Code; the Code is also relevant to existing ships retained under its statutory regime.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration or authorized RO/nominated surveyor. BCH section 1.6 requires initial survey before service/first certificate, renewal survey at Administration-specified intervals, annual survey within 3 months before/after each anniversary, intermediate survey within 3 months before/after the second or third anniversary replacing one annual, and additional survey after relevant casualty/defect/important repair. The certificate is the BCH appendix model and is available onboard.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding 5 years; annual/intermediate endorsements and renewal follow the BCH/HSSC harmonized cycle. Exceptional extension rules are Administration-controlled and are not a universal interval.

MODU application: No BCH certificate is created for a MODU as such. A MODU would only be considered if the flag Administration legally treats it as a covered chemical tanker/ship for the applicable carriage; otherwise the 2009/earlier MODU Safety Certificate is the separate instrument.

International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk IGC Certificate of Fitness; IGC COF/ICOF

Applies to: Ships/gas carriers of any size, including under 500 GT, engaged in carriage of liquefied gases with vapour pressure exceeding 2.8 bar absolute at 37.8 degrees C and certain chapter 19 substances. Applies to gas carriers constructed on/after 1 July 1986 under the mandatory IGC regime.

Survey or verification procedure: IGC section 1.4/HSSC 2025: Administration or authorized RO; initial survey before service/first issue; renewal survey of structure/equipment/arrangements/material; annual survey within 3 months before/after each anniversary; intermediate survey within 3 months before/after the second or third anniversary replacing one annual; additional survey after casualty, defect or important repair. HSSC 2025 Part G contains the detailed IGC survey guidance.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding 5 years. Annual/intermediate endorsements and renewal follow the code cycle; the code has narrowly defined exceptional extensions and grace provisions, not a universal flag-independent interval.

MODU application: The current IGC Code expressly says FPSO facilities designed to handle liquefied gases in bulk do not fall under IGC, although designers may use it as appropriate. It does not create a MODU certificate. A MODU is not automatically an IGC gas carrier; any exceptional carriage status is for the Administration to determine.

Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk GC Certificate of Fitness; GC COF

Applies to: Gas carriers constructed before 1 July 1986 and after 31 October 1976 under the predecessor GC Code. The earlier Code for Existing Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (EGC) applies to ships trading before the GC Code's application date; no separate group certificate name is listed for EGC in the IMO onboard-certificate list.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration or authorized RO/nominated surveyor. The GC/HSSC framework uses initial and periodical/renewal examination of the ship's structure, equipment, fittings, arrangements and materials, with annual/intermediate and additional surveys as applicable under the applicable Code and Administration. Do not substitute an IGC certificate for a GC-regime ship without flag authorization.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified; the applicable Code's certificate period is not to exceed 5 years, with annual/intermediate/renewal endorsements and exceptional extensions governed by the Code/Administration. No flag-independent interval beyond those statutory maxima should be inferred.

MODU application: No GC/EGC certificate is issued merely for MODU status. A MODU is not automatically a gas carrier; any covered carriage would require Administration determination and would not replace the separate MODU Safety Certificate.

International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of INF Cargo INF Certificate of Fitness; INF COF

Applies to: Ships engaged in carriage of INF cargo: packaged irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high-level radioactive wastes carried under IMDG Class 7 schedules. The certificate states INF class 1, 2 or 3; INF 3 cargo is not permitted on passenger ships.

Survey or verification procedure: INF Code 1.3: before carriage, initial survey is a complete examination of structure, equipment, fittings, arrangements and material covered by the Code; Administration or organization recognized under SOLAS I/6 issues the certificate. The certified ship remains subject to applicable SOLAS chapter I inspections/surveys; the certificate ceases if required surveys are missed, non-compliance is found, or another required Convention certificate expires.

Validity and survey cycle: INF Code 1.3.4 does not state a standalone fixed five-year term or independent annual/intermediate cycle. Validity is expressly conditional on SOLAS chapter I surveys, continued compliance and validity of the ship's other required Convention certificate; use the flag Administration's certificate terms rather than inventing an interval.

MODU application: No INF certificate is created merely for a MODU. If a MODU were legally a ship engaged in INF carriage, the INF Code's ship wording could be considered by the Administration, but no MODU-specific INF model or automatic applicability is provided.

Document of Authorization for the Carriage of Grain Grain Document of Authorization; Grain DoA

Applies to: Every ship, regardless of size including under 500 GT, to which SOLAS VI part C applies and which is loaded in accordance with the International Grain Code. It is issued by the Administration, an RO, or a Contracting Government on the Administration's behalf.

Survey or verification procedure: Grain Code section 3: issuing authority determines that the ship is capable of meeting the Code; the document is evidence of compliance, accompanies or is incorporated into the grain loading manual, and its copy plus stability data/plans is carried onboard for inspection at the loading port. The Code provides voyage exemptions/equivalents but no HSSC-style annual/intermediate certificate survey cycle.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal fixed validity period or five-year cycle is specified in Grain Code section 3. It remains effective subject to the issuing Administration's authorization, approved stability/loading data and ship arrangements; revisions/withdrawal are Administration-controlled. Do not imply a standard annual or renewal interval.

MODU application: No separate MODU Grain authorization is created. A MODU is not automatically within SOLAS VI part C grain-carrier scope; only an Administration's legal treatment of the unit as a qualifying ship and actual grain carriage could trigger the Code.

Grain loading manual Grain loading manual

Applies to: Ships holding/using the Grain Document of Authorization and carrying grain under the Grain Code.

Survey or verification procedure: Stability data, associated plans and manual information must be acceptable to the Administration/authorized issuer and available onboard; port Contracting Government may inspect them. No separate certificate is issued.

Validity and survey cycle: No standalone fixed validity or HSSC survey cycle stated; it must remain current with the authorization, ship particulars, approved stability data and loading arrangements.

MODU application: No MODU-specific manual is created by the Grain Code.

MODU / SPSCode for the Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, 2009 (2009 MODU Code), and Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ships, 2008 (2008 SPS Code), including effective amendments through September 2026

Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Safety Certificate (2009) MODU Code Certificate; MODU Safety Certificate; MODU Certificate

Applies to: Mobile offshore drilling units as defined in MODU Code 1.3.40. The 2009 Code applies to units whose keels are laid or are at a similar stage of construction on or after 1 January 2012; an existing unit that complies with the Code is eligible for issuance. It is not a conventional-ship SOLAS/Load Lines certificate and is the certificate used to identify a ship as certified as a MODU.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued after an initial or renewal survey under MODU Code 1.6. The Administration remains fully responsible, although it may authorize nominated surveyors or recognized organizations. Initial survey is complete inspection; renewal covers the Code items; intermediate covers structure/fittings/arrangements/safety equipment; annual is general maintenance/condition inspection; dry-dock or accepted equivalent underwater inspection covers continued fitness; radio station survey follows chapter 11; additional survey follows casualty, repair or major renewal. Annual, intermediate and dry-dock completion is endorsed on the certificate. A continuous survey programme may replace renewal/intermediate surveys at the owner's request if equivalent in extent/frequency, with the programme and survey record kept onboard and the certificate annotated.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration specifies the period, not exceeding five years. Renewal is at an Administration interval no longer than five years. Intermediate is within three months before/after the second or third anniversary and replaces one annual survey; annual is within three months before/after each anniversary. At least two dry-dock surveys are required in any five-year period, with no interval over 36 months, unless an accepted underwater equivalent is used. Under current MODU chapter 11, the radio survey is within three months before/after the certificate anniversary. The Code contains its own extension rules, including a possible extension up to three months to reach the survey place and up to five months after completed renewal when the new certificate is not yet onboard; these are not to be replaced by an invented generic flag interval.

MODU application: This is the core MODU document. The preamble says SPS is not intended to be applied in addition to the MODU Code. The current SOLAS 2024/January 2026 supplement defines ships certified as MODUs as ships subject to the MODU Code carrying a MODU Code Certificate issued by the Administration or an RO.

Continuous Survey Programme and Record of Surveys under MODU Code 1.6.4 MODU CSP / survey record

Applies to: MODUs only, and only where the Administration approves the owner's requested alternative to the ordinary renewal and intermediate surveys.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval is required. The programme's extent and frequency must be equivalent to the MODU renewal and intermediate surveys. A copy of the programme and the resulting survey record must be kept onboard, and the MODU Safety Certificate is annotated.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity period. It tracks the certificate's survey cycle and must maintain equivalence to the surveys it replaces; exact implementation is Administration controlled.

MODU application: Relevant only to MODUs as an optional survey arrangement.

Special Purpose Ship Safety Certificate SPS Safety Certificate; SPS Certificate

Applies to: A special purpose ship: normally a mechanically self-propelled ship of not less than 500 GT carrying more than 12 special personnel, certified on or after 13 May 2008. The Administration may apply the Code, as reasonable and practicable, to ships below 500 GT or constructed before that date. The Code excludes ships meeting the MODU Code and is not intended for ships transporting/accommodating industrial personnel who are not working onboard.

Survey or verification procedure: SPS Code 1.6 subjects the ship to the SOLAS surveys specified for cargo ships other than tankers, covering SPS provisions. Under 1.7, the Administration or an authorized person/organization may issue the certificate and the Administration retains full responsibility. The model contains endorsements for annual hull/machinery/equipment surveys, annual and periodical lifesaving/other-equipment surveys, and periodical radio surveys. This is survey-based statutory certification, not an ISM/ISPS management audit and not class certification.

Validity and survey cycle: SPS 1.7.3 deliberately makes duration and validity follow the applicable SOLAS cargo-ship provisions. Do not invent an SPS-specific interval or flag-independent date. In the current HSSC/SOLAS cargo-ship pattern, cargo-ship certificates can have a maximum period of validity up to five years, with the relevant annual, intermediate/periodical, renewal and radio survey pattern depending on the SOLAS certificate basis; the exact SPS document and extensions remain Administration/SOLAS controlled.

MODU application: None for a unit meeting the MODU Code: SPS 1.2.2 expressly excludes it. A MODU should not be issued an SPS certificate merely because it carries special personnel.

Record of Equipment for the Special Purpose Ship Safety Certificate (Form SPS) Form SPS; Record of Equipment

Applies to: The qualifying special purpose ship holding the SPS Safety Certificate; it is not for a MODU meeting the MODU Code.

Survey or verification procedure: The record documents the equipment particulars verified under SPS 1.6/SOLAS cargo-ship surveys, including lifesaving appliances, radio facilities and navigational systems/equipment. It is completed/updated with the statutory certificate by the Administration or authorized RO/person; it is not independently issued as a certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No standalone validity. It remains attached to and supports the SPS certificate and is kept current with the certificate/equipment particulars and required survey endorsements. The current Form SPS reflects MSC.503(105) (effective 2024) and MSC.543(107) (effective 2026); MSC.577(110)'s additional pilot-ladder entries are not effective until 1 January 2028.

MODU application: No MODU equivalent. MODU equipment is covered by the MODU certificate and surveys rather than Form SPS.

STP 1971 / STP 71; SPACE STP 1973 / SSTP 73Special Trade Passenger Ships Agreement, 1971, together with the Protocol on Space Requirements for Special Trade Passenger Ships, 1973

Special Trade Passenger Ship Safety Certificate STP 71 Safety Certificate (official IMO shorthand: STP 71; informal Certificate A should not replace the treaty title)

Applies to: Special-trade passenger ships as defined by the 1971 Rules: mechanically propelled passenger ships carrying large numbers of special-trade passengers, new or existing, on applicable special-trade international voyages. It is not for ordinary passenger ships outside the special trade and not for MODUs.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued after inspection and survey showing compliance with the applicable Special Trade Passenger Ships Rules, 1971. The Administration or a person/organization duly authorized by it issues it and the Administration retains full responsibility. At the flag Administration’s request, another Party may survey and issue a certificate with the same force/recognition. The Appendix II model records the ship particulars, total persons, subdivision/loadlines and life-saving-appliance particulars; this is not a separate Record of Equipment.

Validity and survey cycle: The treaty limit is a period of not more than twelve months (STP Rules, Rule 5). This is the stated maximum validity, not a claim that every flag uses an identical HSSC annual/intermediate/renewal pattern. No flag-independent survey interval beyond the treaty wording is asserted.

MODU application: None. A MODU is not a special-trade passenger ship under the STP definition. A Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Safety Certificate under the 2009 MODU Code is a separate instrument/document and is outside this STP group.

Special Trade Passenger Ship Space Certificate SSTP 73 / SPACE STP 1973 Space Certificate (official IMO FAL shorthand: SSTP 73; informal Certificate B should not replace the treaty title)

Applies to: New and existing special-trade passenger ships to which the 1973 Protocol and its annexed Rules apply. It is for ships using the Protocol’s space-requirement regime, not for ordinary passenger ships or MODUs.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued after inspection and survey of a special-trade passenger ship that complies with the applicable Protocol Rules. The Administration or a duly authorized person/organization issues it; the Administration assumes full responsibility. Another Party may survey and issue it at the flag Administration’s request with equivalent force/recognition. The model is Appendix II to the Protocol Rules.

Validity and survey cycle: The Protocol Rule 5 limit is a period of not more than twelve months. The source does not establish a universal HSSC five-year/annual pattern; flag/authorized-issuer implementation governs the detailed survey administration subject to that maximum.

MODU application: None. The 1973 Protocol applies to special-trade passenger ships and creates no space certificate for a MODU.

Annex to the Special Trade Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (qualification of certificate) STP 71 Rule 8 voyage annex; not a standalone certificate

Applies to: A special-trade passenger ship whose actual persons on a particular voyage are fewer than the total stated in its STP Safety Certificate and which is consequently permitted under the Rules to carry fewer lifeboats or other life-saving appliances. Not for MODUs.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the Administration or another issuer authorized under STP Rule 5. Rule 8 does not prescribe a separate survey type; it is a qualification/substitution tied to the certificate and the voyage circumstances.

Validity and survey cycle: Valid only for the particular voyage for which it is issued. It is annexed to the STP Safety Certificate and substituted for that certificate only insofar as life-saving appliances are concerned.

MODU application: None; it is a special-trade passenger-ship voyage document only.

MARPOL I–IIInternational Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the 1978 Protocol (MARPOL 73/78), Annex I (Prevention of Pollution by Oil) and Annex II (Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk), including the mandatory BCH and IBC Codes insofar as Annex II recognizes their certificates

International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate IOPP Certificate / IOPP

Applies to: MARPOL Annex I: every oil tanker of 150 GT and above and every other ship of 400 GT and above engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of other MARPOL Parties (Annex I regs. 6–9). Oil tankers include combination carriers and an NLS tanker or gas carrier when carrying oil in bulk.

Survey or verification procedure: Initial survey before service/first issue; renewal survey at intervals set by the Administration but not exceeding five years; intermediate survey within three months before/after the second or third anniversary (in place of an annual survey); annual survey within three months before/after each anniversary; additional survey after relevant casualty, defect, repair or renewal. Survey under Annex I reg. 6 and HSSC 2025 section O; issued/endorsed by the Administration or authorized RO/surveyor, with flag State retaining responsibility.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding five years (Annex I reg. 10). The Annex contains detailed rules for renewal timing, endorsement, limited extensions and short-voyage grace; do not convert these into a universal flag-independent interval. Annual and intermediate endorsements are required.

MODU application: A MODU that is a qualifying ship of 400 GT or more and undertakes the relevant international voyage can require IOPP as a non-oil-tanker ship. A floating drilling rig/platform is also subject to Annex I reg. 39 platform controls; reg. 39 itself does not make an ordinary MODU an oil tanker. A MODU adapted/certified as an oil tanker or carrying oil in bulk follows the tanker branch and Form B rather than Form A.

Record of Construction and Equipment for Ships Other Than Oil Tankers (IOPP Supplement, Form A) IOPP Form A / RCE-A

Applies to: The statutory equipment/construction supplement to an IOPP for a ship other than an oil tanker; applies to a qualifying non-tanker MODU when an IOPP is required. It records Annex I construction, tanks, oil-filtering and discharge equipment, etc.

Survey or verification procedure: Completed/verified as part of the Annex I initial, renewal, intermediate, annual and additional IOPP surveys under reg. 6/HSSC section O. Changes to surveyed structure/equipment require Administration sanction and may trigger an additional survey.

Validity and survey cycle: Travels with and supports the IOPP; no separate validity period. Its status follows the IOPP and its survey endorsements.

MODU application: Relevant to a qualifying non-tanker MODU where the Administration issues an IOPP. For a platform configured as an FPSO/FSU, the special FPSO/FSU record described below is used instead/alongside the ordinary ship form as directed by the IMO guidelines; an ordinary drilling MODU is not an oil-tanker Form B merely because it is offshore.

Record of Construction and Equipment for Oil Tankers (IOPP Supplement, Form B) IOPP Form B / RCE-B

Applies to: The statutory IOPP equipment/construction supplement for oil tankers, including a qualifying combination carrier and an NLS/gas carrier when carrying oil in bulk.

Survey or verification procedure: Verified under the Annex I tanker survey regime: initial, renewal, intermediate, annual and additional surveys under reg. 6/HSSC section O.

Validity and survey cycle: No separate validity; follows the IOPP, whose Administration-specified validity cannot exceed five years and whose annual/intermediate endorsements are required.

MODU application: Only relevant if the MODU has actually been converted/accepted as an oil tanker or carries oil in bulk in the Annex I sense. It does not apply to an ordinary drilling unit operating as a non-tanker platform.

Oil Record Book, Part I — Machinery Space Operations ORB Part I

Applies to: Every oil tanker of 150 GT and above and every other ship of 400 GT and above (Annex I reg. 17). Entries cover fuel-tank ballasting/cleaning, oily residues, bilge discharge/disposal, and bunkering.

Survey or verification procedure: No issue survey or certificate validity. Entries must be made without delay, signed by responsible officer(s) and master; available for port-State inspection. Electronic form may be used when approved under applicable IMO guidance.

Validity and survey cycle: No validity period. It must be kept on board (except the Annex exception for an unmanned ship under tow) and preserved for three years after the last entry.

MODU application: A MODU of 400 GT or more treated as a qualifying ship, including a floating drilling unit subject to reg. 39 operational controls, generally needs the Part I record for machinery-space oil operations. A permanently fixed/offshore platform follows reg. 39's separate approved discharge-operation record requirement; the Administration should determine the document arrangement.

Oil Record Book, Part II — Cargo/Ballast Operations ORB Part II

Applies to: Every oil tanker of 150 GT and above. It records oil-cargo loading/transfer/unloading, cargo-tank ballasting/cleaning, discharges and residue disposal (Annex I reg. 36).

Survey or verification procedure: No issue survey or independent certificate validity. Entries are signed by responsible officer(s) and master and are subject to port-State inspection.

Validity and survey cycle: No validity period; preserve for three years after the last entry. The book is an operational record, not a permit.

MODU application: Applies to a MODU only if it is an oil tanker/combination carrier or otherwise in the Annex I tanker branch for cargo/ballast operations. A drilling MODU platform carrying only fuel for its own machinery does not become an ORB Part II tanker solely for that reason.

Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan SOPEP

Applies to: Every oil tanker of 150 GT and above and every other ship of 400 GT and above (Annex I reg. 37) that falls within the regulation; the plan is approved by the Administration.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval against the IMO SOPEP guidelines; carriage and current implementation are checked in statutory/port-State control. Annex I does not prescribe a stand-alone five-year SOPEP validity; revise/approve when the ship, operation, equipment or responsible arrangements change.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent convention validity interval stated. It remains an approved onboard plan subject to Administration requirements and change control.

MODU application: A MODU qualifying as a ship of 400 GT or more, or a platform to which the Administration applies the reg. 39 ship-equivalent controls, may need SOPEP. For FPSOs/FSUs, IMO MEPC.311(73) says the SOPEP requirement applies, with a limited possibility of accepting an OPRC contingency plan in the circumstances described there.

Record of oil/oily-mixture discharge operations for fixed or floating platforms Reg. 39 platform oil-discharge record

Applies to: Fixed or floating platforms, including drilling rigs, FPSOs and FSUs, engaged in exploration, exploitation or associated offshore processing/storage (Annex I reg. 39).

Survey or verification procedure: Verification of reg. 39 compliance by the Administration/authorized RO, including the record, practicable installations and 15-ppm discharge limit. No separate HSSC certificate model or independent survey interval is created by reg. 39.

Validity and survey cycle: No validity period; maintained as an operational record in the Administration-approved form and available for inspection.

MODU application: Directly important for a floating drilling MODU operating as a drilling rig/platform. Reg. 39 requires the record of all operations involving oil or oily-mixture discharges; this is the key distinction from assuming that every MODU automatically carries an oil-tanker ORB Part II.

Statement of Compliance under the Condition Assessment Scheme CAS Statement of Compliance / CAS SoC

Applies to: Conditional older single-hull oil tankers within the Annex I Condition Assessment Scheme (CAS), historically relevant to eligible Category 2/3 tankers seeking Administration permission for limited continued operation under the applicable phase-out provisions.

Survey or verification procedure: CAS survey and review of the CAS Final Report by the Administration under resolution MEPC.94(46), normally conducted through the authorized RO with Administration review. It is in addition to, and carried as a supplement to, the IOPP; it is not a class condition report.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal five-year term. The MEPC.94(46) model leaves an Administration-stated expiry; clause 13.6 makes it valid after CAS until the earlier of the applicable next intermediate/renewal survey date or the applicable tanker phase-out/compliance date, with suspension/withdrawal if CAS is no longer met. The practical population is heavily constrained by the phase-out regime as of 2026.

MODU application: None for an ordinary MODU, drilling rig, FPSO or FSU; CAS is an Annex I single-hull oil-tanker condition-assessment document.

International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk NLS Certificate / IPPC-NLS

Applies to: Any ship intended to carry NLS in bulk and engaged on voyages to ports or terminals under the jurisdiction of other MARPOL Parties (Annex II regs. 8–10).

Survey or verification procedure: Initial survey before service/first issue; renewal survey at Administration-specified intervals not exceeding five years; intermediate survey within three months before/after the second or third anniversary (replacing one annual survey); annual survey within three months before/after each anniversary; additional survey after relevant casualty, defect, repair or renewal. Annex II reg. 8 and HSSC 2025 section N.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified validity not exceeding five years (Annex II reg. 10), with annual/intermediate endorsements and tightly limited statutory extension/renewal rules; no invented flag-independent interval beyond those Convention maximums/windows.

MODU application: An ordinary MODU has no NLS Certificate. It becomes relevant only if the unit is constructed/adapted and certified to carry NLS in bulk as an NLS tanker/chemical tanker and meets the international-voyage test.

Cargo Record Book CRB / Cargo Record Book

Applies to: Every ship to which Annex II applies—i.e., a ship certified to carry NLS in bulk (Annex II reg. 15).

Survey or verification procedure: No issue survey or validity period. Each prescribed loading/unloading, transfer, tank-cleaning, ballasting/deballasting, prewash and discharge operation is entered promptly, signed by responsible officer(s) and master, and may be checked/endorsed by port-State surveyors under reg. 16.

Validity and survey cycle: No validity interval; retain on board and preserve for three years after the last entry (except the stated unmanned ship under tow exception).

MODU application: Only relevant to a MODU that is actually an Annex II NLS ship; ordinary drilling operations do not trigger it.

Procedures and Arrangements Manual P&A Manual

Applies to: Every ship certified to carry Category X, Y or Z NLS in bulk (Annex II reg. 14), including the chemical-tanker arrangements recognized through the BCH/IBC certification route.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval of the ship-specific manual and its cargo-handling, stripping, tank-cleaning, slops and discharge arrangements; the equipment/arrangements are checked in Annex II surveys and port-State control. The model/standard format is Annex II Appendix 4 and resolution MEPC.18(22), as amended.

Validity and survey cycle: No standalone Convention validity term. It must remain ship- and cargo-specific and be revised/approved when arrangements, equipment or permitted cargoes change.

MODU application: None for an ordinary MODU; relevant only if the MODU is a certified NLS tanker/chemical tanker.

Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan for Noxious Liquid Substances SMPEP (NLS) / NLS SMPEP

Applies to: Every ship of 150 GT and above certified to carry NLS in bulk (Annex II reg. 17), with an Administration-approved plan.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval against IMO guidelines; carriage and implementation are checked during statutory/port-State control. Annex II does not create a separate fixed validity interval.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent Convention validity period; maintain current and revise/approve after relevant ship, cargo, equipment or organizational changes.

MODU application: Only a MODU that is a qualifying NLS-certified unit (150 GT or more) needs the NLS SMPEP; an ordinary drilling MODU does not.

Record of Construction and Equipment for FPSOs and FSUs FPSO/FSU RCE / MEPC.311(73) Annex 2 Record

Applies to: FPSOs and FSUs to which MARPOL Annex I regulation 39 applies; it is the special platform equipment/construction record, not a separate certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: Verified in the Annex I statutory survey/IOPP process against the MEPC.311(73) application guidelines, including platform-specific equipment, oil storage/production interfaces and discharge controls.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity; permanently attached to and controlled with the IOPP. The IOPP survey/endorsement cycle governs its continuing status.

MODU application: Not an ordinary MODU document. A MODU would be relevant only if it is also configured/accepted as an FPSO/FSU; a drilling-only unit instead follows the reg. 39 drilling-rig/platform record requirement and any applicable IOPP Form A.

International Oil Pollution Prevention Exemption Certificate for Unmanned Non-Self-Propelled Barges UNSP IOPP Exemption Certificate

Applies to: Only an unmanned non-self-propelled barge meeting every Annex I reg. 1.40 condition: no mechanical propulsion, no oil, no machinery that uses oil/generates sludge, no oil tanks/oily-bilge/sludge tanks, and no persons or living animals.

Survey or verification procedure: The Administration must survey the barge to confirm the five reg. 1.40 conditions; the certificate model is Annex I Appendix IV introduced by MEPC.330(76).

Validity and survey cycle: Not exceeding five years, subject to the exemption conditions remaining satisfied; it has an explicit validity-until date and is not a conventional IOPP.

MODU application: None for a manned or self-propelled MODU. A MODU cannot use this exemption unless it actually meets the statutory UNSP-barge definition, which excludes persons and oil-related machinery/tanks.

Annex II regulation 4 exemption/relaxation entry NLS/COF exemption endorsement (no standalone certificate)

Applies to: A ship subject to Annex II/IBC/BCH amendments where the Administration permits a specified relaxation because an upgraded substance-categorization requirement would be unreasonable or impracticable for an existing ship.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration assessment and statutory/code survey of the ship, cargoes, trade and justification; the granted relaxation is recorded on the relevant certificate and reported to IMO as required by Annex II reg. 4.

Validity and survey cycle: Only for the specified relaxation/period and subject to the certificate/code conditions; no universal validity interval.

MODU application: Only if a MODU is actually an Annex II NLS/chemical tanker; no ordinary MODU exemption certificate is created.

MARPOL IV–VInternational Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the 1978 Protocol (MARPOL 73/78), Annexes IV and V

International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate ISPP Certificate / ISPP

Applies to: A ship required to comply with MARPOL Annex IV and engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of another MARPOL Party. IMO describes the revised Annex IV threshold as ships engaged in international voyages of 400 GT and above or certified to carry more than 15 persons. It is not automatically a certificate for a fixed platform that is not a ship.

Survey or verification procedure: MARPOL Annex IV regulation 4 initial and renewal surveys; HSSC 2025 A.1207(34), Annex 3, sections SI 3.1 and SR 3.2. Initial survey examines the sewage treatment plant, comminuting/disinfecting system or holding tank, standard discharge connection and reception-facility pipeline; treatment plants must be Administration type-approved. Renewal confirms no change affecting certificate validity and examines the system and its operation. Survey/certification is flag/RO statutory work, not class certification.

Validity and survey cycle: Annex IV regulation 8 sets a period specified by the Administration not exceeding five years. HSSC 2025 provides initial and renewal survey guidance for Annex IV, not a universal annual/intermediate endorsement cycle. Exact extensions, endorsements and early-renewal treatment remain flag/Administration rules; no flag-dependent interval is assumed here.

MODU application: A self-propelled or otherwise legally ship-status MODU subject to Annex IV can require ISPP on the same threshold and foreign-voyage basis. A fixed/floating drilling platform that is not a ship is not made an ISPP ship by Annex V; determine any Annex IV application from the unit's flag/status and operation.

Certificate of Type Approval for Sewage Treatment Plants STP Type Approval Certificate (no universal IMO acronym)

Applies to: A sewage treatment plant approved by the Administration under MARPOL Annex IV regulations 9.1.1 and 9.2.1 and the applicable IMO effluent/performance guidelines. It is equipment/type approval, not a certificate issued to every ship. MEPC.227(64) section 1.2 applies its ordinary standards to plants installed on or after 1 January 2016 on non-passenger ships in all areas and passenger ships outside Annex IV special areas; section 4.2 adds standards for qualifying passenger ships intending to discharge treated effluent in a special area.

Survey or verification procedure: MEPC.227(64) supplies the model certificate and requires satisfactory testing, ashore and/or onboard as stated on the certificate, against the guideline effluent and inclination requirements. HSSC 2025 initial survey checks that the plant is type-approved; MEPC.227(64) section 6 asks Administrations to ensure during Annex IV renewal/additional surveys that the installed plant continues to perform. The ship's ISPP survey and the manufacturer's/type approval are distinct.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal IMO expiry period for the type-approval certificate is prescribed in MEPC.227(64); Administration terms and any applicable renewal/additional testing govern. Do not substitute the ISPP Certificate's maximum five-year validity for equipment type approval validity.

MODU application: Relevant to a MODU only if it is a ship subject to Annex IV and chooses a sewage-treatment plant. Annex V platform status alone does not create this Annex IV equipment certificate. For a passenger MODU/ship seeking the Baltic Sea special-area discharge exception, the enhanced section 4.2 standards matter when applicable.

Document of approval for the rate of sewage discharge Sewage Discharge Rate Approval / no universal IMO code

Applies to: Untreated sewage stored in holding tanks from ships other than passenger ships in all areas, and from passenger ships outside special areas, when discharged at the moderate rate approved by the Administration under Annex IV regulation 11.1.1 and MEPC.157(55).

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval based on the Organization's standards in MEPC.157(55); the Annex IV statutory survey examines the sewage arrangements and the ISPP certificate reflects the approved configuration. No separate HSSC certificate-survey procedure is created for this document.

Validity and survey cycle: MARPOL/IMO does not prescribe a universal expiry date or survey interval for this approval document. Its continued use depends on the Administration's approval and unchanged applicable ship/system conditions; do not invent a five-year period.

MODU application: Can apply to a non-passenger MODU that is legally a ship subject to Annex IV, has sewage stored in a holding tank and relies on the permitted untreated-sewage discharge regime. A fixed platform outside Annex IV ship scope has no MARPOL Annex IV rate-approval document by virtue of being a platform.

Garbage Management Plan GMP

Applies to: Every ship of 100 GT and above; every ship certified to carry 15 persons or more; and every fixed or floating platform. The plan contains written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposing of garbage, designates the responsible person and is in the crew's working language.

Survey or verification procedure: The crew must follow the ship/unit-specific plan. Port State Control may check its availability and crew familiarity; A.1206(34) 2025 PSC procedures list the absence of a Garbage Management Plan as an Annex V deficiency. There is no HSSC 2025 Annex V statutory certificate survey.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed IMO validity or five-year cycle. Maintain and revise it when the ship/unit, equipment, procedures or applicable operations change; Administration/ISM document-control practices may add requirements but are not an IMO Annex V certificate interval.

MODU application: Directly relevant: every fixed or floating platform is covered, so a floating MODU must carry and implement a GMP regardless of whether it is 100 GT or whether it makes international voyages. A MODU that is also a ship is additionally covered by the ship thresholds.

Garbage Record Book GRB

Applies to: Current regulation 10.3 (as amended by MEPC.360(79), effective 1 May 2024): every ship of 100 GT and above; every ship certified to carry 15 or more persons engaged in voyages to another Party's port/offshore terminal; and every fixed or floating platform. Entries cover reception-facility or ship-to-ship disposal, permitted discharges, incineration, and accidental/exceptional loss or discharge.

Survey or verification procedure: Entries are dated, timed, positioned, described, estimated and signed as prescribed by regulation 10 and Appendix II; PSC can examine the book and the 2025 PSC procedures list it as a required document. A.1206(34) permits an electronic GRB when the Administration's declaration for that electronic record is available; otherwise hard copy is examined. There is no HSSC initial/annual/renewal certificate survey.

Validity and survey cycle: The book is retained for at least two years after the date of the last entry. This is a record-retention period, not certificate validity or a survey cycle.

MODU application: Directly relevant: every fixed or floating platform is expressly covered, so a floating MODU must have a GRB even if below 100 GT and regardless of the ship-voyage threshold. A MODU that is also a ship may meet multiple applicability limbs.

MARPOL Annex V garbage placards Garbage placard (not a certificate or record)

Applies to: Every ship 12 m or more in length and every fixed or floating platform; international ships also require the working language plus English, French or Spanish as prescribed.

Survey or verification procedure: Regulation 10.1 and the 2017 Annex V implementation guidelines (MEPC.295(71)) require conspicuous placards notifying crew/passengers of disposal requirements; PSC may verify operational compliance. No HSSC survey or validity endorsement.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed cycle. Replace when damage or wear makes the declaration unreadable and update for applicable regulatory/operational changes.

MODU application: Directly relevant to a fixed or floating MODU/platform; a unit 12 m or more also satisfies the ship-size limb where applicable.

Official logbook entry for Annex V discharge or accidental loss (fallback record) Annex V logbook entry / no separate certificate code

Applies to: A ship of less than 100 GT when an Annex V regulation 7 discharge or accidental loss occurs and the ship is not otherwise required to carry a Garbage Record Book. The entry contains the date/time, port or position, reason, details/categories and estimated amounts, precautions and remarks.

Survey or verification procedure: Regulation 10.3.6; entries remain subject to flag/PSC inspection of the official logbook. No HSSC certificate survey.

Validity and survey cycle: No Annex V certificate validity. Retention of the official logbook is governed by applicable flag rules; the Annex V two-year GRB retention rule should not be silently transplanted to every official logbook.

MODU application: Usually not the MODU route: every fixed or floating platform is required to have a GRB, including a small floating MODU. It can matter only if a unit is not legally a fixed/floating platform and falls into the sub-100-GT ship case.

MARPOL VI (Annex VI); NTC 2008 for NOxInternational Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the 1978 Protocol and 1997 Protocol — MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships), including the mandatory NOx Technical Code 2008

International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate, with Supplement/Record of Construction and Equipment IAPP Certificate; IAPP Record

Applies to: Every ship of 400 GT and above and every fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform under Annex VI regulation 5; below 400 GT the Administration may use alternative compliance measures. The record’s equipment sections are conditional on installed ODS, NOx engines, SOx/PM controls, VOC arrangements, incinerators and equivalent methods.

Survey or verification procedure: Initial survey before service/first issue; Chapter 3 equipment and arrangements surveyed by the Administration or authorized RO. NOx survey follows NTC 2008. Additional survey follows important repair/renewal or investigation. HSSC 2025 Annex 3 section 4 covers initial, annual, intermediate and renewal surveys; annual/intermediate completion endorses the IAPP and renewal issues a new one.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding 5 years. Annual survey is within 3 months before/after each anniversary; intermediate is within 3 months of the second or third anniversary as applicable; renewal is within 3 months before expiry; the certificate ceases to be valid if required surveys/endorsements are missed, or on flag transfer. Do not substitute a flag-dependent interval.

MODU application: Core MODU/platform statutory document: a fixed or floating drilling rig is expressly included by regulation 5, regardless of whether it is conventionally called a ship.

International Air Pollution Prevention Exemption Certificate for Unmanned Non-self-propelled Barges IAPP Exemption Certificate; UNSP Exemption Certificate

Applies to: Only an unmanned non-self-propelled (UNSP) barge meeting the conditions in Annex VI regulations 2.1.32.1–2.1.32.3; not a normal MODU certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: The barge must undergo a survey confirming the stated UNSP conditions before the Administration grants the exemption; the Appendix XI model is used.

Validity and survey cycle: Not exceeding 5 years. Annex VI does not prescribe the ordinary IAPP annual/intermediate cycle for this exemption document; re-survey/reissue is governed by the exemption and Administration.

MODU application: Normally none. A unit would have to meet the exact UNSP-barge definition; a self-propelled or manned MODU does not qualify merely because it is offshore.

Engine International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate EIAPP Certificate

Applies to: Each installed marine diesel engine over 130 kW, other than an engine used solely for emergency purposes, irrespective of the tonnage of the ship on which it is installed; includes qualifying engines installed on ships, MODUs and other platforms.

Survey or verification procedure: Pre-certification survey and emissions test at the engine builder’s works, by/on behalf of the flag Administration/authorized RO, for an individual engine, Engine Family or Engine Group. The certificate states the Tier, test cycle(s), rating range and NOx-critical components/settings. Subsequent onboard compliance is demonstrated under NTC 2008 by parameter check, simplified method or direct measurement as applicable.

Validity and survey cycle: NTC 2008 does not prescribe a normal fixed expiry like a ship convention certificate; it remains tied to the certified engine/configuration. Re-certification or approved amendment documentation is needed after major conversion, replacement, uprating, a Tier change or changes to NOx-critical components/settings. In-service checks occur during the applicable ship/MODU surveys.

MODU application: Directly relevant to qualifying MODU main, auxiliary and other installed marine diesel engines; emergency-only engines are excluded from the Annex VI NOx requirement.

Approved NOx Technical File NOx Technical File

Applies to: Every marine diesel engine for which EIAPP/NTC certification is required, including qualifying MODU engines.

Survey or verification procedure: Approved at engine certification and retained onboard. It defines the approved engine and its survey regime; the parameter-check method compares actual rating, duty, NOx-critical components, settings and operating values with the approved file. Changes require approved amendment documentation.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent fixed validity. It follows the certified engine for its service life, subject to approved changes, replacement, major conversion and the in-service NTC survey regime.

MODU application: Required for every qualifying MODU marine diesel engine, not merely for the MODU’s IAPP file.

Record Book of Engine Parameters (paper or approved electronic form) Record Book of Engine Parameters; NOx parameter record

Applies to: Each NTC-certified marine diesel engine, including a qualifying MODU engine.

Survey or verification procedure: Maintained onboard for replacements and changes to NOx-critical components, settings and operating values; checked during NTC parameter-check or other approved in-service verification at relevant ship/MODU surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: Continuous engine-life record; no standalone expiry or five-year certificate period. It must be kept current and supported by approved amendments.

MODU application: Directly relevant to qualifying engines on MODUs and platforms.

Approved Method certification and Approved Method File Approved Method; AM File

Applies to: Conditional older marine diesel engines over 5,000 kW with per-cylinder displacement of at least 90 litres, installed on ships constructed 1 January 1990–31 December 1999, where a Party has certified and notified an Approved Method under regulation 13.7.

Survey or verification procedure: Party certification of the method; NTC chapter 7 Approved Method File retained with the engine; installation and continued retention verified at applicable surveys. The official IMO NOx guidance explains the first-renewal/next-annual timing.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal certificate expiry or routine interval. For an affected engine, installation is no later than the first renewal survey occurring more than 12 months after IMO notification, or the next annual survey after commercial availability; the file remains with the engine while the method is fitted.

MODU application: Possible for a MODU’s qualifying large legacy engine; do not assume every MODU is affected.

International Energy Efficiency Certificate IEE Certificate

Applies to: Ships to which Annex VI Chapter 4 applies, generally ships of 400 GT and above, subject to the detailed Chapter 4 ship-type, construction-date and exemption rules; includes applicable MODUs/platforms only to the extent Chapter 4 applies.

Survey or verification procedure: Initial survey before a new ship enters service and before issue verifies attained EEDI and SEEMP. Major-conversion surveys recalculate EEDI where required. For existing ships, attained EEXI is verified at the first applicable annual, intermediate or renewal survey on/after 1 January 2023 and after relevant major conversion.

Validity and survey cycle: Valid throughout the life of the ship, subject to withdrawal from service, a new certificate after major conversion, flag transfer, or unapproved changes to surveyed equipment/systems/arrangements/material. It has no ordinary annual endorsement cycle like IAPP.

MODU application: Potentially applicable to MODUs of 400 GT and above as ships under Chapter 4, but the EEDI/EEXI calculation and category coverage must be checked against the exact rig/ship type; do not automatically treat every MODU as an EEDI/EEXI ship type.

EEDI Technical File and EEXI Technical File (accompanying IEE Certificate where applicable) EEDI TF; EEXI TF

Applies to: EEDI Technical File: new ships/designs within the applicable Chapter 4 ship types and phases. EEXI Technical File: existing ships within the applicable regulation 23/25 scope. MODU relevance follows the Chapter 4 ship-type scope, not the word MODU alone.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration/RO verifies the attained EEDI/EEXI calculation and technical file; EEXI is checked at the first applicable annual/intermediate/renewal survey on or after 1 January 2023 and after relevant major conversion.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent expiry; remains valid with the verified ship design/arrangement until major conversion, approved change or new verified calculation. Keep onboard with the IEE documentation.

MODU application: Conditional for MODUs; a rig outside the listed EEDI/EEXI ship categories should not be assigned a made-up EEDI/EEXI certificate or interval.

Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan SEEMP (Parts I, II and, where applicable, III)

Applies to: Each ship must keep a ship-specific SEEMP onboard. Part II (fuel-oil-consumption data methodology/reporting) applies to ships of 5,000 GT and above. Part III (operational CII methodology, targets, implementation and self-evaluation) applies to 5,000 GT-and-above ships in the specific regulation 28 ship categories.

Survey or verification procedure: Initial/periodic verification of the required SEEMP content; Part II must be verified before DCS collection and Part III before CII operation. Part III is subject to Administration verification and company audits; revised plans are submitted after required corrective action or material change.

Validity and survey cycle: No prescribed certificate expiry. Keep current onboard; review/update with methodology, operational, company or corrective-action changes. The DCS/CII Statement of Compliance depends on the SEEMP that was in effect for the reporting period.

MODU application: A MODU treated as a ship under Annex VI keeps the ship-specific SEEMP; Part II applies at 5,000 GT and Part III only if the unit falls into a regulation 28 listed category.

Confirmation of Compliance for SEEMP Part II and Part III SEEMP CoC; Confirmation of Compliance

Applies to: Part II: each 5,000 GT-and-above ship subject to regulation 27. Part III: each 5,000 GT-and-above ship to which regulation 28 applies. MODU coverage follows those thresholds/categories.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration or authorized RO verifies that the SEEMP contains the required DCS methodology or CII methodology/implementation plan. Part III also receives verification/company audits under the applicable IMO SEEMP guidelines.

Validity and survey cycle: No single universal validity period in Annex VI; it remains evidence of compliance for the current plan/version and must be reissued or updated when required by Administration/RO, data methodology or CII corrective action changes.

MODU application: Potentially required on a MODU at 5,000 GT and above for Part II; Part III only when the MODU is in a regulation 28 listed ship category.

Statement of Compliance — Fuel Oil Consumption Reporting and Operational Carbon Intensity Rating SOC; DCS/CII Statement of Compliance

Applies to: Regulation 6.6: ships subject to regulation 27 (normally each ship of 5,000 GT and above) after verified fuel-oil data; regulation 6.7: ships transferring flag under regulation 27. The CII rating fields apply only where regulation 28 applies.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration/RO determines that regulation 27 data were correctly reported, verifies attained annual operational CII where applicable, determines A–E rating and issues the statement no later than five months from the start of the calendar year; transfer statements are issued promptly after the required data.

Validity and survey cycle: Normal regulation 6.6 statement: calendar year of issue plus the first five months of the following calendar year. Transfer regulation 6.7 statement: calendar year of issue, following calendar year and first five months of the subsequent year. All statements are kept onboard at least five years.

MODU application: A MODU of 5,000 GT and above is potentially subject to DCS if it is a ship to which regulation 27 applies; CII/SOC rating is not automatic because regulation 28 lists particular ship categories and usually does not list MODUs as such.

SOx Emission Compliance Certificate — Certificate of Approval for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems SECC; SOx ECC; EGCS Certificate

Applies to: A ship, MODU or platform fitted with an EGCS using the Annex VI regulation 4 equivalent-compliance route, specifically the Scheme A approval/certification route in the 2021 EGCS Guidelines; not required where the unit simply burns compliant fuel and has no EGCS.

Survey or verification procedure: EGCS testing, survey, certification and verification under MEPC.340(77), including parameter and emission checks; onboard operation is checked under the approved technical manual, OMM and SECP/records, and the system is checked during IAPP surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal Annex VI five-year validity should be invented. The certificate is system-specific and remains subject to Administration approval, approved configuration, in-service verification and IAPP/EGCS surveys; changes or major repairs require Administration/RO treatment.

MODU application: Relevant if a MODU/platform uses an EGCS as its approved equivalent to regulation 14; not a blanket MODU document.

SOx Emissions Compliance Plan SECP

Applies to: Ships/MODUs/platforms using an EGCS under the regulation 4 equivalent route; required for both Scheme A and Scheme B in the 2021 EGCS Guidelines document table.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration/RO approval and verification of the system’s operating parameters, monitoring, emission-equivalence arrangements and records; reviewed during initial/additional and in-service IAPP/EGCS surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed convention expiry; remains current for the approved EGCS configuration and must be revised after changes, major repairs or altered operating parameters.

MODU application: Same conditional relevance for an EGCS-fitted MODU/platform.

EGCS Technical Manual and Onboard Monitoring Manual ETM-A/ETM-B; OMM

Applies to: EGCS-fitted ships, MODUs and platforms. ETM-A is for Scheme A; ETM-B is for Scheme B; an OMM is required for the applicable scheme.

Survey or verification procedure: Approved technical and monitoring documentation is used for parameter/emission checks, alarm/monitoring operation, calibration, maintenance and record verification during EGCS and IAPP surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed statutory expiry; update when the EGCS, monitoring equipment, operating limits or approved arrangement changes.

MODU application: Relevant only if the MODU/platform has an EGCS used for Annex VI compliance.

EGCS Record Book or approved Electronic Record Book EGCS Record Book; ERB

Applies to: Every ship/MODU/platform fitted with an EGCS, including Scheme A and Scheme B installations.

Survey or verification procedure: Entries cover component adjustments, corrective/planned maintenance, servicing, monitoring-system calibration/drift and storage/disposal of EGCS residues; records are checked against the OMM/SECP/ETM and at applicable surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: Continuous operational record; no fixed expiry. Retain and produce onboard for the period required by Administration/port-State practice.

MODU application: Relevant to an EGCS-fitted MODU/platform.

Ozone-depleting Substances Record Book ODS Record Book

Applies to: Ships subject to Annex VI regulation 5, including applicable MODUs/platforms, when ODS installations/equipment or servicing events exist; entries concern recharge, repair, discharge and supply/handling.

Survey or verification procedure: Initial, annual, intermediate and renewal IAPP surveys check applicable ODS installations, prohibited substances and records; entries must be available for Administration/RO and port-State inspection.

Validity and survey cycle: Continuous onboard record; no separate certificate expiry or HSSC interval. It follows the equipment and service life of the ship/MODU.

MODU application: Relevant to a MODU/platform with ODS-containing installations or service events; not a universal second certificate for every rig.

Approved VOC Management Plan VOC Management Plan; VOCMP

Applies to: A tanker carrying crude oil must have an approved ship-specific plan; more generally, regulation 15 applies when a Party regulates VOC emissions from tankers at notified ports/terminals and requires approved vapour-collection arrangements.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval; IAPP initial survey examines vapour-collection arrangements and annual survey confirms the approved system and, for crude-oil tankers, implementation of the VOCMP. HSSC 2025 Annex 3 expressly lists this check.

Validity and survey cycle: No Annex VI universal expiry. Keep the plan current for the ship and cargo/operational arrangement; revise after relevant changes and maintain it through the IAPP survey cycle.

MODU application: Normally none: a MODU is not a crude-oil tanker merely because it undertakes drilling or offshore operations. Only a unit actually within the tanker/regulated-port scope would be covered.

Type Approval Certificate for each shipboard incinerator Incinerator Type Approval Certificate

Applies to: Each shipboard incinerator installed on or after 1 January 2000 on a ship/MODU/platform, where fitted; older units are subject to the applicable Annex VI provisions.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration type-approval testing/approval at the manufacturer or approved facility; IAPP initial, annual and renewal surveys verify the incinerator’s approved arrangement, condition, operation, alarms and safety devices as applicable.

Validity and survey cycle: Approval is type/equipment-specific with no ordinary ship-certificate expiry stated by Annex VI; in-service condition is checked through IAPP surveys and after material changes/repairs.

MODU application: Relevant if a MODU/platform has a shipboard incinerator; not required if none is installed.

Administration permit for trials of emission-reduction technologies or programmes Annex VI regulation 3.2 trial permit

Applies to: A ship engaged in an Administration-approved trial/development programme for technologies to reduce/control ship emissions; only relevant to a MODU if it is within the statutory ship/trial scope.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration approval of the trial technology/programme and conditions; the unit remains subject to any requirements not covered by the permit and to Administration monitoring/verification.

Validity and survey cycle: The initial permit period is not more than 5 years; where additional time is needed to conduct the test, it may be renewed for an additional period not exceeding 5 years. This is a maximum, not an automatic term.

MODU application: Possible only for a MODU/platform participating in a qualifying emissions-technology trial; not a standard MODU document.

LL 1966/88; TONNAGE 1969International Convention on Load Lines 1966 as modified by the Protocol of 1988, and International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships 1969

International Load Line Certificate International Load Line Certificate; ILLC/LL Certificate (no single IMO acronym is prescribed)

Applies to: Ships to which LL 1966 or the 1988 Load Line Protocol applies and which have been surveyed and marked in accordance with the Convention. The current PSC list identifies it as International Load Line Certificate (1966), LL 1966/LL PROT 1988 article 16.1. It is not automatically a certificate for a MODU operating under a MODU Code.

Survey or verification procedure: Administration survey under LL 1966/88 article 13/14, or an authorized RO/surveyor. HSSC 2025 Annex 2 (LI/LA/LR) requires an initial complete inspection, including freeboard and conditions of assignment, hull strength, load-line/deck-line marking, closures, openings, ventilators, air pipes, scuppers, side openings, bulwarks/freeing ports and timber-load-line fittings where applicable; annual survey checks continued condition, markings and unauthorized alterations and endorses the certificate; renewal repeats the applicable examination and includes the hull-strength/freeboard basis before a new certificate is issued.

Validity and survey cycle: The harmonized LL 1988 system normally permits a period of validity up to five years, with annual surveys in the HSSC six-month window centered on each anniversary (three months before or after), and renewal within the applicable window. Extensions and exact dates are governed by LL 1966/88 article 19 and the Administration; do not treat the five-year maximum or survey window as a flag-independent guarantee.

MODU application: The MODU Code preamble states that LL 1966 cannot apply to MODUs in respect of their distinctive design. A MODU therefore normally uses the applicable MODU Safety Certificate, not an ILLC, unless the Administration has a separate lawful ship/LL treatment; any national or class equivalent is not an LL 1966/88 certificate.

International Load Line Exemption Certificate International Load Line Exemption Certificate; ILL Exemption Certificate (no single IMO acronym is prescribed)

Applies to: Any ship otherwise within LL 1966/88 for which the Administration has granted an exemption under LL article 6, as applicable under the 1988 Protocol. It is not a general MODU certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: The same statutory Administration/authorized-RO survey framework as the LL certificate. HSSC 2025 Annex 2 expressly covers surveys for the International Load Line Certificate or International Load Line Exemption Certificate: initial survey, annual endorsement after satisfactory survey, and renewal survey/issue. The exemption and its conditions must be identified in the statutory certificate and accepted by the Administration/port State.

Validity and survey cycle: Normally follows the harmonized LL certificate period and survey cycle, subject to the exemption terms, LL article 19, Administration action and permitted extensions. No independent universal interval should be inferred from the exemption alone.

MODU application: The 2009 MODU Code has its own exemption provision and records MODU exemptions on the MODU Safety Certificate. That is not an International Load Line Exemption Certificate. A MODU's national/coastal exemption or equivalent is outside LL 1966/88 unless the flag Administration expressly applies LL provisions.

Record of Conditions of Assignment of Load Lines Record of Conditions of Assignment; RCA/COA record (industry abbreviations, not an IMO certificate code)

Applies to: Applicable LL ships for which the Administration's freeboard assignment depends on detailed conditions of assignment. It supports the assigned freeboard and load-line certificate; it is not a MODU Code certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: Created from the initial load-line survey/freeboard determination and the approved arrangements, sketches and conditions supporting the assignment. It is checked or transferred with the statutory records and must be revised when structural, closing-appliance or other assignment conditions change; annual/renewal LL surveys verify the continuing condition and absence of unauthorized changes.

Validity and survey cycle: No standalone Convention expiry date or independent survey interval is prescribed in the sources reviewed. It remains supporting documentation for the current assignment and should be kept current with approved alterations and the valid LL certificate.

MODU application: No equivalent MODU 'record of conditions of assignment' is created by the 2009 MODU Code. A MODU may have code-approved plans, operating manuals and national records, but those are not this LL record.

International Tonnage Certificate (1969) International Tonnage Certificate (1969); ITC 1969/ITC(69)

Applies to: Every ship engaged on an international voyage to which TONNAGE 1969 applies and whose gross and net tonnages have been determined under the Convention. TONNAGE article 3 covers ships registered in Contracting Governments, certain unregistered ships flying a Contracting-Government flag and existing ships as phased in; article 4 excludes warships, ships under 24 m length and specified inland waters. The current PSC list identifies it as International Tonnage Certificate (TONNAGE 1969 article 7).

Survey or verification procedure: TONNAGE article 6 determination of gross and net tonnages by the Administration or an authorized person/organization, with the Administration retaining full responsibility; article 7 issue by the Administration or authorized issuer; article 12 port-State inspection is limited to verifying that a valid certificate is carried and that the ship's main characteristics correspond to it. This is measurement/verification, not an HSSC annual or renewal survey.

Validity and survey cycle: TONNAGE 1969 sets no routine annual, intermediate or five-year renewal cycle. The certificate ceases to be valid and is cancelled if alterations to arrangement, construction, capacity, use of spaces, passenger capacity, assigned load line or permitted draught require increased GT or NT. On flag transfer to another Contracting Government it remains valid for no more than three months or until replacement, whichever is earlier. Do not invent a periodic survey interval.

MODU application: TONNAGE 1969 creates no MODU-specific certificate. A MODU may receive an ITC 1969 only if the Administration treats it as a ship within TONNAGE 1969's application and the Convention's size/voyage conditions are met; the MODU Safety Certificate does not replace the ITC. The 2009 MODU Code itself does not prescribe a separate tonnage certificate.

AFS 2001 / AFS ConventionInternational Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, 2001

International Anti-fouling System Certificate IAFS Certificate (IAFS; IMO PSC also uses the full name)

Applies to: Ships of 400 gross tonnage and above engaged in international voyages, under AFS 2001 Annex 4 regulation 1(1), excluding fixed or floating platforms, floating storage units (FSUs), and floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs). It is the certificate regime, not a general certificate for every ship to which the pollution controls apply.

Survey or verification procedure: Initial survey before the ship is put into service or before first issue; a further survey whenever the anti-fouling system is changed or replaced, endorsed on the certificate. The 2022 IMO survey guidelines require verification of manufacturer declaration/supporting data, identity of the applied system, removal or sealing of controlled legacy systems, and sampling/testing or documentary checks where needed. A repair affecting approximately 25% or more of the system is treated as a change/replacement under the guidelines. Issuance/endorsement is by the Administration or its authorized surveyor/RO, with the Administration retaining responsibility.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed five-year, annual, intermediate or renewal interval is prescribed by AFS 2001; do not apply the HSSC cargo-ship cycle. The certificate ceases to be valid if the system is changed/replaced without the required endorsement or on transfer to another flag; a new certificate then requires the new Party's satisfaction of compliance. For a system bearing a substance controlled after it was applied, MEPC.331(76) requires issuance within two years after the control enters into force (for cybutryne, effectively by 1 January 2025), which is an implementation deadline, not a validity period.

MODU application: No MODU-specific IAFS form exists. The IMO 2009 MODU Code defines a MODU as a vessel capable of drilling for seabed resources and section 2.11 says that installed anti-fouling systems should conform to AFS 2001. A mobile unit may therefore require the IAFS Certificate if it is legally treated as a qualifying ship and meets the 400-GT/international-voyage tests, but the Annex 4 rule expressly excludes fixed/floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs; do not assume every MODU is automatically in or out. The flag/coastal Administration must determine the unit's statutory status and voyage.

Record of Anti-fouling Systems AFS Record / Record of AFS (no separate universally standardized IMO acronym)

Applies to: Ships holding an IAFS Certificate. The model calls it a record and states that it shall be permanently attached to the International Anti-fouling System Certificate; it is not a standalone certificate. It is not the document required instead of the IAFS Certificate for 24-metre-to-under-400-GT ships, which carry the Declaration on AFS.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued with the IAFS Certificate after satisfactory initial survey and endorsed after a survey for change/replacement. It records ship particulars, anti-fouling-system type, application dates, company/facility/location, manufacturer, name/colour, active ingredients and CAS numbers, and any sealer coat; the endorsement page records the change survey and updated system details.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity or survey interval. It remains attached and current with the IAFS Certificate; it must be updated/endorsed when the anti-fouling system changes or is replaced. It has no HSSC annual or five-year cycle.

MODU application: Only relevant to a MODU that falls within the IAFS Certificate regime. The MODU Code's anti-fouling paragraph does not create a separate MODU record. A unit outside Annex 4 certification scope may still need to demonstrate AFS compliance under applicable flag/coastal law, but this Record is not automatically created by the MODU Code.

Declaration on Anti-fouling System Declaration on AFS (no formal IMO acronym; sometimes informally called AFS Declaration)

Applies to: Ships of 24 metres or more in length but less than 400 gross tonnage engaged in international voyages and within AFS Article 3(1), excluding fixed or floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs. The ship carries the owner/owner's authorized-agent declaration, accompanied by appropriate compliance documentation such as a paint receipt or contractor invoice, or containing appropriate endorsement.

Survey or verification procedure: Owner/authorized agent signs the model declaration. The 2022 IMO survey guidelines tell the surveyor, when conducting an initial or change/replacement verification, to confirm that the declaration is completed for qualifying 24-metre-to-under-400-GT ships and to verify manufacturer information, containers, removal/sealing and supporting documentation as appropriate. It is subject to port-State inspection and may be checked against sampling or further evidence; it is not an HSSC certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No fixed expiry, annual, intermediate or renewal cycle is set by Annex 4 regulation 5. The declaration and its endorsements/documentation must remain accurate and be updated when the anti-fouling system is applied or changed; do not invent a five-year validity.

MODU application: A MODU has no automatic Declaration exemption or automatic entitlement. If it is legally within the Annex 4 ship category, is 24 m or longer, under 400 GT and on international voyages, the declaration rule can apply; a MODU that is a fixed/floating platform or otherwise outside the stated Annex 4 category is excluded. The 2009 MODU Code creates no alternative declaration or MODU-specific AFS document.

BWM / BWMS CodeInternational Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004, as amended, together with the mandatory Code for Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems

International Ballast Water Management Certificate IBWMC / BWM Certificate (IMO does not prescribe a unique acronym)

Applies to: Ships of 400 GT and above to which BWM 2004 applies, after the E-1 survey; the official IMO certificate list expressly excludes floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs. The certificate records the applicable management method/standard, including D-1, D-2, D-4 or another approved approach, and the expiry date.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued after a satisfactory initial or renewal survey under BWM regulation E-1. HSSC 2025 Annex 4 requires initial verification of the ship design/construction, approved BWMP, Ballast Water Record Book, applicable prototype statement, BWMS type-approval certificate and installation; for D-2/BWMS ships it verifies installation conformity, control/monitoring, bypass alarms, commissioning procedures/testing and Active-Substance documentation. Annual surveys check certificate validity, BWMP, record-book entries, BWMS type approval, calibration and equipment condition. Intermediate surveys include the annual-scope checks plus examination for obvious BWMS defects/deterioration. Renewal surveys repeat the relevant checks and testing. Additional surveys follow accidents/defects or a change, replacement or significant repair, including BWMS retrofit, and must confirm commissioning testing where applicable. Administration/RO statutory survey; not class survey.

Validity and survey cycle: A certificate is normally issued for no more than five years under E-5, subject to the applicable annual surveys within three months before or after each certificate anniversary, an intermediate survey where E-1 requires it (the HSSC framework places such surveys around the second or third anniversary), renewal before expiry, and additional surveys when triggered. The exact endorsement, extension and short-voyage rules are those of E-5 and the flag Administration; no flag-dependent interval is invented here.

MODU application: No separate MODU IBWMC exists. The statutory IMO list says the E-2 certificate is for covered ships of 400 GT and above excluding floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs. A MODU that is treated as a floating platform therefore should not be presented as automatically entitled to this certificate; its ballast-water obligations and any certificate treatment must be confirmed with the Administration. A self-propelled/mobile unit that is not within that exclusion still has to be assessed under the Convention’s application provisions.

Ballast Water Management Plan BWMP

Applies to: Each ship to which the Convention’s management requirements apply, including a ballast-water-carrying MODU where the Administration treats it as a covered ship. The plan is ship-specific and describes actions and supplemental practices for compliance.

Survey or verification procedure: HSSC 2025 initial survey verifies that the approved plan has been provided; annual/intermediate/renewal surveys check that it remains onboard and current, alongside the ship’s record book and equipment. Port State control may verify the plan together with the certificate and records.

Validity and survey cycle: No standalone Convention expiry period is prescribed. The plan remains ship-specific and approved, and must be amended/re-approved when the ship’s arrangements, equipment, operating method or applicable requirements change; the associated certificate survey cycle does not turn the plan into a five-year certificate.

MODU application: Potentially relevant to a ballast-water-carrying MODU covered by the Convention. There is no MODU-specific BWMP form or separate MODU certificate. A floating-platform exclusion from E-2 certification does not, by itself, justify assuming that all operational BWM requirements disappear; apply the Convention’s exact application provisions and flag/port-State treatment.

Ballast Water Record Book BWRB / Ballast Water Record Book

Applies to: Each ship subject to regulation B-2, including a covered MODU if it takes up, treats, exchanges, discharges or otherwise handles ballast water. It may be a paper book, an approved electronic record system, or integrated into another record book/system.

Survey or verification procedure: Entries must document ballast uptake, discharge, exchange/internal circulation or in-tank treatment, reception-facility operations, accidental/exceptional operations, BWMS failures/inoperabilities, and sediment cleaning/disposal using the Appendix II form/current electronic-record-book rules. HSSC and port State control verify the book and entries; the master signs entries as required by the form.

Validity and survey cycle: Not a periodically renewed certificate. Entries are kept onboard for at least two years after the last entry and then in the Company’s control for at least three more years. The current Appendix II form entered into force 1 February 2025; electronic-record-book amendments entered into force 1 October 2025.

MODU application: No separate MODU book is created. A MODU that is a covered ship and conducts ballast-water operations uses the same BWRB requirements; the exact application must be checked where the unit is a floating platform or otherwise falls within a Convention exclusion.

Type Approval Certificate of Ballast Water Management System BWMS Type Approval Certificate / BWMS TA Certificate / TA Certificate

Applies to: The particular ballast water management system (BWMS), identified by manufacturer, model, drawings, rated capacity and operating limitations, that is fitted to a ship to meet the D-2 standard. A copy is carried onboard each fitted ship for inspection; the certificate is issued to the system by the Administration, not to the ship as the ship’s Convention certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: BWMS Code type approval requires satisfactory documentation review, land-based and shipboard performance testing against D-2, environmental testing and control/monitoring evaluation. After fitting, the ship receives an installation survey; HSSC 2025 verifies conformity with the TA Certificate, manufacturer installation specification, sampling facilities, alarms/bypasses, control/monitoring, commissioning procedures/testing and applicable Active-Substance information. The Code permits an Administration to base approval on testing supervised by another Administration.

Validity and survey cycle: The model certificate has an issued-date and ‘Valid until’ field, but the BWMS Code does not prescribe one universal certificate duration or periodic ship survey cycle. Validity, limitations, modifications and withdrawal are controlled by the issuing Administration. The certificate is system/application-specific and includes validated System Design Limitations and any limiting operating conditions; it is not automatically valid for every ship or operating condition.

MODU application: Conditional for a covered MODU only if it uses a BWMS to meet D-2. There is no MODU-specific BWMS TA Certificate; the same equipment approval applies if the unit is within the statutory BWM regime. A TA Certificate does not cure an E-2 floating-platform certificate exclusion.

Basic Approval of an Active Substance or Preparation G9 Basic Approval / BA

Applies to: An Active Substance or preparation proposed for use in a BWMS; it is technology/material approval, not a ship certificate. It can support prototype or type-approval testing.

Survey or verification procedure: The Member/Administration submits the proposal; the GESAMP-Ballast Water Working Group reviews the data and the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee decides whether the Basic Approval criteria are met. It is not issued through the ship’s E-1 survey.

Validity and survey cycle: G9 sets no universal five-year validity or survey cycle. IMO records and circulates approvals; approvals can be modified or withdrawn under the G9 procedure. The later Administration Type Approval Certificate remains a separate document.

MODU application: No MODU-specific Basic Approval exists. It is relevant only if a BWMS installed on a covered MODU uses the Active Substance/preparation.

Final Approval of a ballast water management system that makes use of Active Substances or Preparations G9 Final Approval / FA

Applies to: A specific Active-Substance BWMS after the required type-approval testing and residual-toxicity confirmation. It is a system approval by IMO, not the ship’s E-2 certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: Under G9 and regulation D-3.2, the Member/Administration submits type-approval test results to IMO for confirmation that residual toxicity conforms to the Basic Approval evaluation. The issuing Administration must then take the IMO approval recommendations into account before issuing the BWMS Code Type Approval Certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal validity interval is specified by G9. IMO maintains an approval list and may modify or withdraw approval if the conditions or evidence change. It does not replace the ship installation survey, commissioning test or IBWMC.

MODU application: No separate MODU Final Approval. It follows the BWMS technology and is relevant only when an applicable MODU uses that Active-Substance system.

Statement of Compliance for a Prototype Ballast Water Treatment Technology D-4 Statement of Compliance / SoC

Applies to: A ship participating in an Administration-approved prototype ballast water treatment technology programme under regulation D-4 and G10. It is ship-specific and identifies the prototype technology and programme.

Survey or verification procedure: G10 requires programme approval, installation survey, Administration oversight and continuing experimental performance evaluation/reporting. HSSC 2025 checks the statement and evidence that the prototype continues to operate under the approved programme during annual surveys.

Validity and survey cycle: The G10 model contains a date-specific ‘This Statement is valid until’ field. Regulation D-4 relief is a limited prototype regime—up to five years from the date on which the ship would otherwise be required to comply with D-2—not a general five-year certificate validity rule; the exact date and conditions are set by the Administration.

MODU application: Potentially available to a covered ballast-water-carrying MODU if its Administration approves a D-4 programme. There is no MODU-specific form. A floating-platform exclusion from E-2 should not be treated as an automatic D-4 entitlement.

Exemption authorization under regulation A-4 (no prescribed IMO certificate title/model) BWM A-4 exemption / A-4 authorization

Applies to: A ship or ships on specified voyages/routes between specified ports or locations, granted by a Party in waters under that Party’s jurisdiction; it is not a general fleet exemption.

Survey or verification procedure: G7 risk-assessment methods and the Party’s approval/review process. The granting Party evaluates the assessment and data, communicates/consults as required, and may require evidence throughout the exemption. Non-compliance can lead to suspension or revocation.

Validity and survey cycle: No more than five years from grant, subject to intermediate review; the approval may contain seasonal, route, time or other restrictions. There is no IMO-wide prescribed form or universal certificate number.

MODU application: A-4 can theoretically be granted to a MODU only if the Party’s jurisdictional and risk-assessment conditions are met; there is no special MODU exemption certificate. Do not confuse an A-4 authorization with a class waiver, national operating licence or E-2 IBWMC.

Approval in principle of an Other Method of ballast water management under regulation B-3.7 B-3.7 Other-Method approval in principle / OMA

Applies to: A proposed alternative ballast-water management method that provides at least the protection of B-3.1–B-3.5 methods; it is technology/method approval rather than a ship certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: MEPC.206(62) requires evaluation of safety, environmental acceptability, practicality, economics and biological effectiveness, followed by Administration approval analogous to the applicable G8/G10 process. The Organization records and circulates approvals.

Validity and survey cycle: No universal validity or survey interval is stated. It is method-specific and subject to the MEPC/Administration approval conditions and later review; it is not an E-2 certificate or an automatic D-2 compliance document.

MODU application: No MODU-specific approval exists. It could be relevant to a covered MODU only if the method and unit are separately approved by the competent bodies.

HKCHong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Hong Kong Convention)

Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM), Parts I, II and III IHM (record; not a certificate)

Applies to: Ships, including in-scope MODUs, subject to the Convention. Part I covers hazardous materials in ship structure/equipment; Part II operationally generated wastes; Part III stores.

Survey or verification procedure: Prepared and maintained by the shipowner/shipyard using the 2023 IMO IHM Guidelines (MEPC.379(80)); Part I is verified by the Administration or an authorized person/organization through the HKC initial, renewal and, where requested after relevant changes, additional survey. The record supports the final survey and must agree with the ship-specific Ship Recycling Plan.

Validity and survey cycle: The IHM itself has no independent certificate expiry; it must remain accurate and current. Its failure to be properly maintained can invalidate the associated ICIHM. Do not treat the record as a five-year document independently of the certificate/survey regime.

MODU application: No MODU-specific form or code. A floating or self-elevating MODU normally fits the broad HKC ship definition if it meets the applicability conditions, including GT and flag/authority scope; a MODU below 500 GT or otherwise excluded is outside mandatory application.

International Certificate on Inventory of Hazardous Materials ICIHM (common industry/RO shorthand; the IMO model uses the full title and does not assign an official code)

Applies to: Ships to which HKC regulation 10 applies, including in-scope MODUs, flying a Party flag or operating under Party authority. It is not issued to an excluded ship merely because it is classed.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the Administration or authorized RO/person after successful initial or renewal survey under regulation 10; initial survey verifies Part I of the IHM, renewal verifies continued compliance, and an additional survey may be requested after a change, replacement or significant repair affecting the IHM, with the certificate endorsed. Initial and renewal surveys should be harmonized with other applicable statutory surveys; the Administration retains responsibility.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding five years. Renewal interval is Administration-specified and must not exceed five years; do not invent a universal annual/intermediate interval. Regulation 11 contains limited endorsement/extension mechanics, including up to five months in the stated renewal-document-delay case, up to three months to reach a survey port, and up to one month for short voyages, subject to the regulation’s conditions. The certificate ceases on substantial mismatch/poorly maintained IHM, flag transfer, missed renewal requirements or missing endorsement.

MODU application: If the MODU is a qualifying floating/self-elevating platform and otherwise within HKC scope, it receives the same ICIHM as any other ship; there is no ‘MODU IHM certificate’. The certificate concerns hazardous-material inventory and HKC compliance, not the separate SOLAS/MODU Code safety certification of the unit.

International Ready for Recycling Certificate IRRC (common industry/RO shorthand; the IMO model uses the full title and does not assign an official code)

Applies to: Any ship to which HKC regulation 10 applies, including an in-scope MODU, when it is destined for recycling. It is a recycling-stage certificate, not a life-of-ship operational certificate.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the Administration or authorized RO/person after the final survey, conducted before the ship is taken out of service and before recycling starts. The survey verifies the complete/current IHM (Parts I–III), that the Ship Recycling Plan reflects the IHM and contains Safe-for-entry/Safe-for-hot-work information, and that each recycling facility has valid authorization. The certificate model’s IHM and Ship Recycling Plan are essential accompanying documents.

Validity and survey cycle: Administration-specified period not exceeding three months. It may be extended only for a single point-to-point voyage to the Ship Recycling Facility under regulation 14.5; it ceases to be valid if the ship’s condition no longer substantially matches the certificate particulars.

MODU application: A qualifying MODU being recycled needs an IRRC on exactly the same basis as another HKC ship. There is no MODU-specific ready-for-recycling certificate and no substitution by a MODU Code certificate.

CLC / BUNKERS / PAL / HNS / WRCIMO liability and compensation conventions requiring ship insurance or other financial security: CLC; BUNKERS; PAL; HNS; Nairobi WRC

Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC 1969) CLC 1969 Certificate / CLC-69

Applies to: A ship registered in a 1969 CLC Party and carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of oil in bulk as cargo. The CLC ship concept is a seagoing vessel/seaborne craft constructed or adapted to carry persistent oil in bulk as cargo; a ship capable of carrying oil and other cargoes is treated as a CLC ship when actually carrying oil in bulk as cargo and on the following voyage unless no residue remains. Government-owned ships used only for non-commercial service are excluded; commercial State ships are subject to the liability regime but have the special State-coverage treatment noted below.

Survey or verification procedure: Not an HSSC/class survey. Under CLC Article VII, the appropriate authority of a Contracting State determines that the required insurance or other financial security is in force and then issues/certifies the model certificate; a State may use a bank guarantee or other permitted security. This is statutory flag/State certification, not class certification.

Validity and survey cycle: No IMO annual, intermediate, renewal or five-year HSSC cycle. The model certificate states a period of validity; the registry State determines issue/validity conditions, and the certificate cannot run longer than the underlying security. CLC Article VII also protects against termination/modification taking effect before three months' notice to the registry authority unless the certificate is surrendered or replaced. Reissue follows expiry, cancellation, material change, flag change or replacement of security under the issuing State's process.

MODU application: A drilling MODU does not receive a CLC certificate merely because it is a MODU, stores drilling fluids, or uses fuel. It could qualify only if it is a qualifying seagoing oil-carrying ship actually carrying >2,000 tonnes of persistent oil in bulk as cargo (for example, an oil-carrying conversion). A fixed/on-location drilling platform is not thereby an oil-cargo ship.

Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (1992 CLC) CLC 1992 Certificate / CLC-92

Applies to: Each ship carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of oil in bulk as cargo after the Article VII insurance/security test is met. The current 1992 CLC scope covers seagoing oil-carrying ships/tankers, including the 1992 regime's treatment of laden/unladen tankers and specified bunker oil from such ships; the certificate trigger remains the Article VII >2,000-tonnes-in-bulk-cargo rule. Warships and State ships used only for non-commercial service are excluded.

Survey or verification procedure: The appropriate authority of a 1992 CLC Contracting State verifies compliance with Article VII(1) and issues/certifies the Annex model certificate. The IMO/FAL list states that a flag Contracting State issues its own ship's certificate and any Contracting State may issue/certify for a non-Party flag. No HSSC survey, class audit or fixed RO cycle is prescribed.

Validity and survey cycle: No IMO-fixed survey interval. The certificate records validity and cannot exceed the insurance/financial-security period; the registry State sets issue and validity conditions. Article VII's three-month notice protection applies to early termination or disqualifying modification, subject to surrender/replacement of the certificate. Treat expiry/change of cover or flag as the practical reissuance events, not an assumed annual or five-year cycle.

MODU application: No certificate for an ordinary drilling MODU simply because it is mobile, offshore, or carries operational oil. A MODU is relevant only if it meets the CLC ship/oil-cargo definitions and actually carries >2,000 tonnes of persistent oil in bulk as cargo; that is exceptional and fact-specific.

Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage BUNKERS 2001 Certificate / BUNKER Certificate

Applies to: Each ship having gross tonnage greater than 1,000, where BUNKERS 2001 applies. The Convention/IMO Claims Manual describe the covered craft broadly as any seagoing vessel or seaborne craft of any type whatsoever; the regime concerns hydrocarbon mineral oil used or intended for operation/propulsion, including lubricating oil and residues.

Survey or verification procedure: Not a ship-condition survey and not HSSC. Under Article 7, the appropriate authority of a BUNKERS Party determines that insurance/financial-security requirements are met and issues/certifies the Annex model certificate; a Party may authorize a recognized institution/organization. A State-issued certificate is the evidence carried onboard; the IMO Claims Manual says it should be sufficient security for Convention claims without a further owner security document.

Validity and survey cycle: No IMO annual/renewal/periodical interval. The certificate's period cannot exceed the underlying cover; the flag/issuing State sets issue and validity conditions. Article 7's three-month notice protection applies if cover is terminated or modified before stated expiry unless the certificate is surrendered/replaced. Reissue is driven by cover/ownership/flag changes and State practice, not HSSC.

MODU application: A mobile/seagoing MODU can fall within the broad BUNKERS ship wording if it is a qualifying seagoing vessel/seaborne craft and exceeds 1,000 GT; a non-seagoing fixed unit should not be assumed covered solely from the MODU label. The certificate is for hydrocarbon-mineral bunker oil, not every future fuel: IMO's Claims Manual specifically distinguishes methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and LNG as outside its hydrocarbon-mineral-oil scope.

Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Liability for the Death of and Personal Injury to Passengers PAL 2002 Certificate / Athens 2002 Certificate

Applies to: A ship registered in a PAL 2002/2002 Protocol State, licensed to carry more than 12 passengers, when the Athens Convention as amended applies. A ship is not made a PAL passenger ship merely by having accommodation; the PAL passenger/contract-of-carriage definitions and the applicable national implementation determine whether persons onboard are passengers rather than crew or other persons excluded by the Convention.

Survey or verification procedure: The appropriate authority of a PAL State determines that Article 4bis insurance/financial-security requirements are met and issues/certifies the Annex model certificate. A State may authorize a recognized institution/organization, while retaining responsibility; no hull/equipment survey, ISM audit, HSSC survey or class certificate is created by PAL.

Validity and survey cycle: No Convention-wide annual, intermediate, renewal or five-year cycle. The certificate states its validity, cannot exceed the insurance/security period, and PAL Article 4bis contains the three-month notice protection for early termination/disqualifying modification unless surrendered/replaced. The flag State determines issue/validity conditions.

MODU application: A MODU needs this certificate only if it is a ship to which PAL applies and is licensed to carry more than 12 passengers. Crew and ordinary offshore workers/industrial personnel are not automatically PAL passengers; do not infer a PAL certificate from berthing capacity, a MODU Code certificate, or a national offshore-personnel permit.

Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Liability for Damage Caused by Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) HNS 2010 Certificate / HNS Certificate

Applies to: Under Article 12 of the 2010 HNS Convention, each ship registered in a State Party and actually carrying HNS. HNS includes categories defined by reference to IMO instruments/codes (including oils, bulk chemicals, liquefied gases, certain flashpoint liquids, packaged dangerous materials and chemically hazardous solid bulk materials); the ship-size/cargo exclusions in Article 5 can be declared by a State, including ships not exceeding 200 GT and certain packaged-form domestic voyages.

Survey or verification procedure: Article 12 requires the appropriate authority of a State Party to determine that the insurance/financial-security requirement is satisfied and issue/certify the Annex I model certificate. This is financial-security verification, not a cargo/ship survey or HSSC audit. The certificate must be carried onboard and a copy deposited with the registry/issuing authority.

Validity and survey cycle: No HSSC or IMO-fixed survey interval. Article 12 requires the certificate period not to exceed the underlying security period; the registry State determines issue/validity conditions. Security cannot cease for a reason other than expiry before three months after termination notice to the relevant authority unless the certificate is surrendered or replaced. The certificate is future-effective only when the treaty's entry-into-force and State-Party conditions are met.

MODU application: A mobile/seagoing MODU could qualify if it is a ship actually carrying HNS as cargo and is registered in a State Party once the Convention is operative. Operational chemicals, drilling mud, stores or propulsion fuel do not automatically equal HNS cargo; classification under the Convention's cargo definitions and national implementation is needed. The HNS text has no WRC-style express on-location MODU exception, so do not make a blanket inclusion/exclusion without the unit's ship status and activity facts.

Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Security in Respect of Liability for the Removal of Wrecks Nairobi WRC 2007 Certificate / WRC Certificate

Applies to: Each ship of 300 GT and above registered in a Nairobi WRC Party. The Convention applies to wreck removal beyond the territorial sea; a State may opt to extend provisions to its territory/territorial sea. The WRC ship definition is unusually important for MODUs: it includes seagoing vessels, seaborne craft and floating platforms, except platforms when on location and engaged in exploration, exploitation or production of seabed mineral resources.

Survey or verification procedure: Under Article 12, the appropriate authority of the registry State determines that compulsory insurance/other financial security is in force and issues/certifies the Convention model certificate; for a non-Party flag, any Party may issue/certify as the Convention permits, and a Party may authorize a recognized institution/organization. No hull/equipment survey or HSSC survey cycle creates this certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No IMO-fixed annual, intermediate, renewal or five-year cycle. The certificate states validity, which cannot exceed the underlying security period; the registry State sets issue/validity conditions. Article 12 includes the three-month termination/modification notice protection unless the certificate is surrendered/replaced. Reissue follows security, flag or particulars changes under the issuing State's process.

MODU application: This is the clearest MODU distinction in the group. A mobile MODU/floating platform underway or relocating may be a WRC ship and, if 300 GT+, require the certificate. A floating platform on location and engaged in seabed mineral exploration, exploitation or production is expressly outside the WRC ship definition; an on-location drilling MODU therefore does not receive a WRC certificate solely under the Convention. Confirm the unit's status/activity at the relevant time and any coastal-State extension.

MLC, 2006Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (ILO; non-IMO)

Maritime Labour Certificate MLC Certificate (MLC Cert.)

Applies to: Ships covered by Regulation 5.1.3(1): 500 GT or more on international voyages or operating from/between ports in another country; also any other flag ship at the shipowner's request under Regulation 5.1.3(2). A MODU is included only if the flag State treats it as a ship under national law/practice and its operations are not exclusively within excluded waters/areas.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued or renewed by the competent flag-State authority or a duly authorized RO after inspection against national requirements implementing the MLC. The inspected matters are the Appendix A5-I subjects; the certificate is prima facie evidence of the flag inspection. Continuing validity requires an intermediate inspection; subsequent inspections/verification and significant deficiencies are recorded under Standard A5.1.3.

Validity and survey cycle: Maximum five years. If a five-year certificate has one intermediate inspection, it is between the second and third anniversary dates and is endorsed. Renewal timing and the limited post-renewal extension (up to five months where the new certificate cannot yet be made available) are governed by Standard A5.1.3; do not infer a flag-independent shorter term. The certificate ceases on specified events including missed inspection/endorsement, flag change, change of responsible shipowner or substantial covered structural/equipment changes.

MODU application: No separate MODU form or cycle. Apply the same rule only where the unit is legally a ship within the flag State's MLC implementation and is not excluded by its operating waters; a national determination may exclude MODUs.

Interim Maritime Labour Certificate Interim MLC Certificate (IMLC)

Applies to: A ship otherwise eligible for MLC certification, including a MODU only when it is a ship covered by the flag State's MLC regime.

Survey or verification procedure: The competent authority or authorized RO verifies, as far as reasonable and practicable, Appendix A5-I matters; adequate shipowner procedures; the master's familiarity with MLC responsibilities; and information sufficient to produce a DMLC. A full inspection must occur before expiry to issue the full-term certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: Not more than six months. No further interim certificate may be issued after the initial six months; a DMLC need not be issued during the interim period. It is not an HSSC interim certificate.

MODU application: Same conditional ship-status analysis as the full MLC Certificate; no MODU-specific interim form or extension.

Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance – Part I DMLC Part I (DMLC-I)

Applies to: The same ships for which a full MLC Certificate is issued, including a MODU only if it is within the flag State's MLC ship scope.

Survey or verification procedure: Part I is drawn up by the competent authority. It identifies the Appendix A5-I matters, national provisions implementing the Convention, ship-type-specific requirements, substantial equivalences and any Title 3 exemptions. Part II is certified by the authority/authorized RO and the DMLC is issued with the MLC Certificate.

Validity and survey cycle: No independent validity period. It is attached to and operationally tied to the MLC Certificate and must reflect current national requirements, equivalences and exemptions; inspection/verification results and significant deficiencies are recorded on or appended to it.

MODU application: No MODU-specific model. If the flag State treats the MODU as an MLC ship, Part I must identify applicable ship-type-specific or national MODU treatment; if not, no MLC DMLC is generated.

Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance – Part II DMLC Part II (DMLC-II)

Applies to: The same ships for which a full MLC Certificate is issued, including an in-scope MODU.

Survey or verification procedure: Part II is prepared by the shipowner and states measures for ongoing compliance between inspections and continuous improvement. The competent authority or duly authorized RO certifies Part II and issues the DMLC.

Validity and survey cycle: No separate fixed validity or survey interval. It remains attached to the MLC Certificate and must support continuing compliance; changes are dealt with through the flag/authorized-RO verification and DMLC process.

MODU application: Same as DMLC-I; no MODU-specific form. Operational controls should address the unit's actual offshore accommodation and working arrangements when the unit is an MLC ship.

Evidence of financial security under Regulation 2.5, paragraph 2 (certificate or other documentary evidence for abandonment/repatriation) MLC financial security – A2.5.2 / FS-R (industry shorthand; no ILO-mandated acronym)

Applies to: The financial-security system must exist for ships within the MLC meaning of 'ship'. The shipboard certificate/document carriage requirement in Standard A2.5.2(6) applies to ships to which Regulation 5.1.3(1) or (2) applies. An in-scope MODU is treated the same way; a unit excluded as not a ship under national law is not assigned an MLC document by the Convention.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the financial-security provider, not by the flag State, RO or class. It must attest that the security meets Standard A2.5.2 and contain Appendix A2-I information: ship, registry, call sign, IMO number, provider/contact, shipowner, validity period and attestation. Flag-State/port-State compliance inspection verifies carriage/posting and conformity; this is not a class survey.

Validity and survey cycle: The document states its own period of validity; the MLC sets no universal annual or five-year term. Do not substitute a P&I provider's normal policy period for an MLC rule.

MODU application: No MODU-specific financial-security certificate. Apply the ship-status and certification-population tests above; the underlying A2.5.2 financial-security obligation is broader than the onboard-document trigger.

Evidence of financial security under Regulation 4.2 (certificate or other documentary evidence for shipowners' liability) MLC financial security – A4.2.1 / FS-SL (industry shorthand; no ILO-mandated acronym)

Applies to: Ships flying the flag of an MLC Member, including an MODU whenever it is a ship under the flag State's MLC implementation. Standard A4.2.1(11) requires each flag ship to carry the certificate/document; it is not limited in the text to the 500-GT certification population.

Survey or verification procedure: Issued by the financial-security provider, not the flag/RO/class. It must attest conformity with Standard A4.2.1 and contain Appendix A4-I information analogous to A2-I, including provider/claims contact and validity period. Flag/port-State inspection verifies the statutory document; no HSSC or class survey creates it.

Validity and survey cycle: The period is the period stated on the financial-security document; the MLC prescribes no fixed duration. Security must not cease before the stated validity ends unless the provider gives the flag authority at least 30 days' prior notice, and it covers contractual claims arising during the document's validity.

MODU application: No MODU-specific form or cycle; use the same flag-ship analysis. If the unit is excluded from the MLC as not a ship, this MLC document is not generated, subject to any separate national regime.

Record of subsequent MLC inspections/other verifications and significant deficiencies (on or appended to DMLC, or otherwise made available) DMLC inspection record (no prescribed acronym)

Applies to: Ships holding an MLC Certificate, including an in-scope MODU.

Survey or verification procedure: Results of subsequent inspections or other verifications and significant deficiencies, with the date remedied, are recorded under national arrangements and made available to seafarers, flag inspectors, port-State officers and shipowner/seafarer representatives.

Validity and survey cycle: No separate validity or fixed cycle; it tracks the ship's inspections and remains associated with the DMLC/MLC compliance file.

MODU application: No MODU-specific record form; applies only if the unit is within the MLC certification regime.

MLC Title 3 accommodation exemption, relaxation or variation (no single model title) A3.1 exemption/variation (no prescribed acronym)

Applies to: Only the specified ship(s) and circumstances authorized by the competent authority; potentially an in-scope MODU, subject to the flag State's implementation and the MLC's express conditions.

Survey or verification procedure: Competent-authority approval under the exact Standard A3.1 conditions, including consultation where required and protection of health and safety. Any Title 3 exemption must be clearly indicated in DMLC Part I and is verified in MLC inspection.

Validity and survey cycle: No Convention-wide duration; governed by the national approval and the particular ship/circumstances. Do not assume an annual or five-year term.

MODU application: No MODU-specific form. Whether it can be used depends on the unit being an MLC ship and on the flag State's national implementation.

Evidence, findings and completion

Objective evidence

The survey record identifies the items examined, tests witnessed, measurements taken, documents reviewed, equipment serial or service data where relevant, photographs when necessary, and any limitation that prevented full examination.

Deficiency closure

A finding states the applicable requirement, observed condition, required corrective action, and due date. Closure requires acceptable documentary evidence or re-examination. Safety-critical deficiencies may prevent a recommendation for certification or require immediate action.

Controlled tools: Approved surveyors and authorized Flag State users obtain the applicable survey report or checklist from the secure Survey Checklists library. Certificate formats remain in the separate Certificates library.

Open survey checklists