Ship classification certificate: what a surveyor checks

A classification certificate is the technical roadworthiness paper of a seagoing ship. A classification society sends surveyors aboard who check the ship technically, and the certificate shows the outcome. A surveyor asks for it before loading and checks one thing above all: is the date still inside five years?

What the certificate is

Think of it as the MOT (in Dutch, the APK) of a ship. The classification society goes on board and checks the ship technically, all of it. The societies that do this are well-known ones, such as DNV and Bureau Veritas. The ship carries the certificate, and it is the first piece of paper that says the ship itself is in order, before anyone looks at the cargo spaces.

How old may it be

In the sector specialist's practice the certificate is at most five years old: it counts four years in principle, and the ship has a further year from the date of issue to obtain the renewal. When you ask for it, check the date: is it still within five years, and therefore valid? If it is older, the certificate is not valid.

Class societies describe the same rhythm as a five-year certificate of class issued after periodical surveys: annual, intermediate and special surveys. The exact dates and windows follow the rules of the society that issued the certificate.

Where it comes in the checklist

It is not a line on the checklist itself. For a tank the checklist is in practice the FOSFA banned and acceptable previous cargo lists, together with the EU list; see cargo inspection checklist and FOSFA banned and acceptable previous cargoes. The ship must also be technically in order, so the classification certificate is asked for next to the last three cargoes. Both checks belong to what an independent cargo surveyor does before the cargo goes in.

If the certificate is outdated

An outdated certificate is rare: it has happened to the sector specialist twice in all those years. It is the master's responsibility to supply correct information, but if you check the certificate and it is outdated, the ship may in effect not be insured, and a cargo loaded into an uninsured ship is a problem for everyone. General advice: report it to your client before loading, and write down what you were shown and when. Claims afterwards are covered in cargo claims in bulk shipping.

Based on the working practice of our sector specialist: 25 years in the port, 20 of them as a cargo surveyor. Check that the date is still inside the five years.