Counting and registration system on passenger ships

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Which ships must have a counting and registration system?

The counting and registration systems must be implemented on sailing vessels and recreational fishing vessels that:

• Carry more than 12 passengers.
• Sail under the Dutch flag or a foreign flag.
• Sail to or from ports of EU Member States.
• Are unable to make a Search and Rescue (SAR) report through the Maritime Single Window (MSW).

Which system must be implemented?

Which system must be implemented, depends on the situation:

• Passenger ships that operate a route of a maximum of 20 nautical miles within the EU only need to implement a passenger counting system (Article 4).
• Passenger ships that leave a Member State port to operate a route of more than 20 nautical miles from the point of departure need to implement a correctly functioning passenger registration system.

When is approval required?

Determine whether the directive applies to your ship or ships by reviewing Directive 98/41/EC.
If a registration system is required, you must apply for approval of the registration system.

How to apply for approval

• Passenger ships registered in the Netherlands can request approval for a counting and registration system using the Application Additional certificates for merchant ships online form. 
• Include the attachments that must be certified by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), such as the counting and registration system and International Safety Management (ISM) procedures (if applicable).
• Include proof of approval by other EU Member States, if available.
• The ILT will review the application upon receiving the form and supporting documents.
• If the system is approved, you will receive a certified copy of your counting and registration system.

Any changes to the approved counting and registration system must be assessed and approved by the ILT. For this, you must resubmit the application form along with a clear overview of the changes in question.

Costs of approval

You can find an overview of the costs of approval of a counting and registration system for passenger ships in the Regeling tarieven transportsectoren - zeevaart (Transportation Sectors Tariffs Scheme for sea shipping, in Dutch).

Identical ships: one application

Only one application needs to be submitted in case of more than one identical vessels. Application and documentation must clearly state name of identical ships.

To save costs, the application may be submitted through a branche organisation or other maritime consultancy and combined with applications for more shipowners for identical vessels.

Who is responsible?

Article 8 of European Directive 98/41/EC states that the company responsible for the operation of a passenger ship must implement a passenger registration system.

Objectives of Directive 98/41/EC

The objective of European Directive 98/41/EC is to improve the safety and rescue of passengers and crew on board of passenger ships, contribute to more effective search and rescue operations and handle the aftermath of accidents more effectively.

Questions

For questions about the counting and registration system on passenger ships, please contact the ILT call centre at +31 (0)88 489 00 00 or use our contact form.