Safe manning document and manning proposal for merchant ships
A manning proposal is a document drawn up by the ship's manager indicating the minimum crew composition with which he or she wishes to man a vessel. The information provided in the proposal includes the number of crew members along with their duties, based on the operations of the vessel in question.
Step 1: drawing up a manning proposal
In order to apply for a MSMD, the merchant ship’s ship manager must first draw up a manning proposal. For this purpose, please use the form Application Assessment Crew Plan Seagoing Vessel.
Step 2: applying for a MSMD
Once you have drawn up the manning proposal, you can apply for a MSMD using the form Application Assessment Crew Plan Seagoing Vessel.
Please send the manning proposal and MSMD application along with any attachments to the ILT.
Fees for the application can be found on the page Tarieven (Tariffs, only in Dutch).
Assessment of your manning proposal by the ILT
The ILT will assess the manning proposal for such aspects as:
- crew composition
- rest hours
- vessel type and equipment
- emergency procedures
- sailing areas
- continuous/non-continuous sailing
Once your manning proposal is approved
If the ILT approves the manning proposal, the ship’s manager will receive a validated manning proposal and a MSMD along with a payment invoice. You will receive the documents within the time frames set in the Algemene wet bestuursrecht (General Administrative Law Act, only in Dutch).
It is mandatory to have the manning proposal and the MSMD on board at all times.
Reporting changes to your manning proposal or MSMD
In case of changes, you can also use the Manning proposal form Application Assessment Crew Plan Seagoing Vessel.
Renewing your MSMD
Your MSMD is valid for 5 years. If your manning document expires, you can use the Manning proposal form Application Assessment Crew Plan Seagoing Vessel to apply for renewal.