GovWire

Compulsory insurance certificates

UK ships and ships coming to or from the UK, or other state party, must have flag state certificates to prove that they have the relevant compulsory civil liability insurance against oil pollution. This applies to:

• bunker oil for ships over 1,000GT using oil as fuel see Oil pollution: liability and compulsory insurance for bunker oil (MGN 507)
• tanker oil for ships carrying over 2,000 tonnes of oil cargo see Oil pollution: liability and compulsory insurance (MGN 508)

Passengers and luggage (PAL) insurance

Vessels licensed to carry more than 12 passengers must have passenger liability insurance in the event of accidents.

UK passenger vessels on international voyages must have a certificate issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to show that insurance is in place.

Passenger vessels not registered in a state party to the 2002 Athens Protocol or an EU/EEA state may also apply to the?MCA?to get a?PAL?insurance certificate.

Youll need to provide evidence of both war risks and non-war risks insurance when you apply.

Wreck removal insurance

UK ships and ships coming to or from the UK, or other state party, must have flag state certificates to prove that they have the relevant compulsory liability insurance for the locating, marking and removing of wrecks. This applies to all vessels over 300 GT.

The Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention 2007 (NWRC 2007) came into force on the 14 April 2015. The?MCA?was able to issue certificates on behalf of the UK from this date.

The?MCA?is prepared to accept applications from non-state parties, however priority will be given to applications for UK-flagged vessels, and each application is considered on a case-by-case basis.

How to apply

Before you start

Youll need a Blue Card addressed to the MCA.

Each Compulsory Insurance Certificate for each vessel will cost 31. Certificates are electronic and will be emailed to the applicant. Payment can be made online as part of the application. If you wish to pay via a rolling account select dont want to pay online and well contact you to confirm the payment.

You can apply for Civil Liability Certificates online by following these steps.

Apply online

1. Go to the UK Ship Register service.
2. Select Sign in to log into your account or if you do not have an account select, create one now at the sign in page.
3. Once signed into your account, select Request a compulsory insurance certificate - you can request and pay for multiple Civil Liability Certificates in one application.

Types of certificate

The 4 types of certificate are:

• BCLC Bunker Convention 2001
• CLC? Civil Liability Convention 1992 (Tankers)
• PAL? Athens Protocol 2002 and Regulation (EC) 392/2009
• NWRC Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention 2007

If you apply online, youll be able to view issued Civil Liability Certificates at any time and keep track of all applications.

Other ways to apply

You can apply by emailing uksr@mcga.gov.uk and providing the following information, along with the required Blue Card/s:

• vessel name(s)
• IMO number(s)
• GT
• type of certificate required
• insurer
• how you would like to pay
• Blue Card addressed to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for each Compulsory Insurance Certificate

Approved insurers

An insurer must be approved by MCA before a Compulsory Insurance Certificate can be issued and the approved insurers details must match the details the MCA holds for them, any updates should be approved before a Compulsory Certificate can be issued.

Unknown insurers

If an insurer is unknown to the MCA, it may be because the Department for Transport (DfT) has not yet checked that this insurer meets the UKs criteria to provide cover for the following conventions:

• BCLC Bunker Convention 2001
• CLC Civil Liability Convention 1992 (Tankers)
• PAL Athens Protocol 2002 and Regulation (EC) 392/2009
• NWRC Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention 2007

You may still apply for certificates from the MCA, however before we can issue these certificates your insurer will need to provide us with evidence that they fulfil our criteria.

Please see the UK criteria for approval of insurers providing cover for the Civil Liability Certificates - Annexes A, B and C.

Applications supported by Blue Cards issued by an unknown insurer will be delayed until it has been confirmed the insurer meets the UKs criteria to provide cover for the above conventions.

Certificate fees

Passenger liability certificates, wreck removal liability certificates, bunker and tanker certificates cost 31 each.

Please note, certificates will not be issued until payment has been received.

Payment methods

Payment must be made in full before certificates will be released.

You can pay by any of the following methods:

• credit or debit card ? when making an application through the UK Ship Register service you can select accept and pay online, which will take you to a linked GOV.UK payment system
• MCA? rolling credit account
• BACS

The MCA?does not issue invoices unless you ask for this in writing or by email.Please e-mail?uksr@mcga.gov.uk?if you need an invoice or if you have any queries regarding your payment.

Cancelled certificates

Each liability convention allows an insurer to cancel their cover of a vessels insurance by providing a set amount of notice to the issuing authority. Once notice is received that an insurer wishes to cancel their insurance for a vessel, the?MCA?will cancel the electronic certificate.

Contact us

You can contact the UK Ship Register by email, phone or post.

UK Ship Register (The Registry of Shipping and Seamen)

UKSR@mcga.gov.uk

+44 (0)20 3908 5200

How we handle your personal information

The ?MCA ?uses personal information we collect about you when you apply for a certificate of insurance or other financial security in respect of one of the international maritime organisations conventions regarding compulsory insurance for a vessel or vessels.

To find out more about how the?MCA looks after personal data, your rights, and how to contact our data protection officer, please go to the?MCA?personal information charter?page.