The Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) includes in its Standard 2.1 a list of documents which public authorities can demand of a ship and recommends the maximum information and number of copies which should be required.
IMO has developed Standardized Forms for seven of these documents (effective until 1 January 2018), which are:
- IMO General Declaration (FAL form 1)
- Cargo Declaration (FAL form 2)
- Ship's Stores Declaration (FAL form 3)
- Crew's Effects Declaration (FAL form 4)
- Crew List (FAL form 5)
- Passenger List (FAL form 6)
- Dangerous Goods (FAL form 7)
Two other documents may be required under the Universal Postal Convention and the International Health Regulations.
The general declaration, cargo declaration, crew list and passenger list constitute the maximum information necessary. The ship's stores declaration and crew's effects declaration incorporate the agreed essential minimum information requirements.*
Following the amendments adopted by FAL 40, new FAL Forms will be in force from 1 January 2018 and can be downloaded as follows:
New FAL Forms to be effective from 1 January 2018:
- General Declaration (FAL Form 1)
- Cargo Declaration (FAL Form 2)
- Ship's Stores Declaration (FAL Form 3)
- Crew's Effects Declaration (FAL Form 4)
- Crew List (FAL Form 5)
- Passenger List (FAL Form 6)
- Dangerous Goods (FAL Form 7)
Certificates
All ships are required to carry certificates that establish their seaworthiness, type of ship, competency of seafarers and so on. These certificates are provided by the flag State of the ship and may be inspected by port State control officers. Certificates to be carried on board ships are listed in FAL.2-Circ.131-MEPC.1-Circ.873-MSC.1-Circ.1586-LEG.2-Circ.3
They include (some dependent on type of ship):
• International Tonnage Certificate;
• International Load Line Certificate;
• Intact stability booklet; Damage control booklets;
• Minimum safe manning document;
• Certificates for masters, officers or ratings;
• International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate; Oil Record Book;
• Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan;
• Garbage Management Plan;
• Garbage Record Book;
• Cargo Securing Manual;
• Document of Compliance and Safety Management Certificate (ISM Code).
• International Load Line Certificate;
• Intact stability booklet; Damage control booklets;
• Minimum safe manning document;
• Certificates for masters, officers or ratings;
• International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate; Oil Record Book;
• Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan;
• Garbage Management Plan;
• Garbage Record Book;
• Cargo Securing Manual;
• Document of Compliance and Safety Management Certificate (ISM Code).
* Three additional declarations will enter into force from 1 January 2018 which will bring the number of documents to twelve. These are: security-related information as required under SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974), advance electronic cargo information for customs risk assessment purposes and advance notification form for waste delivery to port reception facilities.