Ships Registration and Safety

• Ship Registration

An Administration offering ship registration is referred to as the ‘flag State’. Flag States maintain the responsibilities and obligations imposed by international conventions and national legislations for ships flying their flag.

In order to facilitate [ship registration] [issuance of navigational licence] the online application has been provided. Access to the online application could be obtained by clicking here

•  Ship Ceritification

A flag State is responsible for make sure ships comply with applicable international and national requirements. Flag States maintain the responsibilities and obligations imposed by international conventions for ships flying their flag.

The Directorate General of Maritime Affairs (DGMA) has recognised classification societies who are members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) for providing survey and certification services to the Convention sized vessels (ROs).
Similarly, the DGMA has recognised classification societies, both from the IACS members and non-IACS members, for providing survey and certification services to the Non-Convention-sized vessels (ROs).

The DGMA has an agreement with each recognized organisation governing the provision of survey and certification services for vessels registered in Oman.

The issuance of the following certificates/permits have not been delegated to the abovementioned recognized organizations and will be issued by the DGMA upon owners’ request and consideration:

1. Minimum Safe Manning Document (MSMD)

2. Exemption certificate

3. Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR)

4. Permit to operate High-Speed-Craft

The requirements pertinent to the manning of ships, minimum rest hours and companies’ responsibilities for seagoing ships and non-seagoing ships are specified in the Maritime instructions MI02 and MI11, respectively.

The ship owners seeking any of the above mentioned certificates/permits should complete the relevant application form and along with supporting documents submit to the DGMA.

Additionally, DGMA manages a network of aids to navigation and manages a network of aids to navigation around Omani coastline. These visual and electronic aids help mariners make safe and efficient passages through the Omani coastal waters and to-from its ports and terminals.

The network includes traditional lighthouses, beacons, and buoys, radar transponder beacons (racons), Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) stations.

By maintaining and improving this service, DGMA is making coastal navigation safer and helping prevent loss of life and marine pollution that could result from wrecked or stranded vessels.

•  Port State Control

Though The responsibility to ensure that vessels comply with the provisions of the relevant regulations rest upon the owners, masters, the Flag states and the Classification societies, Unfortunately, some flag States, for various reasons, fail to fulfil their internationally-agreed commitments and, consequently, some vessels are sailing the world’ seas in unsafe condition, threatening the lives of all those on board as well as the marine environment. Port State Control is a system of harmonized inspection-procedures designed to target substandard vessels with the main objective being their eventual elimination. It is used to ensure the safe navigation of Vessels along the Omani coastline, protect the coastline maritime environment and to ensure the safety and welfare of seafarers.

Directorate General of Maritime Affairs (DGMA) conducts PSC inspections in accordance with the IMO Procedures for Port State Control.

During a PSC inspection the DGMA Inspector first conducts an initial inspection. This comprises of a visit on board to verify the ship carries the necessary valid certificates and documentation. They also inspect areas critical to the safe operation of the ship in order to form an opinion as to whether the vessel is in compliance with those certificates and the overall conditions of the ship, its equipment and its crew. If certification is invalid, or if there are clear grounds to suspect that the ship and/or its equipment or crew may not be in substantial compliance with the relevant convention requirements, a more detailed inspection is undertaken.

The IMO Assembly Resolution A.682 (17) “Regional Cooperation in the Control of Ships and Discharges” recognised that more effectiveness could be gained from regional cooperation in port State control rather than by States acting in isolation. The key to such regional cooperation is ensuring that substandard ships do not have access to ports where they can call with impunity. Regional cooperation also allows member States to share information on inspection results and ensure follow-up of deficiencies found during inspections that may not be able to be rectified in the initial inspection port.

Oman is a signatory and active member of both the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (IOMOU) and Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Riyadh MOU).