Technical Circular No: 020/2024
1. Indian Administration vide DGS Circular 13 of 2024 dated 03.09.2024 has provided guidance for vessels entering Indian port facilities in line with the requirements specified under ISPS Code and specifically the Pre-Arrival Notification of Security (PANS).
2. Section 29 of the Merchant Shipping (Ships and Port Facility Security) Rules, makes it mandatory obligation for any ship entering a port within the jurisdiction of India to provide PANS information ninety-six hours prior to its arrival.
3. The reporting requirement of PANS apply to the following vessels on international voyages entering Indian waters, vessels trading in coastal waters or coasting between Indian Ports:
a. Passenger ships, including high-speed passenger crafts;
b. Cargo ships, including high-speed craft of 500 GT and above;
c. Mobile offshore drilling units; and
d. Pleasure Yachts
e. Sailing Vessel
4. The PANS to be submitted to the concerned port and the relevant regional authority (as per table 1 of the attached DGS circular) at least 96 hours prior to the arrival of the vessel at any Port in India.
5. If the voyage of the vessel is shorter than 96 hours, the PANS to be submitted within 2 hours of departure from the last port.
6. Information regarding armed guards onboard the vessel when calling Indian Ports or transiting through the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is also required to be forwarded to the Indian Nary, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai and the local Customs Authority (through the vessel's agent at the concerned port).
7. Vessel owners/operators and masters are advised to be guided by above and ensure compliance to the requirements set forth in the aforementioned DGS circulars.
Enclosure:
Disclaimer:
This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person. While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.