{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-survey-and-certification-regulations-2015/regulation-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-survey-and-certification-regulations-2015/regulation-15.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2015/508",
  "legislation_title": "The Merchant Shipping (Survey and Certification) Regulations 2015",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-survey-and-certification-regulations-2015",
  "path": "regulation/15",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Duration and validity of certificates",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a Convention Certificate or HSC Code Safety Certificate for Offshore Service Craft shall be issued from the date of the completion of the relevant survey and shall be issued for a period of validity as follows–\n(a) a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate , a short international voyage Passenger Ship Safety Certificate and a Polar Ship Certificate issued in respect of a passenger ship shall be issued for a period of validity not exceeding 12 months, and\n(b) a Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate, Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate, Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate , Cargo Ship Safety Certificate , HSC Code Safety Certificate for Offshore Service Craft , Polar Ship Certificate issued in respect of a cargo ship, Industrial Personnel Safety Certificate or Special Purpose Ship Safety Certificate shall be issued for a period of validity not exceeding five years.\n(2) Where a renewal survey has been completed within a period of three months before the expiry of the relevant Convention Certificate or HSC Code Safety Certificate for Offshore Service Craft, the new certificate may be issued–\n(a) in the case of a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate or a Polar Ship Certificate issued in respect of a passenger ship, for a period of validity not exceeding 12 months from the date of expiry of the existing certificate, and\n(b) in the case of any other certificate, for a period of validity not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing certificate.\n(3) Except in special circumstances as determined by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, where a renewal survey has been completed after the expiry of the relevant Convention Certificate or HSC Code Safety Certificate for Offshore Service Craft, the new certificate shall be issued:\n(a) in the case of a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate or a Polar Ship Certificate issued in respect of a passenger ship, for a period of validity not exceeding 12 months from the date of expiry of the existing certificate, and\n(b) in the case of any other certificate, for a period of validity not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing certificate.\n(4) Where an annual, intermediate or periodical survey or a survey required at the same time as any such survey under regulation 9B(2)(b) , 9C(2)(b), 9C(4)(b), 9C(6)(b), 9D(2)(b) or 9D(4)(b); is completed before the period prescribed as respects such a survey in regulations 6 to 9D:\n(a) the anniversary date shown on the relevant certificate shall be amended by endorsement to a date which shall not be more than three months later than the date on which the survey was completed,\n(b) subsequent annual, intermediate or periodical surveys required under regulations 6 to 9A or a survey required at the same time as any such survey under regulation 9B(2)(b) , 9C(2)(b), 9C(4)(b), 9C(6)(b), 9D(2)(b) or 9D(4)(b); shall be completed at the intervals prescribed by those regulations using the new anniversary date, and\n(c) the expiry date may remain unchanged provided one or more annual, intermediate or periodical surveys , or a survey required at the same time as any such survey under regulation 9B(2)(b) 9C(2)(b), 9C(4)(b), 9C(6)(b), 9D(2)(b) or 9D(4)(b), as appropriate, are carried out so that the maximum intervals between the surveys prescribed by regulations 6 to 9D are not exceeded.\n(5) A Passenger Certificate issued under regulation 14 shall be issued for a period of validity not exceeding 12 months.\n(6) A Convention Certificate , a HSC Code Safety Certificate for Offshore Service Craft and a certificate issued under regulation 14 shall cease to be valid:\n(a) if its period of validity has been exceeded and the certificate has not been extended by the appropriate Certifying Authority in accordance with regulation 17 or otherwise in accordance with the 1988 Protocol by the government of a country to which the 1974 SOLAS Convention applies,\n(b) if the relevant surveys and inspections have not been completed within the periods specified under regulations 6 to 9D or otherwise in accordance with the 1988 Protocol by the government of a country to which the 1974 SOLAS Convention applies, and the certificate has either not been extended in accordance with regulation 17 or otherwise in accordance with the 1988 Protocol by the government of a country to which the 1974 SOLAS Convention applies, or the period of any such extension has expired,\n(c) upon transfer of the ship to the flag of another State, or\n(d) if the vessel no longer substantially complies with the requirements of the certificate.\n(7) In this regulation, “1988 Protocol” means the Protocol of 1988 to the SOLAS Convention.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(1) inserted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(a)(i) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(1)(a) substituted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(a) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(1)(b) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(a)(ii) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(1)(b) substituted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(b) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(1)(b) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 6(a) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(2) inserted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(b) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(2)(a) inserted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(c) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(3) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(c) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(3)(a) inserted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(d) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4) inserted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(e)(i)(aa) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4) inserted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 6(b)(i)(aa) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(d)(i) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Word in reg. 15(4) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 6(b)(i)(bb) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4)(b) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(d)(ii) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4)(b) inserted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(e)(ii) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4)(b) inserted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 6(b)(ii) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4)(c) inserted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(e)(iii)(aa) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4)(c) inserted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. paras. 6(aa)(c) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F19",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(4)(c) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(d)(iii) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F20",
      "text": "Word in reg. 15(4)(c) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. paras. 6(bb)(c) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F21",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(6) inserted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(e)(i) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F22",
      "text": "Words in reg. 15(6)(b) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(6)(e)(ii) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F23",
      "text": "Word in reg. 15(6)(b) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 6(d) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F24",
      "text": "Reg. 15(7) inserted (1.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1234), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 5(g) (with reg. 4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/508/regulation/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:44:45.416098+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}