Permit for tugging

RF Transport Ministry has approved the procedure for obtaining permits for coastal shipping and tugging when it comes to vessels flying foreign flags and those registered with the Russian International Register of Vessels. The Order specifies a uniform procedure as well as a full list of grounds for rejection.

Vessels registered with the Russian International Register of Vessels as well as vessels flying foreign flags are allowed to carry out cargo transportation and tugging between the Russian ports if the above operations require specialized fleet not available among the vessels registered with the RF State Register of Ships or if short shipment is required while the vessels registered with the RF State Register of Ships are not able to fulfill it.

The permits are to be granted by Russia’s Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot).

To obtain a permit a natural or a legal entity is to apply to Rosmorrechflot. The application shouldinclude:

1) proof of the necessity to carry out short cargo shipment and tugging as well as of inability to do it by the vessels registered with the RF State Register of Ships;

2)  information about a ship owner (name of shipping company, date of foundation, date and place of registration, number and date of license of civil liability insurance agreement or a certificate complying with the requirements of international standards for cargo transportation or tugging, the body issuing the above documents);

3)  information about citizenship of crew members;

4)  supposed duration of costal shipping;

5)  supposed route of shipping or tugging;

6)   supposed ports of call.

There also should be enclosed the following:

Duly verified copies of vessel documents (those made in foreign language should be translated into Russian) containing name, IMO number, place of registration, flag, type and nomination of vessel, year and place of construction, technical and operational ability to carry out transportation of cargo Russia tugging;

Duly verified copies of an order or contract for shipping or tugging, or and extract from a long-term contract for shipping or tugging (for vessels registered with the Russian International Register of Vessels and to be used according to the second paragraph of clause 8 of the Procedures;

Copy of an applicant’s ID document (for a natural person) or extract from Uniform State Register of Legal Entities (for a legal entity);

Document certifying the power of an undersigned.

Upon application acceptance Rosmorrechflot places information on it at the official web-site of Russia’s Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport and furnishes the above information to SOROSS (Union of Russian Shipowners) and ASC (Association of Shipping Companies).

Permits for costal shipping and tugging are to be granted for a period of contract duration.

A decision on granting a permit is to be taken within 20 days from application acceptance and to be sent to applicant within one day from application acceptance as an order of Rosmorrechflot. The information on the decision is to be immediately placed at Rosmorrechflot web site.

Russia’s Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport rejects granting of permits for coastal shipping and tugging to vessels flying foreign flags and those registered with the Russian International Register of Vessels in the following cases:

1) no necessity of short shipping or tugging;

2) Russian shipping companies are ready and able to carry out necessary operations;

3) vessel applying for a permit is not able to carry out necessary operations according to technical and performance characteristics;

4)  any of vessels’ supposed port of call is closed for vessels flying foreign flags.

In case of rejection Rosmorrechflot provides the applicant with an explained conclusion within 20 days from application acceptance. The information on the decision is to be immediately placed at Rosmorrechflot web site.