India’s Directorate General of Shipping has strengthened the verification process for Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance certificates for vessels docking at Indian ports. This move follows incidents where insurers denied pollution claims due to invalid insurance certificates linked to unpaid premiums. The regulations require ships over 300 gross tonnage entering Indian waters to have valid P&I insurance either from International Group P&I Clubs or approved insurance companies.
Shipowners are urged to ensure their P&I coverage is adequate and complies with relevant regulations. Certificates, including Blue Cards and Certificates of Insurance or Other Financial Security (CIOFS), must be verified online and submitted to port authorities prior to arrival. Port officials are tasked with confirming the authenticity of these documents using the P&I insurer’s official website. The validity must cover the entire duration of the vessel’s stay.
Insurers must maintain updated correspondence lists online and clearly indicate the status of premium payments on their sites. Failure to do so would imply the certificates remain valid. All non-IG Club insurers have six months from May 7 to meet these requirements, after which port authorities will rely solely on official websites for verification. Any doubts about a vessel’s P&I insurance must be reported to the Directorate General of Shipping.
