Application for an administrative licence

Any ship flying the French flag shall hold a navigation document (administrative licence or circulation card, depending on the case).

Issuance

The administrative licence, which integrates the safe manning document, is issued when the administrative operating conditions for the ship are deemed complete and, in view of information provided by the applicant, when the manning and the conditions for seafarers employment are in compliance with the provisions of Livre VI of the Transport Code (part five: maritime transport and navigation), in particular provisions on safe navigation, working and resting hours.

The RIF Office is competent for the issuance of maritime navigation documents for your ships registered under the RIF.

A refusal, suspension or withdrawal of the administrative licence results in a prohibition for the ship to sail.

Important information

1. Validity of the administrative licence

In step 2 of the application process, you will be requested to indicate the validity of the administrative licence. The administrative licence is usually issued with unlimited validity.
However, the administrative licence may be issued:

• for a fixed period to a ship or floating craft which holds a circulation card. In this case, the card validity is suspended while the administrative licence is being used;
• for a temporary period:
  • to ships under temporary registration or temporary francization as mentioned in E and F of 2°, I of article 219 and E of 2°, I of article 219 bis of the Customs code;
  • to ships with a temporary document or certificate as mentioned in Article 10 of Decree n° 84-810 of August 30, 1984. In this case, the temporary administrative licence may be extended, with the cumulative duration of the initial licence and its extensions not exceeding 12 months.

2.Required supporting documents

In step 3 of the application process (administrative operating conditions), a number of supporting documents are requested:

• the ship navigation licence (there is no need to upload a navigation licence if the database software detects a valid navigation licence);
• evidence of required insurance or financial guarantees;
• you have to specify if the ship is equipped with automated machinery, in other words if a permanent presence of personnel is required in machinery spaces. In most cases, the answer to this question is "yes". It is optional to submit evidence of this but it may help the agent in charge of your request to understand your manning proposal for the engine-room personnel (example: certificate from an authorized classification society on the machinery spaces automation, which allows for a work organization without permanent presence of personnel in machinery spaces - unattended machinery spaces UMS).

In step 4 of the process (proposal for safe manning), the following are requested:

• details of the operational organization on board (

  tableau de service pdf - 54.2 KiB

  or any other document). In addition, mention the references of the applicable extended collective agreement or convention;

  • if applicable, the relevant agreement or company agreement;
  • if applicable, the agreement between parties or any other document supporting the request (list of personnel that the shipowner proposes to embark in addition to the manning etc.);
• details on the minimum crew list (for abandonment, fire, security… duties).