Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Ship Risk Profile and New Inspection Regime (NIR)

How the Paris MOU decides which ship to inspect and when: the factors that determine the risk profile and why it pays to know them on board too.

Paris MOU Ship Risk Profile NIR THETIS

## Operational Explanation

The Paris MOU's New Inspection Regime (NIR) (and the Tokyo MOU's analogous regime) assigns every ship a Ship Risk Profile (SRP): High Risk Ship (HRS), Standard Risk Ship (SRS) or Low Risk Ship (LRS). The profile determines inspection priority, the interval between inspections and the scope of the check, and is recalculated every night based on factors that change over time.

The factors making up the SRP include: ship type and age, flag performance (White/Grey/Black lists), the performance of the Recognized Organization (RO) that carried out survey and certification, Company performance (a newer parameter based on the IMO Company Number, calculated on the fleet's deficiencies and detentions over the last 36 months), and the ship's own deficiency/detention history over the last 36 months.

2026 performance list update: the Paris MOU Committee, at its 59th meeting, approved the results of the 2025 inspections and adopted the new performance lists (White/Grey/Black for flags, and the RO performance table), calculated over the rolling three-year period 2023-2025 and in use from 1° July 2026 to 6 July 2027. The 2026 White List comprises 40 flags (minimum threshold of 30 inspections over the three-year period); the top five positions are held by the Cayman Islands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Japan. The RO performance table follows the same formula, with a minimum threshold of 60 inspections over the three-year period.

## Regulatory Reference

Paris MOU, Annex 7 (and the equivalent Tokyo MOU regime): defines the criteria for calculating the Ship Risk Profile and the resulting inspection intervals — HRS: 5-6 months from the last inspection; SRS: 10-12 months; LRS: 24-36 months. The flag/RO performance lists feeding the calculation are updated annually by the Paris MOU Committee based on the rolling three-year period of inspections and detentions; the 2026 edition (2023-2025 data) is in use from 1° July 2026 to 6 July 2027.

## Scope of Application

Every ship calling at a port of a Paris MOU or Tokyo MOU member State; the profile can be consulted by the Company through the THETIS information system.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Periodically check your ship's Ship Risk Profile through the available information system.
2. Monitor the performance of the flag (position on the White/Grey/Black list) and of the Recognized Organization (RO) following the ship.
3. Keep track of the Company's performance at fleet level, since every deficiency or detention on any ship in the fleet affects the Company Performance parameter.
4. In the event of a High Risk profile, anticipate a higher frequency and greater depth of inspection, reinforcing pre-PSC preparation.
5. Consider the impact of every deficiency/detention not only on the ship concerned, but on the aggregate profile of the Company's entire fleet.
6. Check your flag's and your RO's position in the performance lists in force (2026 edition: 1 July 2026 - 6 July 2027), since they directly affect the Ship Risk Profile calculation.

### Diagram: Ship Risk Profile and Inspection Interval (Paris MOU)

## Practical Example

Example: a ship with a clean history, a White List flag and a well-performing RO has a Low Risk Ship Risk Profile, with an inspection interval of up to 36 months; a single detention can immediately move it to a stricter profile, with inspections as frequent as every 5-6 months.

## Real Cases

Companies with several fleet ships involved in detentions over the last 36 months see the Company Performance parameter worsen even for individually compliant ships, increasing the inspection frequency of the entire fleet: a direct incentive to treat compliance as a collective Company responsibility, not just that of the individual ship.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
No monitoring of the Ship Risk Profile by the Company | Learning the risk level only at the moment of selection for inspection comes as a surprise | Periodically check the profile through the relevant MOU's information system
Underestimating the fleet-wide impact of the Company Performance parameter | A detention on one ship increases the probability of inspection across the whole fleet | Treat every detention as a fleet-wide event, not isolated to the single ship
No reinforced preventive action when the profile worsens towards High Risk | More frequent, more thorough inspections catch the ship unprepared | Intensify pre-PSC preparation as soon as the profile worsens

## PSC Observations

The Ship Risk Profile directly determines which ships are selected as priorities for inspection and at what level of depth (initial, more detailed, or expanded inspection).

## Operational Tips

- Check your ship's Ship Risk Profile periodically, not only after an inspection.
- Communicate to the Company the impact of every detention not only on the ship involved, but on the profile of the entire fleet.
- Reinforce pre-PSC preparation as soon as the profile approaches High Risk.

## Checklist

- Ship Risk Profile checked periodically
- Flag and RO performance monitored
- Company Performance known and communicated by the Company
- Pre-PSC preparation reinforced in the event of a High Risk profile
- Fleet-wide impact of every detention understood and communicated
- Flag's and RO's position in the 2026 performance lists (1 July 2026 - 6 July 2027) verified

## FAQ

How often is the Ship Risk Profile recalculated?
Every night, based on updated parameters: inspection history over the last 36 months, and flag, RO and Company performance.
What determines a move to High Risk Ship?
A combination of factors: ship age and type, recent deficiencies/detentions, weak flag, RO or Company performance over the last 36 months.
Does Company Performance concern only the ship inspected?
No: it is calculated across the Company's entire fleet (via the IMO Company Number) over the last 36 months, so a detention on one ship affects the risk profile of every other ship in the same Company.
How many flags are on the 2026 Paris MOU White List and which are the top five?
40 flags, calculated over the rolling three-year period of inspections 2023-2025 (minimum threshold of 30 inspections). The top five positions are held by the Cayman Islands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Japan. The list is in use from 1 July 2026 to 6 July 2027.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Detention and Banning Documentation Required on Board

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