Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Passenger Ship Safety Certificate: The Annual Survey Regime

While most cargo ship statutory certificates last up to 5 years, the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate must be renewed every year: a verification pace designed for the volume of people carried, not for the ship type itself.

Passenger Ship Safety Certificate HSSC annual survey A.1186(33)

## Operational Explanation

The Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (PSSC) is the only one among the main statutory certificates that does not follow the five-year regime set by the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) for ships in general: per IMO Resolution A.1186(33) (2023 Survey Guidelines, reissued 22 March 2024), the PSSC has a maximum validity of 1 year, renewed through a complete annual survey rather than through the initial/intermediate/renewal survey cycle typical of other certificates.

This tighter pace reflects the regulatory choice to subject passenger ships, given the volume of people potentially involved in an emergency, to more frequent verification of the integrity of safety systems than the standard regime applied to cargo ships. The annual survey covers the structure, fire-fighting and detection systems, life-saving appliances, radiocommunication and navigation systems, with a level of detail comparable to an intermediate survey on cargo ships, but on an annual cadence rather than at a single point in the five-year cycle.

## Regulatory Reference

IMO Resolution A.1186(33) (2023 Survey Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification, reissued 22 March 2024): the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate has a maximum validity of 1 year, renewed through a complete annual survey, as an exception to the five-year regime applied to the generality of other statutory certificates.

## Scope of Application

Every passenger ship holding a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, subject to a complete annual survey for certificate renewal.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Plan the PSSC annual survey well in advance, including all areas of verification: structure, fire-fighting and detection systems, life-saving appliances, radiocommunication, navigation.
2. Prepare the technical documentation and maintenance records required for each area before the surveyor's arrival.
3. Coordinate the annual survey with the ship's operating programme, minimising the impact on passenger service.
4. Verify that any non-conformities found during the annual survey are closed within the timeframes agreed with the Classification Society or the Administration.
5. Maintain historical traceability of previous annual surveys, useful for identifying recurring deficiency patterns to be addressed structurally.

## Practical Example

Example: the Master and the Chief Engineer of a passenger ship plan the PSSC annual survey two months in advance, preparing the technical documentation for each area of verification and scheduling it during a period of lower impact on the cruise calendar.

## Real Cases

The PSSC's annual cadence, if not planned in advance, can create operational pressure on ships with year-round cruise schedules: better-organised Companies integrate the annual survey planning into the ship's overall operating calendar months in advance, avoiding having to squeeze it in last-minute between two departures.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
PSSC annual survey planned last-minute, without integration into the ship's general operating calendar | Operational pressure and risk of impact on scheduled passenger service | Integrate PSSC annual survey planning into the general operating calendar months in advance
Assuming the PSSC's validity follows the same five-year regime as other statutory certificates | Certificate expired due to failure to plan the required annual survey | Explicitly track the PSSC's specific annual validity, distinct from the general five-year regime

## PSC Observations

PSCOs verify the validity of the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate and the date of the last completed annual survey; an expired PSSC or one nearing expiry without a survey scheduled is among the first documentary checks carried out on arrival on board a passenger ship.

## Operational Tips

- Do not confuse the PSSC regime with the five-year regime of other certificates: plan the annual survey as a specific recurring event, not as part of the standard cycle.
- Integrate annual survey planning into the ship's operating calendar well in advance, especially for ships with busy cruise schedules.
- Maintain historical traceability of annual surveys to identify recurring deficiency patterns to resolve structurally, not just case by case.

## Checklist

- PSSC annual survey planned well in advance in the operating calendar
- Technical documentation and maintenance records prepared for each area of verification
- Non-conformities found in previous surveys closed within agreed timeframes
- PSSC annual validity explicitly tracked, distinct from the general five-year regime
- Historical traceability of annual surveys maintained to identify recurring patterns

## FAQ

What is the maximum validity of the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate?
1 year, renewed through a complete annual survey, unlike the five-year regime applied to the generality of other statutory certificates per IMO Resolution A.1186(33).
Why does the PSSC have a different validity regime from other certificates?
To subject passenger ships, given the volume of people potentially involved in an emergency, to more frequent verification of the integrity of safety systems than the standard regime for cargo ships.
What does the PSSC annual survey cover?
Structure, fire-fighting and detection systems, life-saving appliances, radiocommunication and navigation systems, with a level of detail comparable to an intermediate survey on cargo ships.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) (IT)Safe Return to Port

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