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Home › Navigation › Passage Planning in Polar Waters (Polar Code)
Operational guide · Operational procedure

Passage Planning in Polar Waters (Polar Code)

From 1 January 2026 MSC.532(107) and MSC.538(107) extend navigation and voyage-planning requirements to added non-SOLAS categories; ships constructed before that date must comply by 1 January 2027.

Polar CodePWOMpolar waterspassage planning

Operational Explanation

The amendments must be read together: MSC.532(107) amends SOLAS XIV and MSC.538(107) amends the Polar Code. The added categories are fishing vessels at least 24 m in length overall, non-commercial pleasure yachts at least 300 GT and cargo ships from 300 to less than 500 GT. Chapters 9-1 and 11-1 apply to them, not the full Polar Ship Certificate and PWOM regime for ships certified under SOLAS Chapter I.

Added ships constructed before 1 January 2026 must meet the relevant requirements by 1 January 2027. Regulation XIV/3-1 also limits application to all voyages in the Antarctic area and, in Arctic waters, voyages beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of the ship's flag State; it also provides for an Administration determination concerning 9-1.3.1 and 9-1.3.2 for specified ships.

Regulatory Reference

MSC.532(107): SOLAS XIV amendments, including geographic application, the 1 January 2027 transition for added ships constructed before 2026 and the Administration determination in Regulation XIV/3-1.2. MSC.538(107): new Polar Code Chapters 9-1 and 11-1, in force from 1 January 2026. SOLAS XIV and the Polar Code: full regime and certification for ships certified under SOLAS Chapter I.

The plan must translate operating limits into route choices: survey and aid limitations, current ice and icebergs, historical ice and temperature data, refuges and remoteness from rescue. Consider marine mammals and migration, routeing systems, speed recommendations, VTS and protected areas. For added categories these factors are specified in 11-1.3; where no SMS exists, a documented procedure for polar operations is required. IMO MSC.538(107), 11-1.3.

Scope of Application

Full Polar regime for ships certified under SOLAS Chapter I. Chapters 9-1 and 11-1 for fishing vessels ≥24 m in length overall, non-commercial pleasure yachts ≥300 GT and cargo ships from 300 to less than 500 GT: on all voyages in the Antarctic area and in Arctic waters beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of the ship's flag State, subject to the exceptions and Administration determinations in SOLAS XIV.

Procedure / How to Complete It

  1. Classify the ship, construction date and applicable regime.
  2. For ships certified under SOLAS Chapter I, verify the Polar Ship Certificate, PWOM and relevant chapters.
  3. For added categories distinguish: constructed on or after 1 January 2026, applicable compliance from that date; constructed earlier, relevant requirements by 1 January 2027.
  4. Verify the area and voyage: Antarctic area, or Arctic waters beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of the ship's flag State.
  5. Apply any Administration determination concerning paragraphs 9-1.3.1 and 9-1.3.2, and prepare a documented polar-operation procedure where no SMS exists.
  6. Integrate ice information, limitations, route, communications, SAR, environmental and contingency factors; apply construction dates to the relevant equipment provisions.

Practical Example

A 400 GT cargo ship constructed in 2025 and operating beyond the territorial sea of its flag State in Arctic waters must meet the relevant 9-1/11-1 requirements by 1 January 2027. The extension does not automatically require that ship to carry a Polar Ship Certificate or PWOM.

What Typically Goes Wrong

Confusing the 1 January 2026 entry into force with the 1 January 2027 transitional deadline, omitting the geographic limit in SOLAS XIV/3-1, or importing full-regime certificate and PWOM requirements into the added categories.

Common Mistakes Mistake Library

MistakeConsequenceHow to Avoid It
Applying one date to every added shipRequirement applied early or deadline missedDistinguish construction date, entry into force and the 1 January 2027 deadline
Ignoring voyage area and Administration determinationsIncorrect scopeApply SOLAS XIV/3-1 together with Chapters 9-1 and 11-1

What the PSCO Checks

Category and construction date, voyage area, applicable deadline, voyage plan/procedure, relevant equipment, ice information, Administration determinations and absence of unsupported certification requirements.

Operational Tips

Preparation checklist

FAQ

Which dates apply to the added categories?
The amendments entered into force on 1 January 2026; ships in the added categories constructed before that date must meet the relevant requirements by 1 January 2027.
Do Chapters 9-1 and 11-1 apply in every Arctic passage?
SOLAS XIV/3-1 applies them in the Antarctic area and, in Arctic waters, beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of the ship's flag State, subject to the Administration determinations in the regulation.
Do the added categories need a Polar Ship Certificate and PWOM?
Not by virtue of these amendments, which extend Chapters 9-1 and 11-1 to them.

Related Topics

Passage PlanningElectronic Navigation and GNSS Resilience

Last substantive revision of this page: 15 September 2026 · page fingerprint f2f43040be46