C5.2.3.j. What is the period of validity of a Maritime Labour Certificate?

Standard A5.1.3 sets out, in paragraph 1, a maximum period of validity of five years (subject to paragraph 3) for the Maritime Labour Certificate. Since this is a maximum, the flag State’s law could provide for a shorter period of validity or give the competent authority or duly authorized RO to issue a certificate for a shorter period. This might be a useful approach in order to prevent a large number of certificates from expiring during the same period or to align the period of validity under the MLC, 2006 with that of certificates issued under IMO Conventions.

The validity of the Maritime Labour Certificate shall be subject to an intermediate inspection, in most of the cases between the second and third anniversary dates of the certificate, by the competent authority, or by an RO duly authorized for this purpose, to ensure continuing compliance with the national requirements implementing this Convention (Standard A5.1.3, paragraph 2). The certificate shall be endorsed following satisfactory intermediate inspection.

The 2016 amendments to the Code of the MLC, 2006, allow for an extension of the validity of Maritime Labour Certificates for a further period not exceeding five months from the expiry date of the existing certificate in circumstances where ships have passed the renewal inspection but where a new certificate cannot immediately be issued and made available on board (Standard A5.1.3, paragraph 4).

Flag State responsibilities