India: New Requirements for Ships Operating In or Transiting Coastal Waters

Members with ships operating in Indian coastal waters should be aware of new requirements concerning insurance, classification, salvage and marine pollution response. The requirements came into force on 16 September 2026 and extend beyond conventional port calls, meaning they may also apply to foreign ships transiting Indian coastal waters without making a port call. A transition period until 1 April 2027 applies to certain of these new requirements.

The requirements are set out in the Merchant Shipping (Regulation of Entry of Ships into Coastal Waters) Rules, 2026. 

Wider application beyond port calls

The requirements apply to Indian ships and to foreign ships operating in or navigating through Indian coastal waters, whether or not they enter an Indian port, anchorage, offshore facility or other place within India. Members should therefore consider their application when planning voyages through waters off the Indian coast, including where no Indian port call is intended.

The requirements do not apply to warships, naval auxiliaries or other ships owned or operated by a foreign State and used solely for non-commercial purposes.

Key requirements for foreign ships

The principal requirements concern insurance, classification, salvage and marine pollution response and, for vessels calling at Indian ports, advance documentation.

a) Insurance: Foreign ships must maintain valid insurance or other financial security in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 and applicable rules. Insurance issued by a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs is expressly recognised under Rule 9. Separate provisions apply to insurers that are not members of the International Group.

For ships entering an Indian port, the insurance or other financial security must generally remain valid for at least three months from the date of entry or for the anticipated duration of the ship’s stay in coastal waters, whichever is longer. Where an annually renewable certificate has less than three months remaining, entry may be permitted subject to an undertaking to renew it before expiry and to provide evidence of renewal.

b) Classification: A foreign ship exceeding the applicable age threshold under Rule 5 must hold a valid certificate of class issued by a classification society that is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) or by a Recognised Organisation.

c) Salvage and marine pollution response: Foreign ships entering, remaining in or sailing from an Indian port, seeking port facilities, or transiting or operating within Indian coastal waters are required to maintain valid salvage and marine pollution response contracts with an approved provider. However, as the process of approving providers is still under way, ships have been granted an exemption from immediate compliance with these contractual requirements until 1 April 2027.

d) Indian port calls: For a foreign ship seeking entry into an Indian port, the operator or shipping agent must submit the required documents to the relevant port authority at least 48 hours before the vessel enters the port limits. A signed declaration in the prescribed form must also be submitted through the shipping agent.

These port entry formalities are distinct from the wider substantive requirements applicable to ships operating in or transiting Indian coastal waters.

Transition period to 1 April 2027

DGMA Circular No. 69 of 2026, issued on 14 October 2026, confirms that the process of empanelling salvors and marine pollution response operators is still under way. As the approved providers have not yet been notified, owners and operators are currently unable to comply with the new contractual requirements.

The DGMA has therefore granted ships already operating in, or otherwise permitted entry into, Indian coastal waters an exemption period until 1 April 2027 to comply with the additional requirements. By that date, owners and operators are expected to have the required salvage and marine pollution response contracts in place and to comply with the revised classification requirements.

Further details are awaited on the approved salvors and marine pollution response operators and how these contractual arrangements will operate in practice.

What should Members do?

Members with ships calling at Indian ports or transiting Indian coastal waters should:

• consider whether the requirements apply to the vessel and intended voyage;
• check compliance with the applicable classification and insurance requirements;
• liaise with local agents well in advance of an Indian port call to confirm the documentation required by the relevant port authority;
• monitor further DGMA announcements on approved salvors and marine pollution response operators; and
• review existing arrangements in sufficient time to comply with the additional requirements by 1 April 2027.

Until the approved providers and associated contractual arrangements have been confirmed, Members should not assume that existing salvage or pollution response arrangements will satisfy the new requirements.

The Club will continue to monitor developments and provide further information as the implementation arrangements become clearer.