Zanzibar – List of approved ROs, validity of Certificates

C25051 | 22 September 2025

Notice to: Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators

The Zanzibar Maritime Authority has issued Circular No. FSI/08/2025, which advises that they have cancelled several RO’s approvals, and gives guidance on the validity of affected statutory certificates.

The official up-to-date list of Approved ROs can be found on the IMO GISIS portal, https://gisis.imo.org and the Administration’s website, www.zma.go.tz. Dromon Bureau of Shipping remains firmly on the List of Approved ROs.

To provide all Tanzania Zanzibar Registered Vessels and Ship Managers with a proper and smooth transition of their certification to an approved RO, the following measures have been put in place:

• Statutory and Classification Certificates will remain valid until their next endorsement. At that time, the vessel owner or ship manager must request an approved RO to conduct the respective surveys/audits and to issue the relevant statutory and classification certificates, with the same expiration date as the existing ones.

• Should a Tanzania Zanzibar Registered Vessel require attendance, either onboard or at the ship management company due to occasional surveys, additional audits, closure of deficiencies, accidents/incidents, or as a result of a Port State Control Inspection, the vessel owner or ship manager is to request an approved RO to carry out the respective surveys/audits, at which time the relevant statutory and classification certificates will be issued, following the current certification cycle as per IMO Res A.1186(33), Harmonized System of Surveys and Certification (HSSC).

• The gaining RO is to perform all necessary steps as per the principles of the Transfer of Class Agreement (TOCA) and the requirements of the RO Code.

In urgent and/or special circumstances regarding the transfer of certification of a Tanzania Zanzibar Registered Vessel to an approved RO, requests for guidance can be made to dgzma@zma.go.tz, info@zma.go.tz or yassinthabit@zma.go.tz.

Act now

Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators should take note of the contents of Circular No. FSI/08/2025 and be guided accordingly.