Union Des Comores – Vessels within the Paris MoU

C26005 | 16 January 2026

Notice to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators

The Union Des Comores Maritime Administration has issued Circular 40 , which establishes a mandatory compliance framework for all Comoros-flagged vessels operating within the Paris Memorandum of Understanding region.

As of 16th December 2025, no vessel flying the flag of the Union of the Comoros is authorized to enter, transit through, trade within, or conduct commercial operations in any port or waters under the jurisdiction of Port States within the Paris Memorandum of Understanding region unless the vessel has completed and obtained a satisfactory Flag State Inspection (FSI) certificate issued by the Maritime Administration or by an authorized delegated inspector. This requirement will be strictly enforced without exception or exemption.

The mandatory FSI requirement applies to the following categories of vessels and circumstances:

a) All vessels currently registered under the Comoros flag and actively engaged in trading within the Paris MoU region;
b) All newly registered vessels under the Comoros flag before their first port call or commercial operation within the Paris MoU region;
c) Vessels that have experienced any of the following circumstances before returning to operations within the Paris MoU region:

• Detention by any Port State Control (PSC) authority;
• Transfer of flag or change of Recognized Organization;
• Rectification of major deficiencies or implementation of corrective
• actions as directed by Port State Control or the Flag Administration;
• Structural or operational modifications affecting compliance with applicable statutory requirements.

Points to Note:

The Flag State Inspection:

The Flag State Inspection shall be:

• Conducted by the Flag Administration or an authorized party;
• Completed before entry into the Paris MoU region;
• Valid for a period of 6 months, unless otherwise specified by the Administration.

Documentary evidence of a satisfactory FSI report is to be retained on board and made available to PSC officers upon request.

Non-compliance reinforcement and non-compliance measures:

 Failure to comply with the requirements established in the Circular shall result in administrative and operational sanctions, which may include:

a) the Maritime Administration denying authorization for the vessel to enter, operate, or trade within the Paris MoU region until full compliance is achieved;
b) suspension, detention, or withdrawal of all statutory certificates (Safety Management Certificate, International Safety Management (ISM) Certificate, or equivalents) issued by or on behalf of the Flag State;
c) imposition of trade restrictions, port-specific limitations, or mandatory routing requirements;
d) requirement for additional Flag State inspections, Port State Control cooperation verification, or comprehensive audits, with all associated costs borne by the vessel operator;
e) imposition of administrative penalties in accordance with applicable maritime legislation;
f) implementation of any additional measures deemed necessary and proportionate by the Maritime Administration to ensure compliance.

Act now

Ship Owners/Managers/Operators of Comores-flagged vessels should take note of the contents of Circular 40 and ensure strict compliance with the requirements.