Fraudulent Certificates and Registrations: the New Paris MOU Guidance
It is no longer just a problem linked to the sanctioned shadow fleet: the Paris MOU is flagging a growing number of ships with fraudulent registrations and certificates, and is preparing, for the first time, a harmonised practical guide for handling them.
Operational Explanation
The 59th Paris MOU Committee (Glasgow, 18-22 May 2026) addressed the growing issue of fraudulent registrations and certificates: a rising number of ships operating with falsified or non-genuine flags and/or statutory certificates, a phenomenon distinct (though partly overlapping) from the already-known flag-hopping of the sanctioned shadow fleet. The Committee launched development of a practical guide for managing suspected cases, aiming to ensure a harmonised regional response among the regime's different member States.
The Paris MOU detention rate has continued to rise: 4.18% in 2025, up from 4.03% in 2024 and 3.81% in 2023, a trend the Committee also links to the growing spread of deceptive practices. For crews and Companies that are in order, the practical operational point is that a ship with even superficially irregular or inconsistent documentation today risks a higher level of PSC scrutiny, in a context where inspectors are increasingly alert to recognising signs of non-genuine registration or certification.
Regulatory Reference
Paris MOU, 59th Committee (May 2026): ongoing development of a harmonised practical guide for handling suspected cases of fraudulent registration and certification, distinct from ordinary detention procedures. Additional reference: Paris MOU Annual Report 2025 data (detention rate 4.18%).
Scope of Application
Every ship inspected in the Paris MOU area; particular relevance for ships with a recent flag change history, documentary inconsistencies, or already-known signs of belonging to high-risk fleets (shadow fleet).
Procedure / How to Complete It
- Always maintain full, verifiable consistency between the statutory certificates on board, the flag register and the class documentation.
- In the event of a recent flag change, verify that all resulting documentation has been correctly reissued and not simply adapted from the previous regime.
- Train the crew and the DPA office to recognise and promptly report any documentary inconsistency identified internally, before a PSCO does.
- Monitor the publication of the Paris MOU's practical guide on suspected cases, to understand which specific signals inspectors will be instructed to check.
- Avoid practices that could even appear ambiguous in documentary management (e.g. interim certificates extended beyond validity, discrepancies between the declared flag and the public register).
Practical Example
Example: a Company that has recently changed the flag of one of its fleet ships carries out a full internal consistency check between the new flag certificate, the reissued statutory certificates and the class records, before the first port call in a Paris MOU port, anticipating a possibly higher level of scrutiny linked to the recent change.
Real Cases
Common Mistakes Mistake Library
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation following a flag change treated as an administrative formality, without thorough verification of consistency between the new certificates | Documentary inconsistencies found by the PSCO, with additional scrutiny even in the absence of real irregularity | Treat every flag change as an opportunity for a complete, documented check of consistency across all certificates |
| Minor documentary inconsistencies found internally but not corrected before the next PSC port call | The same inconsistency, if found by the PSCO, generates a level of suspicion disproportionate to its real severity | Always promptly correct any documentary inconsistency found internally, before it becomes visible at inspection |
PSC Observations
Operational Tips
- After every flag change, carry out a full internal documentary consistency check before the first subsequent PSC port call.
- Don't treat minor documentary inconsistencies as negligible details: in the current context they can generate scrutiny disproportionate to their real severity.
- Follow the publication of the Paris MOU's practical guide on suspected cases to understand which specific signals will receive greater attention.
Checklist
- Consistency between statutory certificates, flag register and class documentation systematically verified
- Post-flag-change documentation verified as complete and correctly reissued, not simply adapted
- Minor documentary inconsistencies found internally corrected before the next PSC port call
- Crew and DPA office trained to recognise and report signs of documentary inconsistency
- Publication of the Paris MOU's practical guide monitored for updates