Rules of navigation in the water area of the Northern Sea Route

NSRA Rules

The NSRA (Northern Sea Route Administration) has published the Rules of navigation on the water area of the Northern Sea Route .

General

1. Rules of navigation on the water area of the Northern Sea Route were developed in compliance with “Code of commercial navigation of the Russian Federation” (CCN) and the Provision on the Transport Ministry of the Russian Federation and establish the order of the organization of navigation of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, rules of the icebreaker assistance in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, rules of the ice pilotage of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, rules on the track assistance of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, provision on the navigational hydrographic and hydrometeorological support of the navigation of ships on the water area of the Northern Sea Route, rules of the radio communication of the navigation of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, requirements to ships in relation to the safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment against the pollution from ships, other provisions relative to the organization of the navigation of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route.

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Procedure of the navigation of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route

2. In accordance with CCN (item 3 of article 51), management of the navigation of ships in the water areas of the Northern Sea Route is realized by the Northern Sea Route Administration established as a federal government institution (hereinafter referred to as NSR Administration).

In the water area of the Northern Sea Route the authorization-based order of the navigation of ships is in force.

3. Granting permission for the navigation of ship in the water area of the Northern Sea Route (hereinafter referred to as permission) is effected by the NSR Administration on the basis of application of shipowner, representative of shipowner or ship master (hereinafter referred to as application) with the indication of full denomination and (if any) of identification number of the International Maritime Organization (hereinafter referred to as IMO number 1), family name, first name, patronymic (if any) of the applicant, contact phone, fax, e-mail address for a physical person. The application should contain the confirmation that shipowner ensures the compliance of ship with the present Rules prior to the entering of ship into the water area of the Northern Sea Route.

The application in Russian and in English is presented in the electronic form (pdf format file).

4. The following documents in Russian and/or in English presented in the electronic form (pdf format files) are attached to the application:

1) information about ship and voyage according to annex № 1 to the present Rules;

2) copy of the classification certificate;

3) copy of the tonnage certificate;

4) copies of documents certifying availability of the insurance or of other financial provision of the civil liability for the damage by pollution or any other damage inflicted by ship established by international treaties of the Russian Federation, legislation of the Russian Federation;

5) for the ship making one-time passage outside the specified areas and season of navigation – copy of the certificate issued by the organization authorized for the classification and certification of ships and which has approved project of the one-time passage;

6) for the ship carrying out towing including that of floating drilling rigs – copy of the certificate issued by the organization authorized for the classification and certification of ships and which has approved project of the towing.

5. If applicant is a physical person authorized by shipowner the following documents in Russian and/or English presented in the electronic form (pdf format files) are additionally attached to the application:

1) copy of a document identifying person of the applicant;

2) copy of a document confirming the authority of person who signed the application.

6. The application with the documents attached in compliance with items 4 and 5 of the present Rules is to be sent to the e-mail indicated in the contact information on the official site of the NSR Administration in Internet (hereinafter referred to as official site) not earlier than 120 calendar days and not later than 15 working days before the intended date of the entering of ship into the water area of the Northern Sea Route.

7. The application is accepted for consideration on the date of its reception by the NSR Administration and if the application was received on day off or on holiday – on the first day following day off or holiday.

8. The NSR Administration not later than in two working days after the reception of the application for consideration allocates information on the received application (indicating date of the reception of application for consideration) on the official site.

9. The NSR Administration considers the application within 10 working days since its reception for consideration.

10. In case of the decision of the NSR Administration to grant permission for ship to navigate in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, not later than in two working days after the decision is taken the permission is allocated on the official site providing the following information:

1) name of ship;

2) flag of ship;

3) IMO number;

4) date of the beginning and end of the permission validity (time of the validity of permission should not exceed 365 calendar days);

5) route of the navigation (area of operation) of ship in the water area of the Northern Sea Route;

6) information on the need of icebreaker assistance of ship under heavy, medium and light ice conditions with the indication of sections of the water area of the Northern Sea Route (south-western part of the Kara Sea, north-eastern part of the Kara Sea, western part of the East Siberian Sea, eastern part of the East Siberian Sea, western part of the Laptev Sea, eastern part of the Laptev Sea, Chukchi Sea) and period of navigation indicated in annex 2 to the present Rules, when ship is to navigate under the icebreaker assistance.

11. In case of the decision of the NSR Administration to refuse permission for ship to navigate in the water area of the Northern Sea Route, a notification is to be sent by e-mail to the applicant signed by the head of the NSR Administration (or by a substituting person) with the indication of reasons of the refusal to grant the permission.

12. The NSR Administration not later than in two days after taking decision of the refusal to grant the permission allocates relevant information on the official site.

13. Ship which was granted permission should not enter the water area of the Northern Sea Route earlier than on the date of the beginning of the term of validity of the permission and should leave the water area of the Northern Sea Route not later than on the date of the end of the term of validity of the permission.

If ship cannot leave The Northern Sea Route water area before the expire of the validity of the permission shipmaster immediately informs The NSR Administration about that indicating the reasons of the violation of the requirements of the first paragraph of present item and acts according to The NSR Administration instructions.

14. When ship moves towards the water area of the Northern Sea Route from the west, 72 hours before approaching meridian 33 E (hereinafter referred to as Western boundary) and when ship moves towards the water area of the Northern Sea Route from the east, 72 hours before approaching parallel 62 N and/or meridian 169W (hereinafter referred to as Eastern boundary) or immediately after the departure from sea port (if the navigational period of ship after the departure from sea port to the Western or to the Eastern boundary is less than 72 hours) ship master informs the NSR Administration about the planned time of arrival of ship to the Western or Eastern boundary accordingly as well as sends the following information:

1) name of ship;

2) IMO number of ship

3) port/place of destination

4) maximum operating draft of ship in m;

5) type and amount of cargo carried by ship in metric t;

6) presence, amount in metric t and class of dangerous cargo carried by ship;

7) fuel capacity in metric t at the moment of report;

8) fresh water capacity subject to the replenishment by fresh water from the ship’s distilling plant (if any) at the moment of report (number of days is specified when ship can move without the replenishment of fresh water);

9) subsistence reserve and other types of the ship’s supply at the moment of report (number of days is specified when ship can move without replenishment of provision and of other types of supply);

10) number of crew members and passengers;

11) information on the malfunction of ship’s machinery and/or of maintenance facilities (if any).

15. 24 hours before approaching the Western or Eastern boundary ship master notifies again the NSR Administration of the planned time of the arrival of ship to the appropriate boundary.

16. At the departure of ship from a sea port of the Russian Federation situated in the water area of the Northern Sea Route ship master immediately informs the NSR Administration of the time of departure as well as sends the information in compliance with item 14 of the present Rules.

17. At the entrance of ship into the water area of the Northern Sea Route from inland water ways of the Russian Federation ship master informs the NSR Administration of the time of the entrance as well as send the information in compliance with item 14 of the present Rules

18. While entering the Western or Eastern boundary ship master informs the NSR Administration of the planned time of the entrance of ship into the water area of the Northern Sea Route, geographical coordinates, track and speed of ship at the moment of report.

19. At the entrance of ship into the water area of the Northern Sea Route ship master informs the NSR Administration of the actual time of the entrance of ship into the water area of the Northern Sea Route, geographical coordinates, track and speed of ship at the moment of report.

20. After the completion of navigation in the water area of the Northern Sea Route on leaving the water area of the Northern Sea Route ship master informs the NSR Administration of the actual time of leaving the water area of the Northern Sea Route, geographical coordinates, track and speed of ship at the moment of report.

After the completion of navigation in the water area of the Northern Sea Route while ship is calling at a sea port of the Russian Federation situated in the water area of the Northern Sea Route immediately after the call of ship master informs the NSR Administration of the time of the call of ship at port with the indication of name of the sea port.

To learn more about

Rules of the icebreaker assistance of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route
Rules of the pilot ice assistance of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route
Rules of the assistance of ships on seaways of the water area of the Northern Sea Route
Provision about the navigational-hydrographic and hydrometeorologic support of the navigation of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route
Rules of the radio communication during the navigation of ships in the water area of the Northern Sea Route
Requirements to ships pertaining to the safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment from the pollution from ships
Other provisions in relation to the organization of the navigation of ship in the water area of the Northern Sea Route