Vessels that travel within international waters are required to be inspected at six monthly intervals under the International Health Regulations 2005 and is issued with either a Ship Sanitation Control Certificate or a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate.

All Vessels on international voyages need a ship sanitation exemption certificate (SSEC) to demonstrate compliance with maritime and quarantine rules specified in article 9 of the international health regulations 2005 issued by the World Health Organisation. If may be required for permission to enter some ports.

Ship sanitation control exemption certificates/ ship sanitation control certificates are issued by the port health authority to identify and record all areas of a ship-borne public health risk, together with any required control measures to be applied. Ship sanitation certificates are used to prevent, detect and manage international threats to human health. They also aim to reduce the risk of infectious agents or other substances that pose or may pose a threat to human health and prevent them being brought into Malta or spread to other countries.

The certificates are valid for six months period and can be renewed at any port authorised by the World Health Organisation to issues renewals.

If the ship inspection is satisfactory a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate will be issued.

Malta’s ports are recognized to issue Ship Sanitation Certificates by the World Health Organisation’s IHR. See listed of authorised Ports- IHR POE List (who.int)

Ship Sanitation Certificates (SSC) are valid for a maximum of six months. This period may be extended by one month if the inspection or control measures required cannot be accomplished at the port. An extension allows a ship to reach a port at which the inspection and necessary control measures can be performed, without the necessity to travel with an expired certificate. 
 
An extension may be granted up to 30 days before the expiry date of the existing SSC. However, the SSC cannot be extended for longer than 30 days after the expiry date of the certificate. 

Masters of ships are guided to have available the information listed for the smoothing running of the inspection.  Masters of ships are required to comply with:

European Manual for Hygiene Standards and Communicable Diseases Surveillance on Passenger Ships published by the EU SHIPSAN ACT.
Handbook for Inspection of Ships and Issuance of Ship Sanitation Certification published by the WHO

It is essential that the port health authority is presented with relevant documentation to assist with the completion of the ship’s sanitation inspection. The documents that should be presented includes:

• A copy of the previous ship’s sanitation certificate
• Maritime Declaration of health (if applicable)
• Water Analysis
• Medicine Chest Certificate
• International Sewage Pollution Certificate
• Garbage logbook and last receipts
• Food safety management system (temperature records, cleaning schedules)
• Cook competence certificate.

This information should be made available during the inspection or ideally sent before inspection on [email protected]

If no evidence of a public health risk is found on board. The Port Health Services may issue a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate.

If evidence of a public health risk is found on board. The Port Health Services satisfactorily completes or supervises the completion of the necessary control measures and is required to issue a Ship Sanitation Control Certificate (SSCC). If, in the opinion of the competent authority, the conditions under which control measures are carried out at the port are such that a satisfactory result cannot be obtained, this should be noted on the existing SSCC. The SSCC is valid for a maximum period of 6 months. The control measures must be completed before a further SSCC is issued.

According to Public Health (Ships) Regulations, 2008 (L.N. 329 of 2008), Regulation 20, as amended by ACT No XIII of 2015​ the fee for inspection and issuance of the Ship Sanitation Certificate is as follows:​

*Extra charges based on actual costs may be added for expenses incurred mainly due to out of hours duty.

Please enquire about availability by calling Port Health Officer on call duty on 79509930 or email [email protected] with the subject line: ‘Ship Sanitation Request’.

Agents can download the request below and send it filled with the requested information to [email protected]

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