India's New Entry Rules: What Applies Now and What Waits Until April 2027

What The Rules Say

The 2026 rules apply to Indian ships and to foreign vessels operating or navigating in Indian coastal waters, whether or not they call at a port, anchorage or offshore facility. Foreign warships, naval auxiliaries and government vessels used only for non-commercial purposes are excluded. Reports on the rules agree on these main requirements:

• Insurance. P&I cover from an International Group club or another provider recognised or authorised by the Indian government. The certificate must be valid on entry and generally remain valid for at least three months, or for the expected stay if longer. If an annual renewal leaves less than three months, authorities may accept a written undertaking to renew, followed by proof.
• Class. Specified foreign vessels more than 10 years old (tankers, bulk carriers, general cargo ships, offshore support vessels and passenger ships) need class certificates from an IACS member or an approved recognised organisation. LNG and LPG carriers are covered above 15 years. Age is counted from the delivery date on the Safety Construction Certificate. The earlier thresholds were much older, starting at 20 years.
• 48-hour submission. The operator or agent must submit the prescribed compliance documents at least 48 hours before the ship enters port limits, including a declaration signed with the owner or operator’s authority covering the agent’s appointment, insurance, class and response contracts.
• Salvage and marine pollution response contracts. Vessels must hold valid contracts with providers meeting Indian requirements, and port authorities can ask for evidence before granting entry or clearance.
• Insurer disputes cannot delay a response. Disagreements over coverage or costs must not obstruct or delay emergency measures. If insurance is absent or invalid, or the insurer cannot be reached in time, the administration can arrange emergency measures and recover the cost from the owner.
• Enforcement. Non-compliance can mean refused entry, detention or refused port clearance. False or misleading submissions by an agent can lead to future declarations being rejected.

The Deferral

West of England reported on 14 October 2026 that, under DGMA Circular No. 69 of 2026 (the circular’s name as West gives it), compliance with the precontracting requirement for non-Indian vessels has been deferred to 1 April 2027, because the panel of approved salvors and pollution response contractors is not yet complete. London P&I Club has described the exemption as six months, and the Swedish Club has also published a circular on the rules.

What we cannot tell from the material available: the West note, as we could retrieve it, does not say whether anything else in the rules is deferred. It names only the precontracting requirement. Until an agent or club confirms otherwise, assume the insurance, class and 48-hour submission requirements still apply. The page we saw also printed the circular date with a year that conflicts with 2026, which is probably a typing error, so check the circular itself.

What To Do On Board

1. Ask the company or agent before an Indian call, or before a transit of Indian coastal waters, which documents have been submitted and which contracts the ship is expected to hold.
2. Check the P&I certificate expiry against the three-month rule and the expected stay.
3. Check your class status against the age bands above.
4. Keep copies of the insurance, class and any response contract on the bridge for the port authority.
5. Do not expect a dispute about insurance to slow a response if there is a casualty. The rules say it must not.

Why It Matters To You

These rules apply to ships that only transit coastal waters. An officer on watch on a passing ship can be the one asked by an Indian authority for evidence of cover. Know where the documents are and who is responsible for them.

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