Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL)

General Detail

General Information

  1. Type: Convention
  2. Date of signature:
  3. Place of signature: London, United Kingdom
  4. Depositary:
  5. Date of entry into force: 05/03/1967

Category

Transport and telecommunications

Sub category

Maritime shipping and load lines

Groups

IMO

What is it about?

The main objectives of the present Convention are to prevent unnecessary delays to ships, passengers and cargos in maritime traffic, to aid cooperation between governments, and to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities, documentary requirements and other procedures. The Convention has been amended several times to enable automatic data processing techniques to be used in shipping documentation, to recommend practices to deal with drug trafficking or the problems of the disabled and elderly, to allow for the submission of advance information to enable the use of selectivity techniques to facilitate customs clearance and the declaration of the personal effects of cruise passengers. New standards have been added concerning inadmissible persons, the obligations of ship-owners to transport persons and co-operation between Governments and ship-owners to establish the validity of passports and visas. A new recommended practice has been added on immigration pre-arrival clearance.

Why is it relevant?

The provisions of the Convention facilitate the arrival, stay and departure of ships of coastal and non-coastal contracting States by simplifying and reducing to a minimum the formalities, documentary requirements and procedures. This includes all documents pertaining to the ship and its passengers, baggage, crew, cargo and mail, required by Customs, Immigration, Health, and other public authorities.

Additional Information

N/A

  • -International Convention on Load Lines (LL), 1966 -Special Trade Passenger Ships Agreement (STP), 1971 -International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), 1972 -International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), 1972 -Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea (PAL), 1974 -Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), 1976

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Country ratifications
CountryRatification date
Albania19/12/2005
Algeria28/11/1983
Antigua and Barbuda24/11/2015
Argentina29/01/1980
Australia28/04/1986
Austria20/06/1975
Azerbaijan12/06/2006
Bahamas22/07/1976
Bangladesh21/09/2000
Barbados30/09/1982
Belgium04/01/1967
Benin02/03/1992
Brazil22/08/1977
Bulgaria22/04/1999
Burundi29/09/1998
Cameroon10/04/1997
Canada18/07/1967
Cape Verde28/04/1977
Chile14/02/1975
China16/01/1995
Colombia03/06/1991
Congo07/08/2002
Cote d'Ivoire16/02/1967
Croatia08/10/1991
Cuba27/11/1984
Cyprus09/03/2004
Czech Republic01/01/1993
Democratic People's Republic of Korea24/04/1992
Denmark09/01/1968
Dominica31/08/2001
Dominican Republic11/07/1966
Ecuador17/05/1988
Egypt19/02/1987
El Salvador21/12/2006
Estonia22/03/2002
Fiji29/11/1972
Finland20/03/1967
France29/11/1967
Gabon12/04/2005
Gambia01/11/1991
Georgia25/08/1995
Germany26/07/1967
Ghana05/11/1965
Greece08/06/1972
Guinea19/01/1981
Guyana10/12/1997
Honduras24/01/2006
Hungary15/12/1976
Iceland24/01/1967
India25/05/1976
Indonesia04/11/2002
Iran27/03/1995
Iraq15/11/1976
Ireland18/06/1971
Israel13/10/1967
Italy25/09/1972
Japan02/09/2005
Jordan27/03/1997
Kenya10/11/2006
Latvia20/01/1998
Lebanon17/07/2001
Liberia14/02/1978
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya28/04/2005
Lithuania25/01/2000
Luxembourg14/02/1991
Madagascar08/07/1970
Mali12/10/2004
Malta24/09/2002
Marshall Islands29/11/1994
Mauritius18/06/1990
Mexico31/05/1983
Monaco09/04/1965
Montenegro03/06/2006
Netherlands21/09/1967
New Zealand27/07/1973
Nicaragua04/07/2007
Nigeria24/01/1967
Norway08/09/1966
Palau29/09/2011
Panama01/09/2008
Peru16/07/1982
Poland25/07/1969
Portugal06/08/1990
Republic of Korea06/03/2001
Romania25/04/2001
Russian Federation25/10/1966
Saint Kitts and Nevis07/10/2004
Saint Lucia20/05/2004
Samoa18/05/2004
Senegal17/10/1980
Serbia03/06/2006
Seychelles13/12/1989
Sierra Leone10/03/2008
Singapore03/04/1967
Slovakia01/01/1993
Slovenia25/06/1991
Spain24/08/1973
Sri Lanka06/03/1998
Suriname25/11/1975
Sweden28/07/1967
Switzerland23/04/1968
Syrian Arab Republic06/02/1975
Thailand28/11/1991
Tonga18/09/2003
Trinidad and Tobago16/03/2003
Tunisia27/01/1969
Ukraine25/10/1993
United Kingdom24/02/1966
United Republic of Tanzania23/07/2008
United States of America17/03/1967
Uruguay02/12/1992
Vanuatu13/01/1989
Venezuela10/05/2002
Viet Nam23/01/2006
Yemen06/03/1979
Zambia14/12/1965
Treaties analysis
YearRatifications
19653
19664
196713
19683
19692
19701
19711
19723
19732
19754
19764
19772
19781
19791
19802
19811
19822
19832
19841
19861
19871
19881
19892
19902
19916
19923
19933
19941
19955
19973
19983
19991
20002
20014
20025
20032
20045
20054
20067
20071
20083
20111
20151
Total119
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