ISMVessel CertificatesEndorse or Renew a Certificate

import { Callout, Steps } from ‘nextra/components’

Endorse or Renew a Certificate

Goal: Update an existing vessel certificate after a survey or inspection — either by recording an endorsement (interim check, no change to validity) or by recording a renewal (new issue and expiry dates) — while preserving the full history of all previous versions.

**Endorsement or Renewal?** - Use **Endorsement** when an inspector has verified the certificate is still valid, without extending its expiry date (e.g. an intermediate survey, a port state control inspection, or an annual check). - Use **Renewal** when the certificate has been re-issued with a new validity period — you have new issue and expiry dates to record.

Understanding revisions

Every time you endorse or renew a certificate, IN-YACHT creates a new revision of the record. The previous version is archived — it remains permanently visible for audit purposes — and the new version becomes the active record. This means:

  • You never lose the history of what was surveyed, by whom, and when.
  • Each revision is numbered (Revision 1, Revision 2, etc.).
  • Only the most recent revision is shown in the main certificates list.

Before you start

  • You must have permission to edit vessel certificates. If the Review button is not visible on a certificate row, ask your fleet administrator.
  • The certificate must already exist in the system. See Add a Vessel Certificate if it doesn’t.
  • For an endorsement, have ready: the inspection date, the name of the surveyor or inspector, and the next survey window dates.
  • For a renewal, have ready: the new issue date and the new expiry date.

Steps

Open Vessel Certificates

  1. From the main navigation, open ISM → Vessel Certificates.

    [PLACEHOLDER: screenshot — Vessel Certificates list with the Review button visible on a certificate row]

Open the Review modal

  1. Locate the certificate you want to update.

  2. Click the Review button on the certificate’s row (or open the certificate detail and click Review there).

    The Review modal opens with two tabs: Endorsement and Renewal.

    [PLACEHOLDER: screenshot — Review modal with both tabs visible, Endorsement tab active]

Option A — Endorsement

Use this when an inspection has taken place but the certificate’s expiry date has not changed.

Select the Endorsement tab

  1. Make sure the Endorsement tab is selected.

Fill in the endorsement details

  1. Fill in the following fields:

    FieldRequiredDescription
    New Certificate NumberNoUpdate the cert number if the authority issued a new one
    Last SurveyYesThe date of the inspection or survey
    Endorsed ByNoThe crew member who supervised the endorsement on board
    External SurveyorNoThe surveying authority or classification society representative
    Next Window FromNoStart of the next survey window
    Next Window ToNoEnd of the next survey window (required if From is set)

    [PLACEHOLDER: screenshot — Endorsement tab filled in with survey date, endorsed by, and next window dates]

  2. Attach any supporting documents (inspection report, stamp, signature page).

Save

  1. Click Save.

Result: A new revision of the certificate is created with the updated survey information. The expiry date is unchanged. The previous revision is archived and can be consulted by opening the certificate detail.

Option B — Renewal

Use this when the certificate has been re-issued with a new validity period.

Select the Renewal tab

  1. Click the Renewal tab.

Fill in the renewal details

  1. Fill in the following fields:

    FieldRequiredDescription
    New Certificate NumberNoThe new cert number on the re-issued document
    New Issue DateYesThe date the renewed certificate was issued
    New Expiry DateYesThe new expiry date of the renewed certificate
    Next Window FromNoStart of the next survey window under the renewed certificate
    Next Window ToNoEnd of the next survey window
    If the certificate has a **Renewal Period** configured, IN-YACHT automatically calculates the **New Expiry Date** when you enter the New Issue Date. You can override the calculated date if the authority issued a different expiry.

    [PLACEHOLDER: screenshot — Renewal tab with new issue date entered and expiry date auto-calculated]

  2. Attach the renewed certificate document.

Save

  1. Click Save.

Result: A new revision is created with the updated issue and expiry dates. The certificate row in the list is updated to show the new expiry date and its validity status. The previous revision (with the old dates) is archived.

Viewing the revision history

To see all previous versions of a certificate:

  1. Click on the certificate row to open its detail page.
  2. [PLACEHOLDER: describe how to access the revision history — e.g. a Revisions tab or a “Previous Versions” section in the detail page]

Each revision shows the revision number, the type of update (endorsement or renewal), the date it was recorded, and who recorded it.

Related guides

Add a Vessel CertificateUpload an SMS Document