Coastal trade permit (cabotage)

However, exceptions can be granted in three cases:

1. Traffic with EU-registered vessels and vessels in approved registers.
2. Traffic with vessels from countries where there is a bilateral agreement on mutual access to each country's maritime transport market.
3. Traffic with vessels that have received a coastal trade permit.

EU-registered vessels and approved registers

• All national registers within the European Union
• Denmark's international shipping register (DIS)
• Germany's International Shipping Register (ISR)
• Madeira International Maritime Register (MAR)
• Canary Islands International Shipping Register.
• Gibraltar.

Bilateral agreements

Bilateral agreements on mutual access to each country's maritime transport market exist for the following countries and registries:

• Argentina
• The Faroe Islands
• Iceland (vessels with a net tonnage over 30 tonnes)
• Japan
• Northern Ireland
• Norway and ships registered in Norway's international shipping register (NIS)

Vessels registered in USA and Sweden have been granted the right to freely transport empty containers and other stowage material within the other country. A vessel registered in the USA can thus carry out such transports in Swedish coastal trade without applying for a coastal trade permit.

Coastal trade permit

The Swedish Transport Agency may, according to Section 1 of the Ordinance (1974:235) on permits for shipping in domestic traffic with foreign vessels etc.,grant exemption to transport goods or passengers in Swedish coastal trade if there is no Swedish-registered and available transport capacity. This exemption is called a coastal trade permit. A coastal trade permit is normally only granted for a single journey.

Application

Application should be made using the form Application for coastal trade permit.

If the application is made in another way, it is important that the relevant information is included. If there is a need to report additional information, the recommendation is to attach these in an appendix to the application.

Application via e-mail should be sent to: sjofart@transportstyrelsen.se

Evidence of offered cargo

Evidence must be attached to an application for a coastal trade permit that the cargo has been offered on the relevant sea transport market for at least 48 hours before the application was sent to the Swedish Transport Agency and that the permitted tonnage is not available. This must be submitted in the form of a copy from the sea transport market that is relevant to the cargo, alternatively with a certificate from the relevant broker.

An email that does not contain verified information or attached certificate for the cargo in question is not normally accepted as proof. It is recommended that proof of offered cargo also contains information about the time when the cargo was first published on the relevant sea transport market.

Confidentiality

An application for a coastal trade permit with associated documentation may be subject to confidentiality. An application with associated documentation should therefore not contain sensitive information such as charter contracts and financial information such as freight rates.

Referral procedure

Before a decision on a coastal trade permit is taken, the application for a coastal trade permit is normally sent for referral to relevant organisations such as the Swedish Shipowners Association in order to investigate whether there is other suitable and available tonnage for the actual transport and time period. The normal time for a response to a referral is 48 hours, however excluding weekends and public holidays. Whoever applies for a coastal shipping permit must therefore take this time into account.

Fee and invoicing

A fee of 10,000 SEK is charged for the process related to a coastal trade permit. The fee is invoiced in arrears and is charged regardless of whether the application is approved or rejected.

Contact information

The Swedish Transport Agency
SE, 601 73 Norrköping
Sweden
Phone: 0046 771 - 503 503