ECDIS carriage requirements
July 21, 2026
Under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19.2.10, ECDIS is mandatory for specified ships engaged on international voyages. The original phase-in was completed by 1 July 2018, so today the practical carriage requirements are: International Maritime Organization
| Ship type | Gross tonnage | ECDIS required |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger ships | ≥ 500 GT | Yes |
| Tankers | ≥ 3,000 GT | Yes |
| Cargo ships other than tankers | ≥ 3,000 GT | Yes |
| Cargo ships | < 3,000 GT | Generally not mandatory under SOLAS V/19.2.10 |
| Passenger ships | < 500 GT | Generally not mandatory under this ECDIS carriage provision |
For new ships, IMO summarizes the requirement as passenger ships 500 GT and above and cargo ships 3,000 GT and above, when engaged on international voyages. Existing ships were brought into compliance through the staged implementation schedule from 2012–2018. International Maritime Organization
A vessel using ECDIS to satisfy SOLAS chart-carriage requirements must use a type-approved ECDIS meeting the applicable IMO performance standard, with adequate and up-to-date official electronic chart data for the intended voyage. IMO
There must also be an appropriate independent backup arrangement if ECDIS is being relied upon to meet the chart carriage requirement. Depending on the approved arrangement, this can be another ECDIS or an appropriate folio of paper nautical charts. IMO
One important upcoming/current-generation issue: the revised IMO ECDIS performance standard, MSC.530(106), introduces the S-100 framework. It may be applied to ECDIS installed from 1 January 2026, and applies to equipment installed on or after 1 January 2029. International Maritime Organization
