Parallel Submissions for Vessel Declaration Are Over: Are You Ready?

When a vessel is arriving at or departing from a Maldivian port, there are many moving parts that need to come together. Shipping agents, businesses, and authorities all need accurate information at the right time to keep maritime operations moving smoothly.

Vessel Declaration plays an important role in this process by allowing the required information about a vessel, its cargo, passengers, and other details to be submitted for review.

The service went live on Tradian on 10th May 2026 for parallel submission. During this period, users could apply through Tradian or through the existing legacy systems.

However, the parallel submission period has now ended. Vessel Declaration is exclusively available through Tradian.

This means businesses and shipping agents need to make sure they are ready before they need to submit their next Vessel Declaration application.

Here are the key things you need to prepare.

Make Sure Your Company Is Registered on Tradian

Before you can apply for the Vessel Declaration service, your company must be registered on Tradian.

Registration is your first step towards accessing trade services on the platform. Without completing registration, you will not be able to submit the services you need.

Registering is simple and only requires an eFaas account.

There are three ways a company can complete registration:

• Self Registration – The Managing Director of the company can apply to register on Tradian as the company’s Admin User.

• Delegation – The company can delegate the registration process to another individual through a Board Resolution submitted to Tradian Support.

• Add User – Once registered, the Admin User can add additional users under the company account.

In most cases, the Managing Director will complete the Self Registration process first. Delegation and Add User options allow other members of the company to access Tradian and act on behalf of the business when required.

If you’d like a more detailed look at registering on Tradian, you can read our previous article on the topic. You can also watch a video tutorial if it suits you better.

Completing registration early ensures that your company is ready when you need to submit a Vessel Declaration application.

Complete Your Vessel Registration and ETA/ETD Requests

Trade services on Tradian are connected. This means that some services must be completed before others become available.

For Vessel Declaration, the vessel you are declaring must first be registered through the Vessel Registration service.

Vessel Registration is a one-time requirement for foreign-going vessels entering Maldivian territorial waters. You can refer to our video tutorial on Vessel Registration for a step-by-step breakdown of the process.

If the vessel is arriving in or departing from the Maldives, you must also submit an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) or Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) request.

These requests provide authorities with key information about when a vessel is expected to arrive or depart from a Maldivian port.

One benefit of completing these steps through Tradian is that the information you submit is retained by the system. When you apply for future services, relevant details can be automatically fetched instead of being entered again.

This means less repeated work and a smoother process for future applications.

Prepare the Documents Needed for Your Voyage

Not every Vessel Declaration application will require the same information.

This is because every vessel is different. What you need to declare depends on what the vessel is carrying, who it is carrying, and the health and safety conditions of the voyage.

For example, vessels carrying dangerous goods such as explosives, corrosive materials, radioactive materials, or dangerous hydrocarbons must declare these details during their respective Vessel Declaration service application.

The same applies to vessels carrying passengers. Passenger details, including the number of passengers and relevant health information, must be declared.

Preparing these documents before you begin your application helps prevent delays and makes the submission process smoother.

Submit Your Vessel Declaration Application

Once your company, vessel information, and documents are ready, you can submit your Vessel Declaration application through Tradian.

There are three types of Vessel Declaration applications:

• Vessel Declaration Arrival – Used when the vessel is arriving at a local port.

• Vessel Declaration Departure – Used when the vessel is leaving from a local port.

• Vessel Declaration Cancellation – Used when a previously planned vessel movement no longer requires a declaration.

A cancellation may be needed if the vessel is no longer stopping in the Maldives, is no longer leaving from the Maldives, or if there has been a change in the cargo being carried.

Selecting the correct application type ensures that your declaration matches the actual circumstances of the voyage.

For more information on this service and its scenarios, you can refer to our User Manual of the service.

Follow Your Application and Resolve Any Issues

Once your application has been submitted, you can follow its progress directly through Tradian. You can check the status of your application anytime, from anywhere, as long as you have internet access.

The relevant cross-border regulatory authority (CBRA) will review the information and documents you have submitted. If an issue is found, a query will be raised and you will receive a notification through Tradian.

You can then log in, view the issue, and make the required correction. Do note that you do not need to submit the entire application again. 

Once the issue is resolved, the process can continue from where it stopped.

Access Your Approved Documents

Once your Vessel Declaration is completed, you can access the output documents directly through Tradian.

To view your system-generated certificates, go to the Print Certificate option under the Vessel Declaration tab where you can see a list of fully approved voyages you have declared 

Click on the voyage of your choice and you will see a list of system-generated certificates for that voyage. You can print any document you need from here.

To view your CBRA-uploaded certificates, go to the Search Vessel Declaration option under the Vessel Declaration tab. Here, you will find all Vessel Declaration applications submitted by your company. 

Select the approved application you need and open the Documents tab. You will see all documents related to that declaration, including certificates uploaded by the CBRA for the voyage.

Each document can be viewed and downloaded directly from the system.

A Smoother Transition with Tradian Support

Vessel Declaration is a key trade service that supports maritime activity in the Maldives. With the end of the parallel submission period, the service is now fully available through Tradian.

However, moving to a new way of completing services can come with questions. Tradian Support is available to assist users throughout the process.

Tradian Support is a dedicated omnichannel support service designed to help users when they need assistance.

Support is available every day of the week except Friday, from 08:30 AM to 11:00 PM. 

By completing these steps, you can avoid unnecessary delays and continue managing yout maritime operations with confidence through Tradian.