Read more about the reporting obligation

The Nautilus service is based on the Finnish Act on Lists of Persons Aboard Passenger Vessels (1038/2009).

To improve the safety and possibilities of rescue of passengers and crew, and to enhance search and rescue operations and the follow-up of potential accidents, all persons on board a passenger ship must be counted and listed before the ship departs. The information is primarily used by the Finnish Border Guard but also by other parties responsible for water search and rescue operations.  The Act applies to all Finnish passenger ships and foreign passenger ships arriving in or departing from a port in Finland. 

The Act does not apply to pleasure craft or vessels operating exclusively in port areas or in Finland's inland waterways.

The shipping company must ensure that the number of persons on board or more extensive information is reported to the master of the ship and to the centralised service point, Nautilus, no later than 15 minutes after the departure. In addition, the report must include the port of departure and arrival as well as the estimated time of departure and arrival of the vessel.

If the voyage of a passenger ship is more than 20 nautical miles from the port, the company must ensure that the surname, first name, gender, nationality and date of birth of the passengers and crew on board the vessel are recorded in the Nautilus system.

However, the personal information does not need to be reported if the vessel operates scheduled services of less than one hour between port calls in area D, sails between two ports or sails from and to the same port without intermediate calls. In this case, the number of passengers and crew on board is sufficient. 

Area D means a sea area whose geographical coordinates are at any point no more than 3 nautical miles from the line of coast. 

The personal information is automatically destroyed from the service point 72 hours after the ship's voyage has ended. If the information is needed for search or rescue operations or for investigating an accident, it will be transferred to the Finnish Border Guard's system. 

Reportable information

If the voyage of a passenger ship is more than 20 nautical miles from the port, the company must ensure that the surname, first name, gender, nationality and date of birth of the persons on board are recorded.

Further information: Council Directive 98/41/EC and the Finnish Act on Lists of Persons Aboard Passenger Vessels (1038/2009).