Vessel Flag-In to Indian Registry: WPC Maritime Radio Licensing & MMSI/EPIRB Reprogramming Roadmap — Seanav Marine

Vessel Flag-In to Indian Registry: WPC Maritime Radio Licensing & MMSI Reprogramming Roadmap

Strategic step-by-step procedural roadmap for Ship Owners, Technical Managers, and Masters taking over vessels transferring to the Indian Flag.

New Vessel Name

IMO Number

Former Flag & Call Sign

New Indian MMSI & Call Sign

Stage 1: WPC Licensing & Regulatory Pre-Requisites

Status	Statutory Action Item	Authority / Department	Compliance Deliverable
	Ship Radio Station License Application (Online portal)	WPC Wing, Ministry of Comm.	Application acknowledgement and provisional license issue.
	Call Sign & MMSI Number Allocation (MID 419)	Wireless Planning & Coord.	Official Indian call sign & MMSI certificate issued.
	Import Clear Certificate / Frequency Authorization	WPC Regional Licensing Office	Verification of all shipboard transceivers and wattage limits.
	Shore-Based Maintenance (SBM) Agreement	Seanav Marine Services	Official SBM Certificate under SOLAS IV/15 submitted to Class.

Stage 2: Coordinated Onboard Equipment Reprogramming Protocol

Status	Equipment System	Reprogramming Requirement	Technician Sign-Off
	Automatic Identification System (AIS)	Reprogram New MMSI, Call Sign, Vessel Name, and IMO Number	Password-protected technician service mode update.
	VHF Radiotelephone with DSC (Stations 1 & 2)	Clear former foreign MMSI and enter new Indian 9-digit MMSI	Verify DSC self-check and receipt printing.
	MF/HF Radio with DSC & NBDP	Reprogram new MMSI, Call Sign, and Indian Coast Station channels	Execute DSC routine call on 2187.5 kHz.
	Inmarsat-C / Mini-C Satcom Terminals	De-register from former Land Earth Station; re-commission with PSA	Verify PV test message reception from Point Service Activator.
	Ship Security Alert System (SSAS)	Update alert recipient emails / SMS to new Company Security Officer	Perform covert test transmission to Indian Flag Administration.
	Long-Range Identification & Tracking (LRIT)	Coordinate with Indian National Data Centre (NDC) for conformance test	Issue official LRIT Conformance Test Report (CTR).

Stage 3: EPIRB Hex ID Coding & INMCC Database Registration

Status	Verification Step	Standard / Procedure	Verification Output
	406 MHz EPIRB Hex ID Reprogramming	Encode Country Code 419 (India), new Call Sign, and Indian MMSI	15-Digit Hexadecimal code printed on beacon label.
	INMCC Registration Submission	Submit EPIRB registration form to Indian Mission Control Centre	Official INMCC registration certificate on board.
	Voyage Data Recorder (VDR / S-VDR)	Update vessel name, IMO number, and new sensor configuration parameters	Extract 12-hour recording log sample for APTR update.
	Class Surveyor Attendance & Endorsement via Channel Partners	Joint inspection with attending Indian Register of Shipping surveyor	Issue Interim Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate.