Pre-port questionnaire

A pre-port questionnaire is a form a terminal or charterer sends a ship before arrival, asking the master to declare the vessel’s particulars, condition, equipment, certificate status, and compatibility with the berth and the planned operation. Terminals use it to screen the ship for safe mooring, cargo-transfer compatibility, and emergency readiness before they accept it alongside, and charterers fold it into the vetting and approval process. The master returns it with supporting certificate copies, and a wrong or incomplete answer can delay or refuse the berth. It works alongside the ship-shore safety checklist completed once the vessel is moored.