Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate

Service documentation · Republic of Zambia · GSB e-Services

Owner	Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways
Service key	miwd/vessel-surveyors-certificate
Version	service v1, platform a0a302b8
Date	2026-10-21

Generated automatically by the service's end-to-end test run. Every screenshot shows synthetic test data on a local test installation, never real personal data.

This document describes the Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate service of Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways as the platform runs it today. It is generated by the service's end-to-end test: every step below was performed by the test, and every screenshot was taken during that run with synthetic data. Regenerate it with npm run docs:services in the e2e suite; do not edit it by hand.

1. Service summary

Item	Detail
Service	Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate
Owner (MDA)	Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways (MIWD)
Purpose	This is an official visual examination of a vessel that involves the inspection made by a surveyor. This is a requirement by law to determine the vessel’s compliance with the Inland Waters Shipping Act CAP 466. Note: Provision of false or incorrect information may lead to rejection of the application, even after payment has been made. Applicants are therefore advised to carefully review all details captured for the vessel to be inspected before submitting the application.
Who can apply	Individual; Organization
How to apply	Online on the national e-Services portal, signed in with ZamPass; pay with ZamPay.
Fees	Of 200 tonnes or more: ZMW 500.00 Of less than 200 tonnes but not less than 100 tonnes: ZMW 440.00 Of less than 100 tonnes but not less than 15 tonnes: ZMW 440.00 Decked vessel or half decked vessel of less than 15 tonnes not propelled by oars or poles: ZMW 280.00 An open vessel of less than 15 tonnes but more than 15 feet in length overall not propelled by oars: ZMW 200.00 An open vessel of less than 15 tonnes not propelled by oars poles: ZMW 160.00 An open vessel of less than 15 tonnes not propelled by oars: ZMW 80.00 / ZMW 300.00: ZMW 320.00 Of 100 tonnes or more: ZMW 320.00 Of less than 100 tonnes but not less than 15 tonnes: ZMW 320.00 Of less than 15 tonnes: ZMW 240.00
Turnaround	14 days.
Validity of the output	3 months
Required documents	National Identity Card (NRC) (required) Company Registration Certificate (required) Certificate of Vessel's Ownership (required) Proof of Residence (optional)
Output documents	Notice of Action Application form Vessel Surveyor's Certificate
Legal basis	The Inland-Waters-Shipping-Act Chapter 466 of the Laws of Zambia (http://www.parliament.gov.zm/sites/default/files/documents/acts/Inland%20Waters%20Shipping%20Act.pdf) Merchant Shipping (Temporary Provisions) Act Chapter 468 of the Laws of Zambia (https://zambialaws.com/principal-legislation/chapter-468merchant-shipping-temporary-provisions-act) The Amended Inland Waters Shipping Act - SI 65 of 2004 (https://dotgovsolutions.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/ZambiaZIPS/IQChCTsjgYc3RpfbTUCeTHWoAUJUR2ynWE4JkJW-mYgr4-w?e=Q0AkNW)

2. Application process, step by step

The process as configured in the back office:

Step	Role	Task	Type
1	Applicant	Apply	form
2	System	Generate Document	generate-document
3	Case Officer	Review	review
4	Case Officer	Approve	approve
5	System	Generate Document	generate-document
6	System	Notify Client	notify

Who takes part in this journey: Citizen, Case Officer, Anyone (public).

Step 1. Find the service

Citizen · National e-Services portal

On the national e-Services portal the citizen opens All Services and searches for the service by name ("Vessel Certificate"). Each result names the service and the ministry that provides it.

Step 2. Read the service page

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The service page sets out what the service is for, who provides it, the fee, how long it takes and the documents to have ready. "Start application" begins an application (the citizen is signed in with ZamPass).

Step 3. Confirm the applicant details

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The applicant details are filled in from the citizen's ZamPass account. The citizen says whom they are applying for (themself) and continues with "Proceed to Application".

Step 4. Fill in the application form

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The citizen answers the service's own application form, converted from the legacy system (8 answers in this run, all synthetic), for the type of application "New". Questions marked * must be answered; some appear only after an earlier answer. Answers are saved as the citizen types, so an unfinished application can be reopened from My Workplace.

Step 5. Upload the supporting documents

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Each document the service asks for has its own upload (4 in this run: National Identity Card (NRC), Company Registration Certificate, Certificate of Vessel's Ownership, Proof of Residence). The files are checked and stored with the application; the page confirms each upload.

Step 6. Check the answers and confirm the declaration

Citizen · National e-Services portal

Before sending, the citizen sees every answer and document on one page and can go back to change them. The declaration that the information is true and complete must be ticked.

Step 7. Application sent

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The portal confirms the application with the ministry's reference number (MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 in this run). The application goes to the ministry's officers; the citizen follows it in My Workplace.

Step 8. Take the new application on

Case Officer · Back office

The application arrives in the case queue of the ministry that owns the service (Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways); only its staff see it. The officer opens it by its reference number - answers, documents and process are on the case - assigns it to themself and takes it on.

Step 9. Fill in the certificate particulars

Case Officer · Back office

The issued document prints 35 fields that come from the office rather than from the application (Number of crew, Mate, Oars (number), Cable (length, condition and cross-sectional diameter of links), Maximum cargo (tonnes), Depth (cm), Girth (cm), Sound signals (number and type), Length overall (cm), Master, Anchors (number), Bailers (number), Breadth (cm), Details of superstructure (if any), Tonnage, Engineer, Nature of services, Hand-pumps condition, Freeboard (minimum) when loaded to full permissible capacity, Lifeboats (number and type), Machinery (items and condition), Hand-pumps (number and type), Navigation lights (number and type), Maximum number of passengers, Fire-buckets (number), Life-jackets (number of persons), Identity Mark, to carry (number of persons), Hull condition, to carry (number of persons), Buoyant apparatus (number and type), Type of construction, Propulsion Method, Fire-extinguishers (number and type), Other type of construction). The officer fills them in on the case's "Certificate particulars" tab before the document is issued (synthetic values in this run) and saves; once the document is issued they can no longer change.

Step 10. Inspect the case by Case Officer

Case Officer · Back office

The Case Officer works on "Inspect the case by Case Officer" (review in the imported process), checks the application and its documents, and completes the step.

Step 11. Decide: Review, Inspect, e-Sign Case Officer

Case Officer · Back office

At "Review, Inspect, e-Sign Case Officer" the Case Officer records the decision: approve, with a comment kept in the case history. Approving moves the case on; the last decision completes it and issues the document.

Step 12. The document in My permits

Citizen · National e-Services portal

The issued document (MIWD-VSSC-2026-00001 in this run: "Vessel Surveyor's Certificate") is listed in "My permits and licences" with its validity and a download of the sealed PDF.

Step 13. Verify the document

Anyone (public) · Public verification page

The QR code on the document opens the public verification page: genuine and current, to whom it was issued, and whether the electronic seal is valid. No sign-in is needed.

3. Payment

Item

In the test run

Fee (as published)

For the survey of vessel other than a raft or dumb barge: First Survey Fee/Subsequent Survey Fee • Of 200 tonnes or more: ZMW 500.00 / ZMW 460.00 • Of less than 200 tonnes but not less than 100 tonnes: ZMW 440.00 / ZMW 400.00 • Of less than 100 tonnes but not less than 15 tonnes: ZMW 440.00 / ZMW 392.00 • Decked vessel or half decked vessel of less than 15 tonnes not propelled by oars or poles: ZMW 280.00 / ZMW 260.00 • An open vessel of less than 15 tonnes but more than 15 feet in length overall not propelled by oars: ZMW 200.00 / ZMW 180.00 • An open vessel of less than 15 tonnes not propelled by oars poles: ZMW 160.00 / ZMW 140.00 • An open vessel of less than 15 tonnes not propelled by oars: ZMW 80.00 / ZMW 60.00 For the survey of raft: First Survey Fee/Subsequent Survey Fee ZMW 320.00 / ZMW 300.00 For the survey of a dumb barge: First Survey Fee/Subsequent Survey Fee • Of 100 tonnes or more: ZMW 320.00 / ZMW 300.00 • Of less than 100 tonnes but not less than 15 tonnes: ZMW 320.00 / ZMW 300.00 • Of less than 15 tonnes: ZMW 240.00 / ZMW 220.00

4. Output documents

Vessel Surveyor's Certificate (sealed PDF)

Issued when the case was approved, from the service's output configuration (service template MIWD_SurveyorCertificate.Certificate.docx), filled from the application and the decision, sealed with the platform's electronic seal and stored as the issued version. The holder downloads it from My permits; the verification page checks it.

The issued PDF has 3 pages; the image shows the first.

Fields

Field	Value in the test run
Document title	Vessel Surveyor's Certificate
Permit / licence number	MIWD-VSSC-2026-00001
Holder	Chanda Mwila
Valid from	2026-10-21
Valid until	2027-01-21
Status	active
Verification code (printed with a QR code)	SACE-UJGX-6K

Seal

Item	Detail
Seal status	sealed
Signature level	PAdES-B-T
Sealed by	the platform seal (development key in the test run)
Signed at	2026-10-21T05:38:52.312Z
Trusted time-stamp	2026-10-21T05:38:52.277Z (time-stamping authority)
Document fingerprint (SHA-256)	fd76961ec3767b48...

Verification

Item	Detail
Where	The public verification page of the national portal, <portal>/verify/<verification code>, opened by scanning the QR code on the document.
What it shows	Whether the document is genuine and current, its holder and validity, and whether the electronic seal is valid and who sealed it.
Checking a copy	Anyone can upload a PDF they were given; the page says whether it is exactly the document that was issued. A changed copy is reported as not matching.

On screen: step 12 (The document in My permits), step 13 (Verify the document) in section 2.

5. Notifications

When	Channel	To	Message	Delivery
Application received	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 received - Your application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 for Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate has been received by Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways.	shown
Status changed	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Update on application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 - MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 (Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate) is now: With the office - being reviewed.	shown
Licence / permit issued	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Your Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate document has been issued - MIWD-VSSC-2026-00001 has been issued for Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate and is valid until 21/01/2027.	shown
Invitation to rate the service	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	How was Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate? - How was Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate? Tell us in about a minute.	shown
Decision: approved	in-app (portal bell)	the applicant	Application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 completed - MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 (Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate) is complete. Your documents are ready.	shown
Application received	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 received	skipped
Application received	sms	+260 97* *** 567	Application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 for Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate has been received. Track it: <portal>/my-workplace	delivered
Status changed	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Invitation to rate the service	sms	+260 97* *** 567		skipped
Invitation to rate the service	email	e2e.c***@example.test	How was Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate?	skipped
Licence / permit issued	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Your Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate document has been issued	skipped
Decision: approved	email	e2e.c***@example.test	Application MIWD-VSSC/00001/10-21-26 completed	skipped
Licence / permit issued	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered
Decision: approved	sms	+260 97* *** 567		delivered

Delivery: shown = in the portal's notification bell; delivered = the SMS gateway (a test double in this run) reported the text delivered; skipped = not sent on that channel (e-mail is not configured on the test installation, and some notices go out on one channel only); sent by the national portal = a ministry node handed the notice to the national portal, which texts and e-mails the citizen under its own name and the citizen's preferences. Addresses written <portal>, <ZamPay> stand for the national portal and ZamPay.

6. Legacy mapping

Item	Detail
Replaces	Vessel Surveyor’s Certificate in the legacy ZIGS e-Services directory (ZIGS_Services)
Legacy service id	360
Legacy provider	Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways (MIWD) under Ministry of Transport and Logistics
Legacy process	CaseOfficerReview (process 6)
Fee in the legacy system	none
Fee taken before submission	yes (as in ZIGS)
Time to issue (legacy)	New: 14 working days
Legacy output templates	Notice of Action: ZIGS_Forms_Notices / GS-2.NoticeOfAction Application form: ZIGS_Forms_MIWD / MIWD_SurveyorCertificate.Application Vessel Surveyor's Certificate: ZIGS_Forms_MIWD / MIWD_SurveyorCertificate.Certificate
Legacy address	none recorded
How it was brought over	Imported by the platform's legacy catalogue importer (zcm-backend scripts/zigs/importLegacy.js) from the ZIGS snapshot: form, case types, fees, documents, process and output templates, then served by the new platform.

7. Version and date

Item	Detail
Document version	service v1, platform a0a302b8
Generated	2026-10-21T05:38:58Z (by the end-to-end run, not edited by hand)
Service version	not versioned (configured directly)
Platform snapshot	backend a0a302b8 portal 72805f0 back office 58e5946
Test suite	e2e 5999d9b; one installation (combined); seed profile mihud
Journeys	30-catalogue-service.spec.js: citizen finds the service, answers its form, uploads its documents and sends the application - passed 30-catalogue-service.spec.js: the case goes through every step of its process: payments by the citizen, each officer step by its role - passed 30-catalogue-service.spec.js: the grant document is issued, sealed, filled in and verifiable; the citizen has it in My permits - passed
Result	3 of 3 journey tests passed
Data	Synthetic test data on a local test installation; provider test doubles for ZamPass, ZamPay, SMS and signing.