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4. Fairway Dues

Fairway Dues

Fairway dues are levied in accordance with the Act of Fairway Dues on vessels engaged in merchant shipping in Finnish territorial waters.

NEMO generates a preliminary fairway dues calculation for a port call based on the vessel information and the notifications submitted for the port call. If the port call is subject to the Fairway Dues Act, a fairway dues decision and, where applicable, an invoice will be generated and made available for viewing.

You can review the calculation in the port call's Fairway Dues Calculation view.

Reporting Fairway Dues

The party liable for fairway dues is the shipowner and/or jointly liable representative operating within the EU/EEA.

The shipowner, jointly liable representative, and payment information required for the fairway dues assessment are reported using the DUE notification (Shipowner or Fairway Dues Notification).

Go to DUE instructionsOpens in a new tab

Generation of the Fairway Dues Calculation

The fairway dues calculation is generated using information provided in several port call notifications as well as vessel information stored in NEMO's vessel information service.

NEMO calculates a preliminary estimate based on, for example:

  • vessel type
  • net tonnage
  • confirmed Finnish ice class
  • information provided in the DUE notification

The calculation also takes into account fairway dues already levied on the vessel during the same calendar year, as well as any maximum annual charges and reductions provided for under the Fairway Dues Act.

If a Finnish ice class has not been confirmed for the vessel at the time the calculation is generated, the preliminary estimate uses the unit price of the lowest ice class (III).

The vessel's net tonnage and Finnish ice class affect the amount of fairway dues.

The amount shown in the Fairway Dues Calculation is an estimate. The estimate may change if the port call notifications or vessel information are updated.

Special Cases – Vessel Combination

A vessel combination refers to an arrangement where a non-self-propelled vessel, such as a barge, is attached to a pushing or towing vessel so that the combination operates as a single vessel.

Fairway dues are calculated based on:

  • the combined net tonnage of the vessel combination, and
  • the common Finnish ice class confirmed for the combination.

Reporting of vessel combinations is described in section 3.1 Port Calls, under the special case "Barges, Tugs and Pushboats".

Proceed as follows when dealing with a vessel combination:

  1. Create a separate port call for both vessels (for example, the tug/pushboat and the barge).
  2. In the Additional information for the formality (DE-003-01) field of the DUE notification for both port calls, provide:
    • a statement indicating that the vessels form a vessel combination
    • the IMO number of the other vessel
    • the other vessel's Visit ID

Example:

  1. In the tug's or pushboat's DUE notification:

    "Vessel combination. Other vessel: Barge B, IMO: 1234567, port call (Visit ID) FI20260812-002-7."

  2. In the barge's DUE notification:

    "Vessel combination. Other vessel: Tug A, IMO: 7654321, port call (Visit ID) FI20260812-001-3."

In the tug's or pushboat's DUE notification, "other vessel" refers to the barge. In the barge's DUE notification, "other vessel" refers to the tug or pushboat.

Exceptions – When the Fairway Dues Act Does Not Apply

The decision on whether the Fairway Dues Act applies is shown in the Fairway Dues Calculation view either as a fairway dues decision and, where applicable, an invoice, or as the reason and legal basis for non-application of the Act.

If the Fairway Dues Act does not apply to the port call, the view displays the reason and legal basis for non-application. In such cases, no fairway dues decision or invoice is generated.

This differs from situations where fairway dues apply to the port call, but the decision and invoice are not yet available, for example because the fairway dues notification is being processed by the authority or because information required for the calculation is missing.

See the latest information on the application of the Fairway Dues Act:

Finnish Customs – Fairway DuesOpens in a new tab

Viewing the Fairway Dues Calculation

  1. Go to Port Calls from the main menu.
  2. Select the port call whose calculation you want to review.
  3. Click Fairway Dues Calculation in the Notifications view.

Information Displayed in the Fairway Dues Calculation

The Fairway Dues Calculation view displays the information used to generate the calculation, where available.

Vessel Information:

  • Shipowner – The owner, charterer, or other party exercising control over the operation of the vessel as recorded in NEMO's vessel information service. Information about the party liable for fairway dues provided in the DUE notification is displayed separately.
  • Ship type – The vessel type used for the calculation of fairway dues, such as cargo vessel or passenger vessel. Vessel type affects the fairway dues calculation and applicable maximum limits.
  • Ice class – The vessel's confirmed Finnish ice class used for calculating fairway dues.
  • Net tonnage – The net tonnage derived from the vessel's certificates and used to calculate fairway dues.
  • Fairway dues levied [year] – The number of port calls for which fairway dues have already been levied on the vessel during the current calendar year. This information is used to monitor annual maximum limits. "Levied" does not refer to a monetary amount or indicate that an invoice has already been paid. The field name displays the relevant calendar year. Depending on vessel type, fairway dues are levied only for a limited number of port calls per calendar year, with the exception of cruise vessels.

Fairway Dues Notification:

  • Name of liable party – The entity provided in the DUE notification to which the fairway dues decision and any invoice will be addressed.
  • Identifier of the party liable for fairway dues – The unique identifier of the liable party, such as a Finnish Business ID. The information is provided in the DUE notification.

Fairway Dues:

  • Estimated fairway dues – An automatically generated estimate produced by NEMO based on the vessel and notification data available at the time.
  • Unit price – The fairway dues unit price determined by vessel type and confirmed Finnish ice class.
  • Estimated amount payable (€) – An estimated fairway dues amount based on the available information. The amount may change if vessel or port call information is updated or if the case requires processing by Finnish Customs.
  • Processing status – Indicates whether the fairway dues case has been transferred to the authority for processing and whether processing is still ongoing.
  • Decision and invoice – Final documents issued by Finnish Customs and made available once processing has been completed. The documents can be downloaded to your device.

If a Warning Is Displayed in the Fairway Dues Calculation

The Fairway Dues Calculation may display warnings, for example regarding missing ice class information, net tonnage, or a DUE notification. In such cases, the calculated amount is preliminary and may not reflect the final fairway dues charge.

Information affecting fairway dues cannot be edited directly in the Fairway Dues Calculation view. Correct the information in the notification or vessel record from which it originates.

Read more about confirmed Finnish ice classes:

Traficom – Ice Classes of ShipsOpens in a new tab

Fairway Dues Decision and Invoice

Processing of fairway dues begins when the vessel's actual arrival has been confirmed through an ATA notification. In most cases, the fairway dues decision and any invoice become available in NEMO shortly after the ATA notification has been submitted.

In some cases, the matter requires additional authority processing, which may take longer or may result in changes to a previously issued decision and invoice.

Processing may be affected by:

  • fairway dues reductions and exemptions
  • advance payments and annual maximum limits
  • vessel anchoring or related port calls
  • updates to the vessel's ice class, net tonnage, certificates, or other vessel information
  • vessel combination information
  • correction or cancellation of a decision
  • penalty charges or increases to the dues

In such situations, the Fairway Dues Calculation view may indicate that processing is still ongoing. No action is required from the notifier while the matter is being processed. The decision and any invoice will appear in NEMO once processing has been completed.

If the decision is later reprocessed, the decision details and payable amount may change. Therefore, always review the latest decision and invoice available in NEMO.

If you apply for a reduction or exemption from fairway dues, clearly and specifically record the basis for the request in the notification to avoid delays caused by incomplete or unclear information.

Always check the latest decision and any invoice in NEMO before making payment, as a later correction or cancellation may change the amount payable or the due date.

For more information on fairway dues calculation and amendment of decisions, see:

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