According to the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control, the four main types of port state control inspections are—initial inspection, more detailed inspection, expanded inspection, and concentrated inspection campaign. More details on them below:
Initial inspection – aims to check the certificates and documents of the ship, as well as inspect common areas and the general condition of the ship.
More detailed inspection – this type of inspection is conducted when there are clear grounds discovered in any component of the ship (i.e equipment, crew,) that hinders it from performing as it should.
Expanded inspection – this type of inspection is normally performed in high-risk ships. It focuses on the overall condition of the ship while also taking into account the human element in each specific operation.
Concentrated inspection campaign – designed to review specific areas or ship functions where high deficiency or error was found.