Vessels Info

IMO SEARCH

Search a vessel by IMO number

An IMO number identifies one hull permanently, which makes it the most dependable way to look a vessel up. Vessels Info accepts an IMO number, an MMSI or a vessel name.

What is an IMO number

An IMO number is a seven-digit identifier assigned to a vessel and kept for the life of the hull. Unlike a name or a flag, it does not change when the vessel is sold, renamed or reflagged, so it identifies the same physical ship across its whole history.

You will usually find it on the vessel’s certificates and documentation, in classification and registry records, and quoted in fixture and port paperwork.

IMO vs MMSI vs vessel name

IMO number

Seven digits that stay with the hull for its whole life, through renaming and reflagging.

MMSI

Nine digits tied to the radio equipment, so it can change when the vessel changes flag.

Vessel name

The easiest to remember and the least reliable — names are reused and vessels get renamed.

All three work as a search term in the app. If you have the IMO number, prefer it — it resolves to exactly one vessel.

How to search by IMO in the app

  1. Open search in Vessels Info on Android.
  2. Enter the seven-digit IMO number.
  3. Open the matching vessel to read its full profile.
  4. Save it to Watchlist, or organise it into a fleet, to find it again.

What you get back

  • Identity — name, IMO number and MMSI
  • Type, age, tonnage and capacity
  • Flag state, with owner and operator details
  • Build year and the yard that delivered the hull
  • Recorded port calls and the latest reported voyage information

The full field list is on vessel information fields.

If the IMO number returns nothing: check you have all seven digits and no stray characters, then try the vessel name or MMSI instead. Records come from public registers and third-party sources, so coverage is not guaranteed to be complete for every hull.

Related

See what a vessel record contains, or port call history for where a vessel has been. The FAQ answers the rest, and the app itself is Vessels Info on Android.