As of Tuesday, 1st July 2025, you can apply for a permit or exemption for visits to the Port of Rotterdam (and adjacent ports) directly via your port call in ‘Vessel Notification’ in the Portbase PCS.
It is now possible to add an exemption to a berth within a vessel visit in PCS. This is done via a new field called “Exemptions”. The field is a text input where users can search and select an exemption by typing. Input is not case-sensitive and the results shown are based on a predefined configuration.
This configuration ensures that only relevant exemptions can be requested per berth, avoiding requests at berths where the exemption is not applicable or needed.
Exemption titles have been rewritten in English and adjusted where necessary. A reference table with the old and new names is included at the end. Each exemption now also includes a unique identifier for clarity.
Once a user selects an exemption, a pop-up window appears. This may contain two elements:
After agreeing to the Consideration, additional input fields appear, specific to the selected exemption. By default, a number of general fields are shown. These include: Phone number, Email address, Name of the applicant – On whose behalf the exemption is being requested A declaration that the information provided is accurate. There is also space to provide the reason for the exemption or add other relevant details. Users can upload one or more attachments. For some exemptions, an attachment is mandatory—this is indicated by an info icon next to the “Attachment” field. In addition to the general fields, specific fields will be displayed based on the exemption type. For example, in the case of:
“To be located or berth in an area where this is not permitted with a certain category of vessel,” these are highlighted in red in the system.
Depending on user input, certain fields may dynamically expand. For instance, if a user selects “Yes” for a particular field, additional questions relevant to that answer will appear. Each field clearly shows whether it is mandatory or optional. Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk (*). Some fields include an info icon. Hovering over this icon will display additional guidance or instructions.
Once all fields are completed, the exemption can be submitted to the HCC via the “Save & Send” button.
Clicking this generates an email containing all entered data, along with relevant information already available in PCS (such as vessel length or berth).
The HCC will receive the email and respond directly to the applicant.
If a change is needed, you can update the field(s) and click “Save & Send” again. A new email will be generated with “Amendment” in the subject line to notify the HCC of the change. To cancel an exemption, click the X in the “Exemption” field. This initiates a cancellation process that includes a validation step to confirm the action. Once confirmed, an email with “Cancellation” in the subject line will be sent to the HCC.
It is possible to add multiple exemptions to the same berth. After selecting the first exemption in the “Exemption” field, a new line automatically appears for entering the next exemption. All the above guidance applies to each additional exemption as well.
