Pre-purchase survey
Independent condition inspection before you commit, with defects, priorities and practical next steps.
Request this survey
Marine surveys across Vanuatu
Find the right marine surveyor for your boat in Vanuatu
Request an independent marine surveyor for a yacht, small craft, inter-island vessel or commercial assignment in Vanuatu. Matching starts with the exact island, harbour, anchorage or yard, vessel and survey purpose, English, French or Bislama coordination, travel and haul-out plan and whether the work is private or must satisfy the Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority, insurer, lender, flag or class.
Vanuatu-wide planningPort Vila and Luganville are distinct service bases; other islands require dedicated transport, accommodation and facility planning.
Scope-led matchingPrivate, insurer, registry and specialist requirements separated
Access checked firstTravel, yard, haul-out and sea-trial arrangements reviewed
01Describe the assignment
02We review location and scope
03Choose your surveyor
Survey types
One request, matched to the actual job
A pre-purchase inspection is not the same assignment as a tonnage measurement or commercial-code survey. We keep the scope clear from the beginning.
Insurance & valuation
Condition and market-value reporting shaped around the information your insurer or lender requests.
Request this surveyDamage & claims
Evidence-led inspection following grounding, collision, water ingress, machinery failure or storm damage.
Request this surveyTonnage & registration
Routing to a surveyor with the right appointment when a flag, registry or recognised organisation requires it.
Request this surveyRig, engine & specialist
Focused inspections for rigging, machinery, composites, steel, aluminium and other specialist scopes.
Request this surveyCommercial & coding
Survey support for commercial yachts, charter activity and code-compliance work where applicable.
Request this surveyHow it works
A practical route from request to inspection
The platform helps structure the enquiry and introduce suitable professionals. The selected surveyor remains responsible for agreeing scope, fee and terms with you.
Tell us about the yacht
Share the vessel, survey purpose, location, timing and any buyer or registry deadline.
We review the scope
We check geography, material, size, specialist needs and whether formal acceptance matters.
Receive a suitable introduction
Where available, we connect you with a surveyor whose stated capability fits the assignment.
Appoint independently
You compare the scope and terms, resolve conflicts and instruct the professional directly.
Important distinction
Professional membership is not automatic flag approval
For pre-purchase and condition work, competence, experience, insurance and independence are central. For tonnage, registration, coding or statutory work, the flag or accepting organisation may also require a specific appointment.
Check my survey requirement✓
Credential — membership, qualification or professional designation
✓
Capability — the right vessel, material, size and survey experience
✓
Appointment — authority from the relevant flag or organisation
✓
Acceptance — confirmation that the resulting report or certificate will be accepted
Vanuatu marine survey locations
Plan the survey around Vanuatu’s coasts and waterways
Vanuatu is a long island chain with variable port and repair facilities. State the island, wharf, marina, mooring or anchorage, safe transfer method and whether the vessel can relocate.
Efate & Port Vila
Confirm marina or mooring access, local lift or slipway capacity and a safe trial route outside busy harbour areas.
Find a surveyor in this region →Espiritu Santo
Flights, local road or launch transfer, yard access and any relocation from outer anchorages should be agreed.
Find a surveyor in this region →Malekula & central islands
Inter-island flights or vessels, accommodation and limited lifting require a clear logistics plan.
Find a surveyor in this region →Tanna & southern islands
Weather, open-roadstead access, local transport and repeat attendance need allowance.
Find a surveyor in this region →Torba & remote islands
Remote work needs confirmed flights or ship transfer, communications, safe accommodation and client support.
Find a surveyor in this region →Frequently asked questions
Before you appoint a marine surveyor
What details are needed for a Vanuatu marine survey?
Provide vessel particulars, exact island, harbour, anchorage or yard, survey purpose and deadline, local contact, report recipient and any haul-out, trial or specialist requirement.
Is a private survey a VMSA survey?
No. The Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority regulates vessel registration, official surveys, licensing and certification. A private buyer, insurer, lender or owner survey is separate.
Does VMSA survey small craft and yachts?
VMSA publishes an annual survey category and application forms covering small craft, pleasure yachts and other vessels. Confirm the current statutory requirement directly with VMSA.
Can a surveyor attend an outer island?
Potentially. Flights or inter-island vessels, accommodation, launch transfer, weather and repeat attendance should be quoted for the exact location.
Can the survey include registration or tonnage work?
Potentially, but only after VMSA confirms the required form, surveyor acceptance, measurement method and certificate for the proposed registration.
Are travel and haul-out costs included?
Only if stated. Flights, vessels, accommodation, launches, slipway or lift, wash, relaunch and testing can be separate.
Can you help with inter-island and commercial vessels?
Potentially. Passenger, cargo, fishing and commercial-yacht work requires appropriate experience and any VMSA, flag, class or client acceptance.
International marine survey network
Need a survey in another country?
Choose the country where the vessel is located, or send the exact port, marina or yard so the assignment can be reviewed.
VanuatuEfate, Espiritu Santo and outer islandsView regions
New CaledoniaNouméa, Grand Terre, Loyalty Islands and Isle of PinesVisit site
French PolynesiaTahiti, Society Islands and remote archipelagosVisit site
SamoaUpolu, Savaiʻi and surrounding islandsVisit site
TongaTongatapu, Vavaʻu, Haʻapai and outer groupsVisit site
FijiViti Levu, Vanua Levu and outer islandsVisit site
New ZealandNorth Island, South Island and principal portsVisit site
Another countryBrowse every Marine Survey International locationVisit sitePrefer to speak with us?
Start with the right Vanuatu survey scope.
Tell us the vessel, exact Vanuatuan location and reason for the survey. We can help clarify access, travel and report requirements before you request an introduction.
Request a surveyor in VanuatuDirect contactChoose the easiest way to reach us