The UK Marine Management Organisation has published statutory guidance on the designation of UK ports for direct landings, setting out information for how such designations interact with licence conditions. The item was published on GOV.UK on 5 October 2026.
The guidance relates to the identification of ports at which foreign vessels may make direct landings and to similar provisions for UK vessels where those landings are governed by a licence. It is presented as statutory guidance, providing official detail on the subject.
At its simplest, the document provides information on which ports may be designated and on how licence conditions apply to direct landings at those ports. The guidance therefore addresses both the designation process and the application of licences that permit landing activity.
Produced by the Marine Management Organisation, the guidance is intended to clarify administrative and regulatory arrangements for direct landings. It explains the interaction between designations and licence conditions without amending primary legislation.
Scope of the guidance
The published guidance concentrates on the matters the authorities consider when designating ports for direct landing activity and on how licence conditions are intended to operate in that context. Readers are directed to the statutory guidance for the full exposition of those points.
It signposts the procedural framework for designation and the role that licence terms play in determining where and how landing may take place. The document is descriptive of that framework rather than a vehicle for new statutory powers.
Who the guidance concerns
The guidance is framed around two principal classes of vessel activity: landings by foreign vessels and landings by UK vessels where operations are subject to licensing. It therefore has relevance for vessel operators, licence holders and bodies involved in port designation decisions.
Port operators and those holding, applying for or enforcing licences are likely to consult the guidance to ensure that any direct landing activity aligns with the conditions set out in licences and with the designated status of ports.
The publication does not itself list designated ports within the short summary supplied here. Instead it provides the explanatory material necessary to understand the designation mechanism and the relationship between designation and licence conditions.
The statutory status of the guidance indicates that it is intended to inform consistent application of policy and practice across the relevant agencies and parties. It describes official expectations and the context in which designations and licences operate.
Interested parties may access the full guidance on the GOV.UK website to review the detailed wording and any annexes or supporting material. The MMO’s publication sets out the official text that should be referred to when seeking authoritative detail on designation and licensing for direct landings.
For operators and regulators alike, the guidance offers a single reference point for understanding how direct landing permissions are to be considered and applied. Those engaged in planning, compliance and enforcement are advised to consult the published guidance dated 5 October 2026 to ensure that practices accord with the statutory explanation now available.
In sum, the MMO’s statutory guidance on designated UK ports consolidates information about the designation of ports for direct landings and explains how licence conditions affect both foreign and UK vessels. The document is the current official statement on those matters as published on GOV.UK on 5 October 2026.
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