The Kiel Canal ELWIS/WSV Compliance Guide — 2025 Edition

ELWIS · WSV · NOK Transit Regulations · 10 chapters · Instant PDF

What's inside

1. 1 NOK overview — Nord-Ostsee-Kanal jurisdiction, WSV (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung) authority, traffic management between Brunsbüttel and Kiel-Holtenau
2. 2 ELWIS pre-notification — mandatory electronic reporting via ELWIS portal, required data fields, submission deadlines, and what happens when you miss one
3. 3 Vessel dimension limits — NOK maximum LOA (235.5m), beam (32.5m), draft (9.5m), air draft limits, and how WSV enforces them at the locks
4. 4 Pilotage requirements — mandatory pilotage zones, exemption criteria, pilot boarding points at Brunsbüttel and Holtenau, VHF channels
5. 5 Dangerous goods declarations — DG notification requirements for NOK transit, IMDG class restrictions, special conditions for tankers and gas carriers
6. 6 Slot booking and scheduling — how the NOK slot system works, peak season congestion, booking windows, and penalties for no-shows
7. 7 Canal dues calculation — NOK fee structure, GT-based tariff tiers, surcharges for oversized vessels, payment procedures
8. 8 Common rejection reasons — incomplete ELWIS submissions, dimension discrepancies, missing pilot requests, DG documentation gaps
9. 9 Sample ELWIS submission — annotated example of a correctly filed NOK pre-notification with WSV commentary
10. 10 10-point compliance checklist — the minimum verification list before entering the NOK from either direction