Free pratique - more than a formality?

Michael Biltoo, at Kennedys, warns Covid-19 has changed the landscape on free practique

Free pratique is permission given by a port for a vessel to enter once it has been certified free of infectious disease by the competent health authorities. It is required for the vessel to be determined legally ready to load or discharge the cargo, thereby allowing the tender of the vessel's notice of readiness (NOR) and is thus important for the calculation of laytime and demurrage.