Frequently asked questions about the name change to DNV

On 1 March 2021 DNV GL became DNV. Find answers to frequently asked questions about how the name change will happen and what the change will mean for you.

Will certificates issued by DNV GL be changed? 

All certificates with DNV GL name and logo will still be valid. For management system and product certification, issuing of new DNV branded certificates will start from 1 March. The transition timeline for existing management system certificates is 3 years and 5 years for product certificates. For issuing of new vessel certificates, the transition to new DNV branded certificates will follow a planned process, and will primarily be done at the first upcoming periodical survey for the vessels. 


What are the other implications of the name change for me as a customer? 

Email addresses for DNV employees have changed from @dnvgl.com to @dnv.com. Please ensure that you use the right email address in the future. Many of our legal entity names have also changed, but the transition to DNV will take many months and the DNV GL name and logo will co-exist with DNV name and logo for the whole of 2021. 


Will our existing contracts with DNV GL be affected? 

No, all contracts remain valid.


Will you change your company name/legal entity name?

Yes, our legal company names are changing from DNV GL to DNV, but for some countries, this change will only happen later in the year. 


Are there any changes to your VAT, organization number, or banking details with the change to DNV?

No, our VAT and organization number stay the same.

Our banks and bank account numbers will not change as part of this rebrand and legal entity names changes. We are emphasizing this point as we know that potential fraudsters might want to take advantage of our name change process. As a general note a bank account change and changes in payment details from DNV will only happen following strict procedures, and will never be based on email only. We would strongly recommend all our customers to have additional verification processes and checks for all bank details changes to reduce the risk of fraudulent changes taking place.

(If you do experience any form of fraud attempts – please report this to DNV)


Will we need to update our certification marks issued by DNV GL? 

No, your certification marks with DNV GL name and logo will still be valid. The transition to new DNV-branded certification marks will start from March and be rolled out throughout 2021. There is no need to immediately change/update any marketing material or packaging you may have with DNV GL logo. The DNV GL and DNV brand will live side by side for a while. The projected transition timeline for existing marks is 3 years for management systems and 5 years for product certification.


Will the name change affect the naming of the class rules? 

Later this year, we will update the naming of our rules, standards, guidelines, other related service documents and compliance documents. They will be rebranded, reviewed and amended to the extent necessary to reflect the change of the company name and the updated visual profile. This is carried out during 2021. The rebranding and amendments solely being a result of the company name change, will not render any relevant service or compliance documents non-valid for previous, ongoing or future projects/vessels/units. This information has also been included in our General regulations of the rules DNVGL-RU-GEN-0587 General regulations.  


Will the Plimsoll mark on ships classed by DNV GL be changed? 

The Plimsoll mark on existing ships will not change and will remain valid. For future newbuilds, it will be changed to "NV", which was also used by DNV before the merger with GL. 


Will approval stamps used by DNV GL also change? 

Our stamps and seal currently in use will remain valid. New versions with the new DNV logo will be made available later in 2021. 


Which service documents will be rebranded to DNV? 

All service documents (rules, standards, class guidelines, recommended practices, etc.) will be rebranded and issued as DNV documents.


When will the service documents be rebranded? 

The majority of the service documents will be rebranded during 2021 in batches starting in May.


How should I understand and use cross-references between DNV GL and DNV documents? 

Our documents will be rebranded during 2021. During the rebranding process, we will have both DNV and DNV GL documents, with cross-references between them. If a rebranded DNV document is referring to another DNV document that has not yet been rebranded (i.e. it still is a DNV GL document), the DNV GL document is both valid and applicable as a reference. The same principle applies the other way around, i.e. a DNV GL document referencing a DNV GL document that has been rebranded to DNV. The DNV document is then a valid and applicable document. 

Further information can be found in DNVGL-RU-GEN-0587.


A DNV document is referring to another DNV document, but that document doesn’t exist. I can only find a DNV GL document with that name. What should I do? 

If a rebranded DNV document is referring to another DNV document that has not yet been rebranded (i.e. it still is a DNV GL document), the DNV GL document is both valid and applicable as a reference.  

Example: If DNV-CP-0484 does not exist, DNVGL-CP-0484 shall be used instead.  

Further information can be found in DNVGL-RU-GEN-0587.


A DNV GL document is referring to another DNV GL document, but the latest version of the referenced document is a DNV document with the same name. What should I do? 

If a DNV GL document (that has not yet been rebranded) is referring to another DNV GL document that has been rebranded (i.e. it is now a DNV document), the DNV document is both valid and applicable as a reference.  

Example: DNVGL-CG-0138 has been replaced by DNV-CG-0138, so the DNV version shall be used, i.e. DNV-CG-0138.  

Further information can be found in DNVGL-RU-GEN-0587.


Where can I find the service documents after the name change? 

The service documents will be moved to DNV’s new domain, and for the time being there are redirects in place that will lead you to the new location.  However, if you have bookmarks or shortcuts saved for easy access to our rules and standards, we encourage you to update them with the new location.


What are the changes in rebranded documents? 

For documents that are rebranded without technical content changes, the changes are:
  • Update of company name and logo to DNV
  • Change of material and certificate designation from VL to NV
  • Update of cross-references to DNV 
  • Editoral changes may also be included 
For documents that contain technical content changes, these will also be listed in the beginning of the document under the heading “Changes – current”.


You can also contact us with additional questions or comments.