In July last year, the UKHO announced its intention to withdraw from the production of paper charts. Following consultations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and national user groups, the UKHO had set a target date of late 2026 to complete the process.

This timeframe was subject to the development of digital solutions for those remaining users of ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts, ensuring that they have viable, official alternatives, as well as meeting the technical and regulatory steps required to achieve this.

The UKHO also made a commitment to consult closely and more widely with UK and international stakeholders on this proposal and to listen to their feedback, stating that ‘it would leave no one behind’. Since then, the UKHO has engaged with many groups and organisations including distributors, defence customers, commercial and leisure users, international regulatory authorities, and colleagues in the global hydrographic community.

These conversations have highlighted a number of important transnational and regulatory factors that need further consideration. It has become clear that more time is required to address the needs of those specific users who do not yet have viable alternatives to paper chart products, so the UKHO will continue to provide a paper chart service until at least 2030.