What is the right of visit (ROV) under international law?

• A. Under international law, the right of warships or authorized vessels to board a vessel of unknown nationality in order to determine its nationality, or to board any vessel suspected of piracy, slave trade or unauthorized broadcasting.
• B. Right to inspect any vessel in its own port.
• C. Right to exclude foreign vessels from territorial seas.
• D. Right to search cargo without a warrant.

Answer: (A)

Right of visit is a limited enforcement prerogative of warships or other authorized vessels to stop and board a foreign vessel at sea in order to verify its nationality, or to inspect a vessel suspected of piracy, slave trade, or unauthorized broadcasting. This power exists to prevent deception about flag status and to enable action against serious crimes on the high seas, and it is recognized in international law, including UNCLOS. It is not a general right to inspect vessels in a port, nor a blanket authority to exclude foreign ships from territorial seas, nor a blanket right to search cargo without proper authorization and procedures. The described authority—boarding a vessel of unknown nationality to determine nationality, or boarding a vessel suspected of piracy, slave trade, or unauthorized broadcasting—precisely captures the right of visit.