certificate of british registry yachts

Cookies on UKSR

We use some essential cookies to make this service work.

We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your settings, understand how you use the service and make improvements.

You’ve accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You’ve rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

beta This is a new service.

Update or correct the highlighted information before submitting your application

Welcome to the uk ship register (uksr).

Sign in to UKSR online services

When logged in you can:

• Reserve a vessel name
• Register a vessel
• Manage a vessel
• Claim a vessel
• Certify your vessel insurance

BoatScope TM

Visit our database page for the nation's premier boat history report with a full compliment of title search resources. Includes eight maritime databases all rolled into one convenient interface. A must-have service for any prospective buyer, marine lender, or maritime professional.

Yacht Registration Services Yacht Registration Services United Kingdom Maritime Attorneys

Advertisement

Owner Background Search

Criminal Records Assets - Properties Personal Details

Know your seller!

Sponsored by

United Kingdom Yacht Registration Summary

United Kingdom yacht registration summary is a free information resource designed to inform the boating public about vessel registry requirements, recording methods, and title search guidelines for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The data is maintained as an open wiki forum where readers are encouraged to participate by sharing knowledge and experiences with this particular country. Simply click on the "Wiki-Share" link to contribute further details or suggest a revision.

This information is subject to change and should be confirmed with the respective agency.

Comments - Suggestions - Revisions ....  Wiki-Share

About The Registry

Registration office, registration requirements, recording methods, registration search.

MarineTitle.com

A Division of Maritime Partners, LLC State of Washington  USA © Copyright 1998 - 2021 All rights reserved.

Terms of Use   Privacy Policy   Glossary   Partners   Contact Us

Application to Register a Ship/Vessel

Developing and adopting appropriate standards of training, evaluation and certification for Virgin Islands seafarers and on-shore staff in accordance with the respective needs of international and domestic shipping and the BVI maritime industry; and providing timely, accurate and appropriate information and advice to the Government, public and private sector organizations and the general public.

1. An application must be submitted to the Registrar of Shipping for registration of all vessels. 

• ROAD HARBOUR
• GORDA SOUND

3.  SURVEYS: PRE-REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE OF SURVEY/TONNAGE CERTIFICATE

The vessel must be surveyed and measured to obtain details of size, and other descriptive particulars necessary for the registration of British Ships under the Merchant Shipping Act. This is carried out by a Surveyor of one of the approved Classification Societies (see section 11.1 (b)), or a Surveyor appointed or authorized by the Registry. The Surveyor issues a Certificate of Survey and a Tonnage Certificate (British or International). A simplified procedure, whereby a combined Certificate of Survey/Tonnage Measurement is issued is applicable to vessels of under 24 Meters, in Load Line Length.

4.  OWNERSHIP - QUALIFIED CATEGORIES: INDIVIDUAL OR BODY CORPORATE

• United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.
• Member States of the European Community (EC) or European Economic Area (EEA).
• Overseas Territories of the Members of EC or EEA.  (Bodies corporate must have a place of business in such Member State or Overseas Territory)
• Bodies corporate incorporated in a Member State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) or the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) (and registered in the BVI).

A Body Corporate must submit a valid Certificate of Incorporation issued by the respective Registrar of Companies. Individuals must provide certified proof of nationality (Passport etc.)

A company incorporated for more than twelve months needs to submit a ‘Certificate of Good Standing’.

5.  TITLE: EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP

• Builder's Certificate; with descriptive details of the vessel, showing quite clearly the full name(s) and address of the person(s) or body corporate on whose account the vessel has been built and/or,
• Document /Bill of Sale or Transfer (prior to registry) if the vessel has passed through more than one owner's hand before registry. Forms for Bill of Sale can be obtained from the Registrar of Shipping in the Virgin Islands or at any British Registry of Ships.
• In case of vessels condemned by a competent court, a Bill of Sale given by the Admiralty Marshall or such other competent person may be accepted as foundation of title.

With the documents produced as evidence of title to ownership, every owner is required to make a Declaration of Eligibility. Such declaration can only be made after the vessel has been acquired by the applicant. Therefore, the date must not precede the date in the Builders Certificate or the Bill of Sale.

6.  DOCUMENT FOR REGISTRATION

7.  OFFICIAL NUMBER

• When all required documents are provided, and found to be in order, the vessel is assigned an Official Number, by which it may be known and recognized irrespective of its name and other description.
• Official Number may in certain circumstances be issued upon submission of duly completed and satisfactory Certificate of Survey. This will facilitate marking of the official number on the vessel as other papers are being processed.

8. CARVING AND MARKING NOTE

When the Registrar is satisfied that the vessel is eligible to be registered, a Carving and Marking Note is issued. It shows the vessel's Name, Port of Registry, Official Number and Registered Tonnage which are to be carved /marked on the vessel and contains relevant instruction for doing so.  

9. CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRY

• When the Carving and Marking Note is returned and the fees have been paid, the vessel is formally registered and a Certificate of British Registry issued. It contains details about the ship and its Owners.  On receipt of the certified Carving and Marking Note and all registration documents, the Certificate of British Registry will be issued within 24 hours.
• This Certificate only establishes the vessel's Nationality, Owner(s), Description and Tonnage. It does not prove Ownership or show mortgages, liens or any encumbrances. These may be obtained from the Registrar, in the form of a Transcript of the Register, upon payment of the prescribed fee.
• In circumstances where relevant documents have been received to the satisfaction of the Registrar, and a Carving and Marking Note has been issued, a ‘Provisional Certificate of British Registry’ may be issued.
• Fees for Registry services must be paid before a Certificate of British Registry or a Transcript of the Register is issued. Other services such as, issue of a Provisional Certificate of Registry, Recording of Mortgage Intent, Registration of Mortgages, Transfer or Discharge of Mortgages, Change (Transfer) of Ownerships and Change of Name are available upon request; depending on satisfactory documentation and payment of prescribed fee. The payment should accompany all applications. Cheques and Money Orders must be made payable to “Accountant General”. For guidance to payment of funds to the Accountant General, please see our VISR Payment Instructions and Schedule of Fees .
• All costs connected with the survey and certification of a vessel is for owners’ account.

11. GENERAL CONDITIONS

STATUTORY SURVEYS

• (a) All commercial vessels are subject to statutory certification and must be surveyed prior to acceptance for registration, in order to ensure that they comply with the provisions of the applicable International Conventions, Codes and legislation. These surveys may be carried out by surveyors from the VISR or surveyors appointed by an authorized Classification Society. Also, surveyors from the MCA or any of the Red Ensign Group Registries may be engaged if necessary.
• American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
• Bureau of Veritas (BV)
• Det Norske Veritas / Germanischer Lloyds ((DNVGL)
• Lloyds Register of Shipping (LR)
• ClassNK (NK)
• Registro Italiano Navale (RINA)
• These vessels must hold a ‘Certificate of Compliance’ issued under the relevant MCA Code of Practice (Blue Code, Yellow Code or MGN 280) to operate as commercial vessels. The survey/examination necessary to issue such a certificate may be conducted by surveyors from VISR, Classification Societies or a Certifying Authority approved by the MCA. Other surveyors may be appointed by the VISR, if required, on a case by case basis. Please see our Survey Application Form .
• (d) In order to initiate a Statutory Survey an application must be made to VISR in writing. On receiving the application, the Chief Marine Surveyor will contact the Owner or his representative to discuss the survey procedures, and make the necessary arrangements to carry out the survey and issue the required statutory certificates.
• (e) Please see our Survey Matrix for commercial and pleasure yachts.
• (f) For vessels with a registered length of over 24metres, the Chief Marine Surveyor will advise on the documentation required as these also depend on the gross tonnage and area of operation of the vessel.

11.2 TELECOMMUNICATIONS DOCUMENTS ETC.,

• Radio Station, Radio Licence, Call Sign, MMSI Number and other Ships Radio and Telecommunication Licences / Certificates (Including INMARSAT) are regulated and issued by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) of the BVI.
• Contact details for TRC are:http://www.trc.vg/index.php/component/k2/item/31-radio-licensing-application-forms

Please see a listing of all our available forms .

Method of Applying

Turn around time, additional notes.

WHAT CAN WE REGISTER

What is the difference between Category 1 and 2 Shipping Registers?

Category 1 Administrations operate large international registers and may register ships of unlimited tonnage, type and length.

Category 2 Administrations can register commercial ships of up to 150 gross tons (GRT) and pleasure vessels, that is, those not operated commercially of up to 400 GRT (pleasure vessels, by definition, refer to ships used for sport or pleasure, which are not operated commercial).

We do not register:

• Vessels over 20 years
• Vessels belonging to non-qualifying owners (see Who Can Register)
• Vessels that the Registry does not consider safe or which are a risk for pollution
• Vessels that would endanger the safety, health and welfare of officers, crew or passengers
• Vessels that the Registry consider high risk to be used for criminal purposes
• If Registration would be detrimental to the interests of the Virgin Islands or international shipping

Department Contact Information

Virgin islands shipping registry.

Monday - Friday   8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Reception/General Office:  1(284) 393-0000 Ag. Director:  1(284) 468-9499 Registrar:  1(284) 468-9648 Asst. Registrar:  1(284) 468-9501 Snr Marine Surveyor:  1(284) 468-9572 Snr Marine Officer:  1(284) 468-9180 Fax: 1(284) 468-2913

WEBSITE:  https://bvimaritime.vg/

Ships’ Registry

Tonnage limit for jersey register.

The British Register in Jersey is authorised to register both pleasure and commercial vessels up to 399GT.

For the latest maritime advice and guidance, and the legislation that applies to ships in Jersey waters and elsewhere, go to the Government of Jersey’s Maritime guidance and legislation page.

Full registration with the British Register of Ships in Jersey

Details about registering with the British Register of Ships, including the benefits full registration can offer and how to apply.

British Registry of Ships forms

Find all the forms you need, including change of address and declaration of eligibility.

Change of Ownership, Amending Registration or Full Registration

How to amend registration details, get copies of or inspect the register, transfer port or close registration.

Jersey Red Ensign

Find out about the Jersey Red Ensign you may be eligible to fly on your ship if you register with the British Register of Ships in Jersey.

Small ships register (SSR)

Information about the Small Ships Register, for Jersey residents only, including cost of registration and details on how to apply.

Contact Ships’ Registry

You can email the Ships’ Registry at [email protected] or call them on +44 (0) 1534 447728. Their office is open 9am to 4pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am to 3.30pm on Friday.

Search This Site

Arrivals & departures, tides at st helier, weather and forecasts.

• Small Ships Register (Part 3)

Registering a vessel for leisure use

If you own a vessel in the UK that you intend to go to sea with, you can register it with the UK Ship Register. The Small Ships Register (Part 3) has been developed for UK pleasure vessel owners who may wish to take their vessel into international waters and want the peace of mind that they can prove the vessel’s nationality easily. 

Any UK resident who meets the UK Ship Register's eligibility criteria and owns a boat or yacht for personal leisure use, that is less than 24 metres in length overall (LOA), and who are ordinarily resident in the UK for 185 days in a 12-month period, can join the Small Ships Register no matter where in the world the boat is based. 

Ensure your vessel is classed as a pleasure vessel. Marine Guidance Note 599 (M) provides a definition of what a pleasure vessel is. If your vessel is not being used as a pleasure vessel it may need to be registered on Part 1 of the UK Ship Register .

Cost to register your private leisure boat or craft

The fee to register a boat on the Small Ships Register is £35 and lasts for five years.

Why you should register your boat or craft for leisure use  

Registering your vessel with the Small Ships Register is not compulsory, but there are many benefits to doing so:

• You can prove your boat’s nationality when sailing outside of UK waters
• Some marinas and ports abroad may require you to prove a vessel is registered before allowing you access
• If your vessel is stolen, damaged or goes missing, registration can help authorities or emergency services to trace you as the owner(s)
• Registration may also help with insurance or registering a claim following an incident

New Registration

Change Details

Change Ownership

Re-Registration

Onboard safety

Tips and advice for staying safe onboard

Managing your registration online

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974

COLREGS, 1972

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

Find your service

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

How to register a UK vessel part 1 of the register

Complete form MSF 4740A to register a Merchant/Commercial or Pleasure vessel under 100 Gross Tonnes (GT), 100 – 499 GT or over 500GT

Application to register a UK vessel on part 1 of the register MSF 4740A Rev 1118

PDF , 127 KB , 4 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

The owners of Merchant/Commercial or Pleasure vessels who want to operate under the UK flag, must register their vessel using this form.

Updates to this page

MSF4740A updated to latest version

First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content, is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .

The UK Ship Register (Part I) v. UK Small Ships Register SSR (Part III)

Introduction.

It is the purpose of this guide to explain the advantages of a full Part I United Kingdom (UK) yacht registration over registration under Part III of the UK register which is most commonly referred to as the Small Ships Register or ‘SSR’ for short.

The guide also introduces our popular fixed fee UK Part I registration package whereby we take care of the entire registration process on behalf of the yacht owner.

The UK Register of Ships is divided into the following four sections:

• Part I is the Register of British Ships; • Part II is the Register of Fishing Vessels; • Part III is the Small Ships Register (SSR); and • Part IV is a register for Bareboat Charter Vessels.

It is Part I and Part III of the UK Register of Ships that are relevant in the context of yacht registration.

Part I of the UK Ship Register is the traditional Register of British Ships, which originated in the sixteenth century. We have prepared a full guide providing information on Part I of the UK register here on our website at the following link:

United Kingdom MCA UK Yacht Registration – A Guide

Part III is the Small Ships Register (SSR) which was originally set up under the 1983 Merchant Shipping Act in response to the demand for a cheap and simple means of registering a vessel to sail internationally. From 1983 to 1991 the SSR was managed by the RYA, from 1991 to 1996 by the DVLA at Swansea and since 1996 by the Registry of Shipping & Seamen in Cardiff.

Nationality

Both Part I and Part III of the register have the effect of providing a British nationality to a subject vessel and both meet the requirements of the International Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 (UNCLOS) which state that all vessels sailing internationally must be registered and carry on board officially issued documents as evidence of their registration and therefore their nationality.

It is only Part I of the register that provides the ability for owners to register their legal ownership in their vessel and in turn prove to any third party that they own the vessel in question.

To prove ownership of a vessel the owner must meet stringent requirements by providing documentary evidence of previous ownership stretching back over the five years preceding the application to register unless the vessel has within the same time period been previously registered under Part I of the UK Ship Register.

It is also necessary to prove the vessel’s physical existence and particulars such as dimension, tonnage and engine details by submitting tonnage certification which for a vessel under 24 metres in loadline length means a Certificate of Survey issued by a suitably qualified tonnage measurer or for vessels over 24 metres in loadline length a Certificate of Survey and International Tonnage Certificate (ITC 69) must be issued by an approved classification society.

We have prepared a full guide providing information on the Tonnage Measurement Survey here on our website at the following link:

The Tonnage Measurement Survey – A Guide

By requiring an owner to evidence ownership and by having an independent and responsible third-party attest to the existence and provide the particulars of the vessel a very secure register of title is provided by Part I of the UK Ship Register.

The value of proving the title and existence for a vessel should not be underestimated by any owner contemplating the purchase of a yacht.

We recommend that a decision to effect the Part I registration of a vessel is taken before any purchase contract is signed so that the sale and purchase agreement obliges the seller to provide the title history that is required by the registry as part of the closing documents.

For pre-owned yachts in particular, obtaining satisfactory title documentation may not always be straight forward.

Ensuring that the yacht purchase agreement makes provision for adequate title documentation and often assisting both the seller and buyer of a vessel in perfecting a title chain for a vessel is an important part of the Oceanskies yacht registration service.

The provision of a satisfactory chain of title documentation, although sometimes time consuming and difficult, does ultimately provide the buyer with peace of mind that the seller is in all probability the genuine legal owner of the vessel with the ability in turn to sell the vessel in question to the Buyer.

It follows that a well-documented vessel where the seller is able to provide a full chain of title documentation satisfactory for UK Part I registration purposes is of more value and of greater interest than a vessel lacking sufficient title documentation and therefore unable to be registered.

The performance of a tonnage survey on the vessel either as part of a pre-purchase survey and/or a stand-alone inspection provides opportunity for the physical characteristics of the vessel to be checked against the sale particulars.

Organising and carrying out tonnage surveys is therefore another import part of the Oceanskies yacht registration service.

Part I of the UK Ship Register enables a mortgage to be registered against a vessel due to it being a register of title.

There is no such facility under Part III of the register.

This is hugely important in a yachting context where an owner may wish to take marine financing on a vessel form a third party finance source such as a bank.

Where the lending of funds has to be secured against a vessel only Part I of the register will permit a mortgage to be registered as

When the time comes for an owner to sell their Part I registered vessel they have from a legal perspective a much more attractive vessel than one that is Part III registered for the following reasons:

i. The purchaser does not have to take any ‘leap of faith’ in attempting to work out whether the person selling the vessel is the genuine owner. This is because they can contact the UK Ship Register and obtain a document called a ‘Current Transcript of Registry’ which effectively is a ‘snap shot’ of the register and will confirm the identity of the registered owner at the time of its issue.

ii. As the vessel is already Part I registered there is no need to re-create the title chain as the seller would have had to put in place a satisfactory title chain in order to register their ownership in the vessel.

iii. The purchaser can also check if any encumbrances such as a bank mortgage are registered against the vessel by requesting the Current Registry document mentioned above as this document will not only confirm ownership details but the details of any registered mortgages.

iv. The fact that an owner has taken the trouble to register their vessel under Part I of the register generally reflects well on that owner in that they have opted for the best available registration possible.

v. A transfer of ownership on the register between seller and buyer can be effected very easily meaning that the vessel remains registered at all times and the seller does not need to delete the vessel buyer does not have to spend time trying to re-register the vessel.

Checking title on behalf of prospective purchasers and undertaking transfers of ownership and vessel under Part I of the UK Register of Ships are all services that Oceanskies provide on a fixed fee basis.

Eligibility

Part I of register provides wider eligibility criteria in terms of who or what may qualify to own a vessel in their name.

Under Part I of the register a yacht can be owned by both private individuals and limited liability companies or partnerships.

Part I also has relatively wide eligibility criteria in terms of the nationality and residence of the owner if a person and the place of incorporation / principal place of business of a limited liability company or partnership.

In summary the following owners can qualify for UK Part I registration:

• British citizens or non-United Kingdom nationals exercising their right of freedom of movement of workers or right of establishment under Article 48 or 52 of the EEC Treaty or Article 28 or 31 of the EEA Agreement;
• British Dependent Territories citizens;
• British Overseas citizens;
• Persons who under the British Nationality Order 1981 are British subjects;
• Persons who under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 are British Nationals (Overseas);
• Bodies corporate incorporated in an EEA State;
• Bodies corporate incorporated in any relevant British Possession and having their principal place of business in the UK or any such possession; and
• European Economic Interest Groupings formed in pursuance in the UK.

Part III of the register is open only to private individuals, (i.e. a limited liability company or limited liability partnership cannot register under the SSR).

The private individuals must be ordinarily resident in the UK meaning that they usually must declare that they live in the UK for a period of, or periods, which collectively amount to 185 days or more in a twelve-month period.

Part I of the register accepts vessels of any size whereas Part III of the register is limited to yachts under 24 metres in length overall.

In conclusion we always recommend that owners should strongly consider Part I registration as opposed to Part III of the register.

We have developed a fixed fee UK Part I registration package for all yachts lying in EU waters under 24 metres in loadline length that includes a fast three month provisional registration, the perfection of title documents, the tonnage survey onboard the vessel, the issue of the Certificate of Survey, the provision of the full Certificate of British Registry valid for five years and a lifetime radio licence for the vessel allocating call sign and MMSI number.

The package also includes all standard and premium rush service UK MCA registry fees. For further information about this popular package please click on the following link:

United Kingdom (UK) MCA Part I Yacht Registration – Pricing

We can on request also provide bespoke proposal for the UK Part I registration of yachts over 24 metres in length, stand-alone tonnage surveys, provide UK representative person facilities, perfect chains of title and obtain transcripts of registry and attend to transfers of ownership on the register.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Yacht Registration

Yacht registries, yacht operation, yacht survey & certification, yacht agents, more information, oceanskies on instagram, oceanskies on twitter, guernsey office.

Oceanskies Limited Castle Emplacement St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 1AU Channel Islands, Great Britain

Oceanskies Support Services Limited International House Solent International Business Park George Curl Way Southampton SO18 2RZ Great Britain

Malta Office

Oceanskies (Malta) Limited Premiere Business Centre, Suite 1, Level 2 Constitution Street Mosta MST 1750 Malta

Email Crew: [email protected]

Email Registration: [email protected]

Call: +44 1481 711994

Oceanskies Limited is registered in Guernsey (company number 56102) | Registered Office: Castle Emplacement, St.Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 1AU, Channel Islands, Great Britain

Oceanskies Support Services Limited is registered in the United Kingdom (company number 14539527) | Registered Office: 80 Grove Lane, Holt, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR25 6ED

Oceanskies Malta Limited is registered in Malta (company number C 77899) | Registered Office: Premiere Business Centre Suite 1, Level 2, Constitution Street, MOSTA, MST 1750, Malta

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy