In order to obtain an operative certificate of registry for a yacht with a pleasure status under the Malta flag and while awaiting the issue of further documentation required by the Authority, the yacht may be registered on aprovisionalbasis. The provisional registration of a yacht is valid for a period of six months and may be extended for further periods not exceeding six months, at the discretion of the Registrar of Ships.
The provisional registration of a yacht entails simple procedures and is completed by the Authority efficiently, in the requested time frame and in accordance with the immediate needs of the owner. In order for a yacht to be registered on a provisional basis and for a Provisional Certificate of Malta Registry to be issued, the following documentation is required:
-
Application for registration of a yacht
-
Declaration of Ownership on behalf of an Individual or body corporate as owner of the yacht
-
Documents pertaining to the owner of the yacht whether an Individual or body corporate
-
Copy of the Builder’s Certificate or Bill of Sale
-
Copy of the Yacht’s CE Declarations of Conformity/ CE Certification
-
Hull number (usually found on Builder Certificate or CE Declarations)
-
Deletion Certificate from Previous Flag (where applicable)
-
International Tonnage Certificate (ITC) for yachts exceeding 24 meters in length
-
Anti-Fouling Certificate or Anti-Fouling Declaration signed by the owner or owner’s representative for yachts exceeding 24 meters in length
-
In case of yachts carrying more than 15 passengers or exceeding 300 gross tonnes (GT) a copy of the sewage compliance certificate in terms of the revised MARPOL Annex IV on the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage on Ships or otherwise a declaration signed by the owner or owner’s representative confirming that the yacht does not carry more than 15 passengers.
In accordance with the list of radio equipment found on board a yacht the Maltese Authorities will determine whether the yacht will require the assignment of an MMSI number and whether to issue a Ship Station Licence – Individual Provisional Operational in favour of the yacht. In terms of Maltese law a yacht may fall under the ambit of theGeneral Authorisation(GA) regime, and will in that case be exempt from the obligation of obtaining a Ship Station Licence.
In order to proceed with the issue of a permanent and operational certificate of registry the original bill of sale or builder’s certificate will have to be submitted to the Authority in original form as well as all other safety documentation as may be required by the Authority. A certificate of survey as well as an endorsed Carving & Marking Note by a Government approved surveyor or approved classification society are both necessary to render the registration process complete.
The classification societies recognized by the Malta flag are:
-
American Bureau of Shipping
-
Bureau Veritas
-
China Classification Society
-
Class NK
-
Det Norske Veritas
-
Germanischer Lloyd
-
Korean Register of Shipping
-
Lloyd’s Register of Shipping
-
Polish Register of Shipping
-
Registro Italiano Navale
-
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping
