About Foreign Registry Systems

          Foreign countries typically employ vessel registry or flagging systems similar to our federal system which is administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessel and its owners must meet certain qualifications, certificates of registry are issued, abstracts of title or transcripts are maintained, and mortgages can be recorded against the vessel. There are also deregistration procedures that apply when removing or transferring a vessel from such systems.
          While there is nothing that prohibits Coast Guard documentation of foreign built or registered vessels, such conditions may preclude the acquisition of certain trade endorsements. The documentation procedures are the same, except the National Vessel Documentation Center will require evidence of removal from the foreign registry system.
          The main area of concern when dealing with foreign vessels is the language under which the ships papers are written. English versions are issued by many countries, but this is not always the case. The services of a qualified translator may therefore be required in order to convert such documents into a format acceptable for the respective country. Other issues that may need to be addressed are notary authentications, lien searches, and matters of customs clearance.

Resources ►  Documentation Removal Service

Deregistration Certifications

          Vessels which are registered at the federal level of any country must usually become deregistered before they can be placed under a different flag or titling system. In such cases, a deregistration certification from the prior registry must be presented when filing under a new flag. As this is a standard practice, certificates of deregistration are readily available from the respective U.S. and foreign agencies.
          The U.S. Coast Guard does not require a certificate of deregistration when documenting vessels previously registered on the state or provincial level. All it requires is a copy of the registration certificate itself. However, this is not always the case when placing such vessel under a foreign flag.
          Many foreign agencies will require a deregistration certification, regardless of the manner in which the vessel was previously registered. This creates a real dilemma for some foreign buyers, because state and provincial agencies do not typically issue deregistration certifications. These agencies are in fact, mostly unaware that such requirements even exist. A foreign buyer may at best obtain something scribbled across the face of a record print-out, but this will not suffice in most cases.
          In order to address this issue, we have developed a standard "Deregistration Certification" form that can be used by any state registration agency. In submitting the form for a signature, it must be properly completed, accompanied by a letter of explanation, and a seller's report of sale must be included unless previously submitted. Under these circumstances, most registration clerks will execute and return the form by mail to the location of your choice.

Resources ►      Deregistration Form     Documentation Removal Service     Coast Guard Removal Form

Foreign Registry Summary

          Our foreign registry vessel database contains links to foreign governmental sites containing registry information or forms, foreign vessel databases, and registry servicing agencies.

Australia	•  Registry Information •  Registry Forms	•  Registry Database
Bahamas	•  Registry Information •  Registry Forms
Barbados	•  Registry Information
Belize	•  Registry Information
Bermuda	▪  Registry Information
British Virgin Islands	•  Registry Information •  Registry Services
Canada	•  Registry Information •  Registry Forms	•  Registry Database
Cayman Islands	•  Registry Information •  More Information	•  Registry Forms
Cook Islands	•  Registry Information
Cyprus	•  Registry Information
Dominica	•  Registry Information
Gibraltar	•  Registry Information
Hong Kong	•  Registry Information
Liberia	•  Registry Information	Mortgage Information
Malta	•  Registry Information
Marshall Islands	•  Registry Information	•  Mortgage & Lien Regulations
Mauritius	•  Registry Information
Norway	•  Registry Information •  Registry Forms	•  Registry Database
Panama	•  Registry Information •  Registry Services
Seychelles	•  Registry Information
Sierra Leone	•  Registry Information
St. Kitts & Nevis	•  Registry Information	•  Registry Forms
St. Vincent & The Grenadines	•  Registry Information
United Arab Emirates	•  Registry Information
United Kingdom	•  Registry Information •  Registry Forms
Vanuatu	•  Registry Information •  Registry Forms