Maritime Register of BVI is part of the British Red Ensign group, which ensures that ships flying the flag of the BVI are entitled to help British diplomats / consuls, as well as to protect the Royal Navy. Over recent years, it has become one of the most popular jurisdictions among owners of yachts and boats.
This is because registering your boat in the British Virgin Islands has a number of benefits, such as:
Low cost of initial registration and low annual maintenance fee;
Simple registration procedure;
Simple ownership transition procedure;
Ability to sail under the red flag of the British Virgin Islands;
Protection provided by Her Majesty's Navy;
Unlimited registration period (may be reduced to 10 years due to the transfer from Register 2 to Register 1).
Registration of private yachts and boats in British Virgin Islands
Yacht registration procedure includes:
1. Yachts are assessed by one of the recognized societies:
Lloyds Register;
American Bureau of Shipping;
Bureau of Veritas;
Det Norske Veritas;
Germanisher Lloyd;
Registro Italiano Naval;
Royal Yachting Association (UK) (vessels up to 45 feet / 13.7 meters);
Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors (UK) (vessels up to 45 feet / 13.7 meters);
or surveyors, who have received recommendations in or have been authorized by these societies. However, you must submit additional documents to the surveyor.
2. To register a yacht in BVI, an application registration form should be filled in (the form is provided by our company). The application should contain 2 versions of the yacht’s name as indicated in the BVI registry, and some other data.
3. The following documents, in addition to the application form, must be submitted to the authorized registered agent:
Appointment of the authorized officer;
Bill of Sale;
Builder's Certificate;
Deletion certificate from Foreign Registry (if the vessel was registered before in some other registry);
Original Tonnage Certificate;
Certificate of incorporation;
Certificate of good standing (if the company has existed for more than a year).
All documents are written English. Documents issued in jurisdictions other than the UK must be apostilled.
Getting Carving and Marking Note
When all documents are submitted to the registration authority, the first step of registration follows - getting Carving and Marking Note. According to the standard, this document must be issued within two weeks. This document confirms the validity of a vessel's name and its details in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act. After the introduction of the name and the details as required by the instructions set out in the Carving and Marking Note, the British consul or surveyor confirms that the application was made as required by the document. However, the vessel’s length is less than 13.7 meters, the Carving and Marking Note can be assured by the owner himself. After affixing assurances, this document is handed back to the registering authority along with the vessel’s photographs.
Our specialists can help in certification of Carving and Marking Note for ships whose length exceeds 13.7 m.
4. Getting the Blue Book or a vessel registration certificate.
After returning the Carving and Marking Note to the registration authority, a vessel registration certificate is usually issued within 3-4 days. The certificate is valid for an unlimited period of time.
5. Documents required for the radio license.
Only a registered vessel can get the radio license.
Radio license may require filling different types of forms depending on the type of equipment on board the vessel. It should be noted that vessels trading transportation in certain areas of the globe shall be provided with the radar equipment in accordance with international conventions.
The following documents should be submitted to the licensing authority in BVI:
2 coloured photos 3 * 4 (within the period of the last 6 months);
a notarized copy of the skipper's passport;
contact list for informing in case of emergency.
Along with a resolution on the use of the installed telecommunication equipment you get a Call Sign and MMSI.