Provisional Yacht Registration
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Provisional yacht registration is catering specifically to short-term flag state affiliation needs. Whether for one-way delivery voyages or other purposes, this temporary registration can be swiftly acquired within 24 hours, and if voyages face delays due to unforeseen weather conditions, it can be extended accordingly.
Please bear in mind that that during the provisional registration period, a yacht must not be registered elsewhere. In strict adherence to international maritime law, a vessel cannot be simultaneously listed in the ship’s registrar of two different flag states, as this would result in rendering the yacht stateless.
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Requirements
We work with a number of different flag states that offer provisional yacht registrations. For certain type of vessels one flag state is more attractive than the other. So depending on the type of vessel and its destination, we could advice one flag state over the other, because the requirements are a bit simpler to meet.
The document requirements may also differ, depending on the type of vessel, age, route of the voyage, etc. So for us to be able to give a sound advice which flag state is the best choice to apply for the provisional registration, we would need an information on the vessel and the voyage she is to take.
Provisional registrations temporarily give a yacht the nationality of the flag state that issues the provisional registration. Because the process of registering a vessel is time-consuming, provisional registration is an excellent solution to temporarily register the vessel for the sole purpose of a one-way delivery voyage.
For what is a provisional registration used
Provisional yacht registration is a common way of registering a vessel for a short period of time. That can be for one-way delivery voyages, such as from Amsterdam to Madeira, or in exceptional cases, when the standard registration process faces considerable delays, spanning several months. In such a case, one may apply for provisional yacht registration if the yacht is not yet registered.
The validity of a provisional yacht registration
The validity period of the provisional registration is limited, ranging from 1, 2, 3, or 6 months, depending on the flag state, giving the owners enough time to navigate towards their final destination. In scenarios where an oceanic crossing is part of the journey, and the weather gods decide not to cooperate, the temporary registration can be extended to accommodate the voyage’s duration.
Providing communication lines are open with the skipper on-board, the temporary registration is extended and the Certificate of Registry is then mailed in the form of a certified PDF.
Provisional yacht registration within 24 hours
What makes the provisional registration for yachts shorter than 24 meters a very convenient instrument to move the vessel from A to B, is that it can be issued within 24 hours.
If all document requirements are met, it might even take only a few hours.
Ship station licence
Depending on the flag state that issues the provisional registration for the yacht, a CallSign, MMSI and ATIS will be simultaneously issued with the temporary registration. The communication equipment will have to be programmed accordingly.