The Dutch register of ships is open to all EFTA and EU passport holders, and under certain conditions also to non-EU passport holders. The register is very well regarded. One advantage is that no taxes have to be paid, and inspections are not required for vessels under 24 metres. In certain cases, it is also possible to use a yacht for commercial purposes, without changing the registration.

Nationality
Seagoing vessels can only be registered by EU and EEA passport holders and residents of the Netherlands. Recreational vessels operating only on European waterways may be registered by any passport holder.
Documentation
The short list of documentation required for the registration of a vessel must be drawn up in Dutch, Frisian, French, German and/or English, or must be provided with a sworn translation in one of these languages.
Inspection
An inspector of the ship's registrar performs an inspection and marks the vessel, regardless of its location.
Safety
No particular safety requirements are to be met.
Taxes and levies
None. In the Netherlands, keeping a vessel is free of taxes.
Representation
Non-residents must have a correspondence address in the Netherlands.
Provisional registration
A provisional certificate can be issued upon request.
Validity
The registration has unlimited validity.
Process
The process to register a pleasure craft takes between two and four months. The length of the process is highly dependent on where the ship is berthed.
International ranking
Paris MoU White List no. 4