Yacht Registration in the British Virgin Islands

Yacht Registration in the BVI

We are also prepared to render ship and yacht registration services in the British Virgin Islands. The main advantages are the attractive registration and annual fees. Ships registered in the BVI fly the Red Ensign Flag and are entitled to the support of the British Consular and High Commission, and Royal Naval protection.

The owner of the BVI registered vessel must be either a British subject or a British Company with its principal place of business in a British territory (for example: BVI, Gibraltar, Channel Islands, Bermuda etc.). Coddan can incorporate a BVI International Business Company for this purpose.

The vessel must be less than 150 gross registered tons (GRT). Following registration, BVI registered vessels fly the British Red Ensign. Coddan be your agent with the vessel registration and assist you with performing all steps with the registration of your vessel with the BVI Registrar of Shipping.

• Certificate of Survey - Surveys should be carried out by internal classification societies, eg. Lloyds Register, American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Norsk Veritas or Germanisher Lloyd. On occasions of absolute difficulty (overseas) due to remoteness etc. a qualified local or nearby Government Surveyor may be acceptable. If a qualified local or nearby Government Surveyor is to be used, it is advisable to obtain details of his qualifications first in order to check that these will be acceptable to the Registrar.
• Tonnage Certificate: For vessels under 45 feet, items 3 and 4 can be combined into a Certificate of Survey / Tonnage Measurement.
• Builders Certificate: If the vessel is newly built, the Original Builders Certificate is used in lieu of a Bill of Sale; or Bill of Sale: If the vessel has had more than one owner, a notarised Bill of Sale is required and a chain of title back to the Builders Certificate must be provided.
• Declaration of Ownership: Must be completed and signed by a Director or authorised officer of the Company owning the vessel. Information concerning the particulars of the vessel should be taken from the Certificate of Survey/Tonnage Certificate.
• Declaration of Intended Use: Either "commercial" or "pleasure" in the form of a letter from the owner or the authorised officer.
• Appointment of Authorised Officer: This form which should be signed and sealed by a director or other officer of the Company.
• Deletion Certificate from the previous registry: Issued by the State in which the Vessel was previously Registered (only applicable if the vessel has been previously registered).
• Appointment of Managing Owner.

In addition to the above, you will need to provide to the Registrar the following Certificates. In the case Coddan's affiliated is the Registered Agent of the Company owning the vessel we can assist you with the obtaining of the required Certificates: Certified copy of Certificate of Incorporation; Certificate of Good Standing: Only required if the Company owning the vessel is over one year old.

In addition to the vessels registration with the British Virgin Islands Registrar of Shipping, Coddan also can assist you with the Yacht Registration in the British Virgin Islands. Please check below some benefits of the BVI Yacht registration that probably will help make your decision in this question.

The advantages of the BVI Ship Registry include the following:

• The BVI Registry is a member of the Red Ensign Group, which ensure that ships flying the BVI flag are entitled to British Diplomatic/Consular support and the protection of the Royal Navy. The BVI has access to the technical expertise of the British Maritime and Coast Guard Agency.
• There are low Initial Registration and Annual Maintenance Fees.
• The facilities are simple, yet they provide secure registration of yachts, mortgages, and discharge of mortgages. The change or transfer of ownership or title to the vessel is easily verified with the Registry. The BVI Registry has a fully computerised Fleet Management System and Database.
• Full corporate, legal, and courier services are readily available in the BVI through our office Coddan. We pride ourselves in providing a prompt, courteous and efficient service.
• The BVI has the British Judicial System, with political and social stability.
• The British Virgin Islands is recognised worldwide as a reputable offshore financial centre, leading the world in company formation and related corporate services.

In order to register a yacht in the B.V.I. it is necessary to provide the Registrar of Shipping with the following documents/information:

1. Name of Ship
2. Name of owner
3. Address of owner
4. Marine survey of vessel by marine surveyor (the surveyor MUST be qualified to provide the survey). The approved Classification Societies, for the purposes of the Survey/Inspection/Certification for Registration details, Tonnage and requirements of SOLAS, MARPOL and Codes of Practice are:
   • LR - Lloyds Register of Shipping;
   • BV - Bureau Veritas;
   • DNV - Det Norske Veritas;
   • GL - Germanisher Lloyd;
   • ABS - American Bureau of Shipping; and
   • RINA - Registro Italiano Naval.
5. Builder’s certificate OR Foreign Bill of Sale
6. In the case of a new vessel, name and address of builder and yard number allocated to the vessel
7. Deletion certificate where vessel was previously registered
8. Declaration of Ownership
9. In the case of ownership by a company, Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum and Articles of Association and Certificate of Good Standing.
10. Appointment of authorized officer

NOTE: The General Rule is there is no preliminary registration period. Only a vessel owned by a British subject or a BVI corporation is entitled to be registered as a British Ship.

Usually, Coddan emails to the client a single form which requests all the information necessary to fill out all of the required registration forms. We will then fill in the necessary forms that would be emailed to the director of the company for signature. As in the case with the registration of the vessel in BVI, it will be easier for you to appoint Coddan's affiliated officers as an authorized office to ensure that the Registration will progress successfully.

Order BVI Yacht Registration: BVI Yacht Registration - £1266.00

Please contact us for more information. If you have any queries, please call us during business hours and speak to one of our highly trained incorporation specialists. You can call us by phone 800-081-1510 or + 44 (0) 207.935.5171, or make an initial consultation request.