1. What counts as a boat here
Motor boats, sailing boats, RIBs and tenders used privately by their owner sit at the lighter end of the register: the same EU flag, a proportionately smaller document and survey file.
2. A lighter document file
Because these craft are almost always privately used and below the size where tonnage measurement applies, the survey and certification required is proportionate to the boat rather than to yacht-scale tonnage.
3. Do you need a Maltese company?
Not always. A company is not a strict requirement for a small, privately used craft the way it typically is recommended for a larger yacht, but it can still be the right structure depending on how the boat is owned and by whom — worth confirming before registering rather than after.
4. A tender to a larger yacht
A tender can generally be registered in its own right as a small craft, kept distinct from its mother vessel's registration rather than treated as an accessory to it.
5. A second-hand boat
Where the boat was previously registered elsewhere, the file needs the same elements as any reflag — proof of title, a bill of sale, and confirmation of the prior registration's status — sequenced so the boat is not left without a flag.
6. What follows registration
Ongoing obligations for a privately used boat are lighter than for a yacht or ship, but they still exist — renewal dates for the boat's own certificates are set at registration.