What is change of flag & registry transfer?
A change of flag moves a vessel from one national register to another.
The outgoing registry issues a deletion certificate confirming the vessel has been removed and that any mortgage on it has been dealt with; the incoming registry then registers the vessel. Because Malta grants provisional registration quickly, the two events can be sequenced so the vessel is never left without a flag — and any existing mortgage can be transferred across as part of the same operation.
Who is it for?
Owners already flagged elsewhere
Yachts and ships moving onto an EU white-list register.
Buyers of second-hand vessels
Where the purchase and the re-flag complete together.
Financed vessels
Where a mortgage has to move between registries without a gap in the lender's security.
Operators under time pressure
Vessels that cannot afford to stop trading or chartering.
What you get
- A smooth transfer onto the Malta flag.
- Coordination of the deletion certificate with the outgoing registry.
- Transfer of an existing mortgage between registries.
- Minimal operational downtime.
- One team handling both ends of the transfer.
How the process works
Plan
We plan the re-flag and align the owner, the lender and both registries.
Deletion
We obtain the deletion certificate from the outgoing flag.
Register
We complete provisional and then permanent Malta registration.
Mortgage
We transfer any existing mortgage onto the Malta register.
Requirements
- Consent of any mortgagee to the transfer.
- A deletion certificate from the outgoing registry.
- Clear title, and disclosure of any encumbrance.
- The surveys and certification the Malta regime requires for the vessel.
Please note. Eligibility is assessed case by case by the Malta flag administration. Send us the vessel details and we will confirm what applies to you before you commit.
Documents you will need
- Deletion certificate — or written confirmation it will be issued — from the current flag
- Continuous synopsis record, for ships
- Mortgagee consent and the existing mortgage documentation
- Proof of ownership and the vessel's current certification
- Passport copy and proof of address for each beneficial owner
- Company incorporation documents, where the owner is a company
Please note. Indicative list. The exact file the registry asks for depends on the vessel, its age and the regime it is registered under — we confirm your list in writing before anything is filed.