What is ship registration?
Ship registration enters a merchant vessel — cargo ship, tanker, passenger vessel or workboat — on the Malta register, giving it Maltese nationality and the right to fly the Malta flag.
For a trading ship, the register does more than record ownership: it is the flag state that issues or authorises the statutory certification the ship needs to trade, that recognises the classification society, and that maintains the mortgage register a financing bank relies on.
Who is it for?
Shipowners
Owners of cargo ships, tankers, passenger vessels and workboats.
Ship managers
Managers running tonnage on behalf of owners who need one flag contact for the fleet.
Financed fleets
Owners whose lender requires a registry with a strong statutory mortgage regime.
Owners re-flagging
Fleets moving from another register to an EU white-list flag.
What you get
- Europe's largest ship register, with over 8,000 vessels on it.
- An EU white-list flag recognised by port state control worldwide.
- A creditor-friendly statutory mortgage regime lenders trust.
- Tonnage tax treatment for commercial operators.
- 24/7 flag state support and direct liaison with Transport Malta.
How the process works
Structure and eligibility
We confirm the owning entity and the ship's eligibility for the register.
Provisional registration
We file for provisional registration so the ship can trade under the Malta flag.
Survey, class and tonnage
We coordinate tonnage measurement, class and the statutory surveys — ISM, ISPS and MLC as applicable.
Permanent registration
We complete permanent registration, register any mortgage, and take over the renewal calendar.
Requirements
- An eligible owner — for most international owners, a Maltese owning company.
- Clear title, with existing mortgages identified for transfer.
- A deletion certificate from the outgoing registry.
- Classification with a recognised society, and the statutory certification the ship's trade requires.
- Ship age and condition are assessed by the flag administration; older tonnage may require additional inspection.
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
- Proof of ownership — bill of sale, or the builder's certificate for a new build
- Deletion certificate from the previous registry, if the vessel is already flagged
- Passport copy and proof of address for each beneficial owner
- Company incorporation documents, where the owner is a company
- International tonnage certificate
- Class certificates and the ship's statutory certificates
- ISM, ISPS and MLC documentation, where applicable to the trade
- Continuous synopsis record from the outgoing flag
- Evidence of insurance and P&I cover
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.