What is yacht registration?
Yacht registration places your yacht on the Malta register and gives it Maltese nationality, a port of registry and an official number.
Malta registers yachts under two regimes: pleasure, for a yacht used privately by its owner, and commercial, for a yacht that earns revenue from charter under the Commercial Yacht Code (CYC) or, below 24 metres in load line length, the Small Commercial Yacht Code (sCYC). The regime decides the surveys, the certification and the VAT treatment — so it is the first thing we settle with you.
Who is it for?
Owners buying a yacht
Where registration has to be in place on the day the yacht is delivered.
Owners already flagged elsewhere
Moving to an EU white-list flag — see change of flag.
Owners planning to charter
Where the yacht will be certified commercially under CYC or sCYC.
Non-EU owners
There is no restriction on the nationality of the owner or the crew; ownership is usually held through a Maltese company.
What you get
- A reputable EU white-list flag with global recognition.
- Provisional registration in as little as 24–48 hours.
- No restriction on the nationality of the owner or the crew.
- Full support with surveys, tonnage measurement and compliance.
- Attractive VAT treatment, and tonnage tax where the yacht is operated commercially.
How the process works
Owning structure
We incorporate the Maltese owning company and gather the vessel documentation.
Provisional registration
We secure provisional registration so the yacht can fly the Malta flag within days.
Survey and measurement
We coordinate tonnage measurement and the required statutory surveys.
Permanent registration
We complete permanent registration and set up ongoing compliance.
Requirements
- An eligible owner — in practice a Maltese owning company for most international owners, which we incorporate as part of the service.
- Clear title, with any existing mortgage disclosed so it can be transferred.
- A deletion certificate from the current flag, if the yacht is registered elsewhere.
- Tonnage measurement, plus the surveys required by the pleasure or commercial regime.
- Vessel age and condition are assessed by the registry; older yachts 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
- Tonnage measurement certificate
- Evidence of insurance cover
- Radio licence application, for the yacht's call sign and MMSI
- Class or survey certificates, where the regime requires them
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.