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There are three types of ship registration in Cyprus:

  1. Provisional
  2. Permanent
  3. Bareboat charter registration (parallel).

Documents required
  • Documents required for Provisional / Permanent Registration (in case where owner is a Legal Person or a Natural Person).
  • Documents required for Bareboat Charter (Parallel-in) Registration
  • Documents required for Bareboat Charter (Parallel-out) Registration


1. PROVISIONAL REGISTRATION

Administrative procedures

The legislation, allows for the provisional registration of a ship and most owners usually opt to have their ships provisionally registered first. This will allow them time (up to 9 months including a three months extension) during which they will be able to complete the administrative formalities relating to any previous flag State and/or State of registry and those relating to the permanent registration of the ship in Cyprus.

A ship may be provisionally registered either in Limassol by the Registrar or abroad at any Diplomatic or Consular Mission by a consular officer.

At the time of the provisional registration the ship must be at a port or anchorage where she can be surveyed and certified on behalf of Cyprus. The presence of the ship at the port or place where the provisional registration will be effected is not necessary.


Application and required documents for provisional registration

The application requesting the provisional registration of a ship must be made by a local registered advocate acting on behalf of the physical person(s) or legal entity in whose name the ship will be registered and should be addressed to the Registrar of Cyprus Ships.

In practice, the Registrar will also accept the submission of applications for registration of ships on behalf of legal entities (companies) under formation, so that the incorporation of the company and registration of the ship can progress simultaneously. However, the company must be duly incorporated prior to the registration of the ship.

In case the interested party contemplates to complete the provisional registration abroad the application should indicate the Diplomatic or Consular Mission where this will take place.

The documents required for the provisional registration of a ship can be found in the checklist under the heading “Documents for Provisional and Permanent Registration”.


Completion of provisional registration

If the ship falls within the ambit of the age criteria of the Government Policy for the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag, the Registrar will inform the registered owner of the conditions under which the registration has been permitted, as well as, of those which have to be fulfilled prior to the permanent registration of the ship and thereafter.

If the provisional registration will take place abroad at a Diplomatic or Consular Mission, some of the required documents can be deposited with the consular officer who will carry out the provisional registration or at a different Diplomatic or Consular Mission, if required.

Provided the required documents have been submitted and found to be in order, the Registrar or the consular officer will proceed with the provisional registration of the ship and will issue to the ship the Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry which is valid for six months from the date of its issue and its provisional radio license. In addition, they will inform the Classification Society with which the ship is classed that the ship has been provisionally registered and thus it can proceed with the survey and certification of the ship.

The registered owner and the company assuming the operation of the ship must ensure that the ship does not leave the port or anchorage where she is lying unless and until she has been duly surveyed and certificated by the Classification Society with which the ship is classed and the other Classification Societies which may be involved on behalf of Cyprus.


Extension of provisional registration

The legislation allows for a 3-month extension of the period of the ship’s provisional registration, provided the Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry of the ship has not expired.

The application requesting the extension of the provisional must be made by the local registered advocate acting on behalf of the registered owner to the Registrar of Cyprus Ships.

The presence of the ship at a port or anchorage at the time, or at the port or place where, the extension of the period of validity of its Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry will be effected is not necessary.

Following approval of the requested extension, the ship’s Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry should be presented to the Registrar or to a consular officer for the extension of its validity. However, in case this is not practically possible, the Registrar or a consular officer can issue a certificate associated with the ship’s Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry attesting the extension of its validity. Such certificate shall be placed on board the soonest possible and be kept together with the ship’s Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry.



2. PERMANENT REGISTRATION

Time frame

The permanent registration of a provisionally registered ship must be effected prior to the expiry of the ship’s Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry.


Application and required documents for permanent registration

The application requesting the permanent registration must be submitted by the local registered advocate acting on behalf of the registered owner to the Registrar of Cyprus Ships.

The presence of the ship at a port or anchorage at the time of its permanent registration is not necessary.

The documents required for the permanent registration of a ship can be found in the checklist under the heading “Documents for Provisional and Permanent Registration”.


Measurement of the ship's tonnages and Ship's Carving and Marking

The gross and net tonnage of a Cyprus ship having a length, as defined in the 1969 Tonnage Convention, of:
  1. 24 metres and over is measured in accordance with the 1969 Tonnage Convention and is required to be issued with an International Tonnage Certificate (1969),
  2. less than 24 metres is measured in accordance with the Measurement of Tonnage of Ships Smaller Than Twenty Four Metres in Length Regulations of 1993 and is required to be issued with a Cyprus Tonnage Certificate.
All Cyprus ships are required to be surveyed and issued with a Certificate of Survey stating their main particulars and their gross and net tonnages, which are subsequently recorded in the Register.

The Certificate of Survey and the International Tonnage Certificate (1969) or the Cyprus Tonnage Certificate may be prepared by the recognized Classification Societies with which the ship is classed or by the Shipping Deputy Ministry.

The original of the Certificate of Survey and a certified copy of the International Tonnage Certificate (1969) or the Cyprus Tonnage Certificate must be submitted to the Registrar for the issue of the Ship’s Carving and Marking Note.

Cyprus ships are required to be marked with the name of the ship, its port of registry, its official number and its net tonnage. The correct marking of the ship can be verified and attested by a surveyor of one of the recognized Classification Societies or a surveyor of the Shipping Deputy Ministry.

The duly verified Ship’s Carving and Marking Note must be submitted to the Registrar for the permanent registration of the ship.

The official number of Cyprus ships having a gross tonnage of 100 and over is the same as the ship’s identification number in accordance with the IMO Assembly resolution A.600(15) on the IMO ship identification number scheme (i.e. the IMO number) and must be marked as required by SOLAS regulation XI-1/3.

The official number of Cyprus ships having a gross tonnage less than 100 is a six digit number allotted by the Registrar.


Entry inspection

The registered owner and/or the company assuming the operation of a ship, whose registration has been permitted under the Government Policy for the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag subject to an entry inspection, must make arrangements with the Shipping Deputy Ministry for the entry inspection of the ship within the timeframes specified in the aforesaid policy.


Completion of permanent registration

If the ship falls within the ambit of the Government Policy for the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag, the conditions under which the registration has been permitted, as well as, those which have to be fulfilled prior to the permanent registration of the ship have to be complied with.

Provided the required documents have been submitted and found to be in order, the Registrar will proceed with the permanent registration of the ship and will issue to the ship the ship’s Certificate of Cyprus Registry which is valid indefinitely from the date of its issue. However, in case a new Certificate of Cyprus Registry is issued the previous one automatically ceases to be valid as from the date of issue of the new certificate.

In addition, the Registrar will inform the Classification Society with which the ship is classed and the radio traffic accounting authority that the ship has been permanently registered.

Documents required for Permanent Registration.


3. BAREBOAT CHARTER REGISTRATION (PARALLEL REGISTRATION)

The legislation provides for the two types of the internationally accepted bareboat charter registration. These are the registration of the bareboat charter of a foreign ship in the Special Book of Parallel Registration (commonly referred to as “Parallel-in registration”) and the registration of the bareboat charter of a Cyprus ship in a foreign register (commonly referred to as “Parallel-out registration”).

The bareboat registration of foreign and Cyprus ships under the Cyprus regime may be effected with more than 20 States whose legislation is compatible with the Cyprus legislation.

3.1 Parallel-in registration

The bareboat charterer must be either a physical person or a legal entity that qualifies for the parallel-in registration of a foreign ship in its name. The qualification requirements are the same as those for the registration of the ownership of a ship in the Register of Cyprus ships.

The bareboat charterer of the foreign ship must be a legal entity or a physical person who qualifies to own a Cyprus ship and the provisions of the Government Policy for the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag apply.

The legislation of the State of registry of the foreign ship must allow its bareboat charter registration. The permission or consent of the authorities of the State where the ownership of the foreign ship is registered is required. In addition, the consent of the mortgagees is also required.

Status of a ship during parallel-in registration
The deletion of the ship from the registry of the State where its ownership is registered is not required. However, its right to fly the flag of the State of registry and to have its nationality is suspended and the foreign registry remains operative only with respect to the ownership and encumbrance’s status of the ship.

The period of parallel-in registration is usually two years and is renewable. During that period, the ship flies the Cyprus flag, has the Cypriot nationality and is subject to the flag State jurisdiction and to the laws of Cyprus. In addition, the port of registry marked on the stern of the ship must be Limassol and not that of the foreign registry.

Application and documentation
The relevant application must be made by a local registered advocate acting on behalf of the bareboat charterer and should be addressed to the Registrar of Cyprus Ships.

The parallel-in registration can only be effected by the Registrar of Cyprus Ships upon submission of the relevant documents.

The documents required for the parallel-in registration of a ship can be found in the checklist under the heading “Documents for Parallel-in Registration”.

Completion of parallel-in registration
If the ship falls within the ambit of the Government Policy for the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag, the conditions under which the registration has been permitted have to be complied with.

Provided the required documents have been submitted and found to be in order, the Registrar will proceed with the parallel-in registration of the ship and will issue to the ship the ship’s Certificate of Parallel Registration, which is valid for the period for which the bareboat registration has been requested. This period should not exceed two years.

In addition, the Registrar will inform the Classification Society with which the ship is classed and the radio traffic accounting authority that the ship has been parallel-in registered and is thus entitled to fly the Cyprus flag.

Measurement of the ship’s tonnages
For the parallel-in registration, the measurement of the tonnage of the ship is not required. The required Certificate of Survey and the International Tonnage Certificate (1969) or the Cyprus Tonnage Certificate, as the case may be, are issued on the basis of the corresponding documents of the foreign registry. The issuance and verification of a Ship’s Carving and Marking Note is also not required.

Name of the ship
Ships registered parallel-in may keep the name they held under the foreign registry, but this name must not be the same as the name of a ship already registered in the Register of Cyprus Ships or the Special Book of Parallel Registration.

Ships registered parallel-in may change their name under the same conditions as those applicable to Cyprus ships registered provisionally or permanently. In such cases, the relevant application must be made by a local registered advocate acting on behalf of the registered bareboat charterer with the written consent of the registered owner of the ship and of the mortgagees and should be addressed to the Registrar of Cyprus Ships.

After the approval of the change of the name of the ship, the master of the ship must confirm that the ship has been marked with its new name. Following this, the Registrar will record the change of the name of the ship in the Special Book of Parallel Registration and will notify the authorities of the State where its ownership is registered. In addition, the Registrar will endorse the new name of the ship on its Special Certificate of Cyprus Registry or issue a new certificate. Alternatively, the endorsement of the new name of the ship may be effected by a consular officer following instructions issued by Registrar.

Extension of parallel-in registration
The period of parallel-in registration is usually two years and is renewable. The extension of the status of the parallel-in registration is allowed, as long as, the requirements of the legislation and of the Government Policy on the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag are complied with.

If the extension of the parallel-in registration is effected prior to the expiry of the previous period, the parallel-in registration of the ship continues to be governed by the Government Policy on the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag that was applicable at the time of the initial parallel-in registration. During the extension of the parallel-in registration, the age of the ship is not taken into consideration again in the context of the age criteria stipulated in the aforesaid policy.

Termination of parallel-in registration
The termination of the status of the parallel-in registration of a foreign ship and its deletion from the Special Book of Parallel Registration is effected when:
  • the foreign registry revokes its permission or consent for the parallel-in registration of the ship in Cyprus;
  • the bareboat charter of the ship is terminated or the mortgagees revoke their consent;
  • the period for which the parallel-in registration of the ship was approved expires; and
  • there exists any reason for deletion of the ship from the Special Book of Parallel Registration as in cases of Cyprus ships provisionally or permanently registered in the Register of Cyprus Ships.

Upon termination of the parallel-in registration, the ship shall immediately cease to fly the Cyprus flag, will no longer be entitled to have the Cypriot nationality and shall no longer be subject to the flag State jurisdiction and to the laws of Cyprus. In addition, the ship shall no longer be marked to show Limassol as its port of registry.


3.2 Parallel-out registration

The bareboat charterer of a Cyprus ship must be a legal entity or a physical person who qualifies to register the bareboat charter in another State, under the laws of that State.

The legislation of the State where the bareboat charter of a Cyprus ship is to be registered must allow its bareboat charter registration. The permission or consent of the authorities of the State where the bareboat charter of a Cyprus ship is to be registered is required. In addition, the permission or consent of the Registrar is also required and issued provided the relevant documentation is submitted with the Registrar, including the consent of the mortgagees.

Status of a ship during parallel-out registration
The deletion of the ship from the Register of Cyprus Ships where its ownership and mortgages are registered is neither required nor allowed. However, its right to fly the Cyprus flag and to have the Cypriot nationality is suspended.

The period of parallel-out registration may be up to three years and is renewable. During that period, the Cyprus ship flies the flag of the other State, acquires its nationality and is subject to the jurisdiction and to the laws of the other State. In addition, the port of registry marked on the stern of the ship must be the port designated by the other State.

Application and documentation
The relevant application must be made by a local registered advocate acting on behalf of the registered owner of the Cyprus ship and should be addressed to the Registrar of Cyprus Ships.

The parallel-out registration can only be effected by the Registrar of Cyprus Ships upon submission of the relevant documents.

The documents required for the parallel-out registration of a ship can be found in the checklist under the heading “Documents for Parallel-out Registration”.

Completion of parallel-out registration
Provided the required documents have been submitted and found to be in order, the Registrar will record in the Register of Cyprus Ships that the ship has been registered in parallel with another State, together with the name of the State, and the period for which the parallel-out registration has been permitted. This period should not exceed three years, however it may be extended.

In addition, the Registrar will inform the Classification Society with which the ship is classed and the relevant radio traffic accounting authority that the ship has been parallel-out registered and has thus ceased to fly the Cyprus flag.

The Provisional Certificate of Cyprus Registry or the Certificate of Cyprus Registry, as the case may be, together with the other statutory certificates issued by, or on behalf, of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus must be returned to the Registrar.

In addition, Cyprus ships provisionally registered which have been allowed to effect a parallel-out registration must complete the process of their permanent registration.

If the Cyprus ship falls within the ambit of the Government Policy on the Registration of ships under the Cyprus flag, the obligation to comply with conditions under which the registration has been permitted is suspended for the period of parallel-out registration.

Extension of parallel-out registration
The period of parallel-out registration is usually for a period of up to three years and is renewable. The extension of the status of the parallel-out registration is allowed, as long as, the requirements of the legislation and of the Government Policy on the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag are complied with.

Termination of parallel-out registration
The termination of the status of the parallel-out registration of a Cyprus ship and its recording in the Register is effected when:
  • the Registrar revokes its permission or consent for the parallel-out registration of the ship in a foreign registry;
  • the foreign registry revokes its permission or consent for the parallel-in registration of the ship in its registry;
  • the bareboat charter of the ship is terminated or the mortgagees revoke their consent;
  • the period for which the parallel-out registration of the ship was approved expires; and
  • there exists any reason for deletion of the ship from the Register.

Upon termination of the parallel-out registration, the ship shall immediately cease to fly the flag of the other State, will no longer be entitled to have its nationality and shall no longer be subject to the flag State jurisdiction and to the laws of the other State. In addition, the ship shall no longer be marked to show as its port of registry the port designated by the other State.

Upon termination of the parallel-out registration, the ship resumes its right to fly the Cyprus flag. The conditions (if any) imposed in accordance with the Government Policy on the Registration of Ships under the Cyprus flag, applicable at the time of the ship’s initial registration must be satisfied. During the termination of the parallel-out, the age of the ship is not taken into consideration again in the context of the age criteria stipulated in the aforesaid policy.