Why Should Your Yacht Sail With the Maltese Flag?

When buying yourself a yacht, one of the most important things is deciding where to register it. Time and time again, Malta has proven to be an ideal home for many large vessels. Malta’s register is one of the largest in the world; Transport Malta publishes the current figures. Due to this, Malta has developed specific legislation that takes into account the distinctive requirements of the yacht and superyacht industry, making registering private and commercial yachts under the Maltese flag an attractive choice.

The maritime industry in Malta has been blooming ever since the 1973 Merchant Shipping Act was established, opening up the Maltese flag register. Throughout the years, the Maltese flag has built itself an unblemished reputation due to being on the white list of both the Tokyo and Paris Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

Apart from all the positive aspects mentioned above, below you will find several advantages of registering your yacht to sail with the Maltese flag. They are as listed at the time of writing; check with Transport Malta for the current position.

Transport Malta’s advantages when registering under the Maltese flag

1. The Malta Flag Register is a reputable and internationally recognised register
2. It is a European flag with a long maritime tradition
3. It has a dynamic administration with IMO/EU proactive participation
4. It boasts a flat organisation structure with direct access to the decision makers offering a 24/7 service in respect of urgent matters
5. Yachts may be registered under the Maltese flag by European Union citizens or by legally constituted corporate bodies/entities irrespective of nationality
6. Malta has been placed on the White List of the Paris and Tokyo MoU
7. It has a well-organised and highly responsive flag administration that values long term customer relationships
8. You can access technical assistance from a team of qualified and experienced mariners
9. There are no nationality restrictions for master, officers and crew
10. Marriages can be officiated onboard Maltese yachts.

A simple procedure to register your yacht

This is the procedure as it stood at the time of writing. Check the registration procedure on Transport Malta’s site before you rely on it.

1. Submission of documents

When registering your yacht you need to first submit a series of necessary documents including the declaration of ownership, tonnage certificate if the yacht is longer than 24 metres, all relevant technical information, as well as a radio licence application in some cases, among other details listed by Transport Malta.

2. Provisional registration

After all the necessary documentation is provided, if the application is to the satisfaction of Transport Malta, you will be issued a non-operational Provisional Certificate of the Malta Registry against the payment of a fee. Transport Malta will then communicate details requesting inspection if there are any issues with the documentation or it is seen as a requirement.

3. Permanent registration

In order to obtain permanent registration, additional documentation will be required after the first month and the sixth month of the provisional registration of the yacht. In case one fails to register the vessel permanently after a year, they would need to start the registration process from scratch.

Once the permanent registration is done, the Certificate of Malta Registry would need to be renewed on an annual basis from the date of initial registration at a fee.