UK Boat Registration (Part 1) – British Red Ensign from only £549!

Our speciality is to register your boat, jetski, canoe or water scooter in the United Kingdom. The UK PART 1 flag registration is valid all around the world. We can get it done fast and with minimal paperwork. We will register your boat for £549 if you register as private owner or £699 if we need to setup a UK ltd for you. The UK Part 1 Boat Registration will let you sail under the UK “red ensign” flag anywhere in the world. The UK yacht registration (part 1) is available for both private, bareboat and commercial vessels up to 24 meters long. If your vessel is longer than 24 meters, you can still register your vessel for any use with the UK part 1 registration, however the surveyor needs to arrange the mandatory ITC69/coding certificate. The primary register for British ships that sail international is the Part 1 registration. Having a British Part 1 flag registration provides evidence of nationality, evidence of ownership, confers a unique name and registration number and offers the capacity to register marine mortgages.

The British ‘red ensign’ register is administered by the UK Government’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Their management and administration are efficient, and it allows the ability to seek assistance from any British Consulate or Embassy in the world as it gives the British nationality to your vessel. Transfers between British ensign flags are not complicated either.

The UK part 1 registration is open to anyone. You can register as a private owner if you are on the approved country list (see below image) or otherwise we can register any nationality by setting up a UK dormant company to own your vessel. Most of our customers are non UK Nationals, as they look for a jurisdiction that doesn't have the strict regulations of their own countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, France etc...

Who can register under the UK boat registration?

All nationalities can register under the British flag but only residents of the below country list can register as private owner. Not to worry, for all other nationalities, we set up a UK LTD for the ownership of your vessel and it still will only cost £699. If you register as private owner, we do not need to setup a British LTD for you and the cost is only £549,-.

The list of approved residency countries is: UK residents, EU nationals, UK companies and EEA companies, all Commonwealth citizens and countries and citizens and companies of the following countries: Argentina, Aruba, Bahrain, Brazil, the Canary Islands, China (including Hong Kong), the Faroe Islands, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Liberia, Madeira, the Marshall Islands, Monaco, Panama, South Korea, Switzerland, Surinam, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. Brexit: The above eligibility requirements are still in force since the Brexit on Jan 1, 2021!

How long is the UK flag registration valid?

The UK flag registration is valid for 5 years. The renewal process is less paperwork and we will contact you 6 months before the due date to assist you.

What are the exact cost of the UK flag registration?

It depends if you register as private person (from the approved nationality list) or if you register with another residency so we need to setup a UK LTD for you, to be eligible.

If we need to set up a UK LTD for the ownership of your vessel, the total cost is £699. If you register as private owner, the cost is only £549,-. The standard registration procedure takes about 2 weeks from when we are supplied all documents. If you need your registration done faster, there is a express service that will only take 3 days. This service is offered by the UK ship registry and will cost an additional £199,-.

We include all in our price; government fees, translations & courier fees, so there are no hidden cost!.

How long does it take to register under the UK registration?

The normal registration takes about 14 days from when we submit all documents. However, if you need it done faster, the express service will only take 3 days. The service is offered by the UK maritime registry and will cost an additional £199,-.

Can I use my vessel for private use, bareboat charters or commercial use?

You can use your vessel for either private use, bareboat charters or commercial use under the UK part 1 registration. The procedure and documentation is the same for all 3 categories.

NOTE on bareboat charter use: the UK Registry allows ships to bareboat charter out to another register (if on the approved country list above) while remaining able to return to the UK Registry at the end of the charterparty.

What are the maritime requirements under the British flag registration?

The vessel owner is required to arrange for the official number that is provided and the registration document and the registered tonnage to be marked on the boat. The name and also the port of choice must also need to be marked clearly on the stern of the boat. Moreover, the owner is required to certify that the boat has been properly marked by returning the certified carving and marking note within 3 months.

How do you setup a UK company for clients who are not on the approved country list?

We setup a British LTD. company and you will transfer the ownership of your vessel into this dormant LTD that you own. The LTD is only used for boat ownership, so no taxes or government filings will be due. We will make a bill of sale for you transferring the boat into your new UK LTD. and it will be done in 1 business day.
BREXIT INFO: There are no changes in procedure even with the new Brexit laws!

What paperwork is needed for a UK registration part 1?

• An authorisation letter (we will prepare this)
• Copy of your passport
• Copy of Bill of Sale
• Your vessel must have a unique name, you need to provide 4 unique names, the UK authorities will check and determine which name is available once they have received your registration request.
• A certificate of a survey of tonnage and measurement (not older than 1 year) is mandatory but can be done in your own country. You just need to make sure it is done by one of the authorised surveyors, which are: (American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Germanischer Lloyd (GL), Lloyd' s Register (LR), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK), Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) *
• The deletion certificate (if previously registered)
• A copy of a radio call sign (if you have one)

*for commercial use only, the surveyor needs to arrange the mandatory ITC69/coding certificate after the documents have been approved by the UK authorities.

What does the UK yacht registration look like?

MMSI Radio License – for VHF, AIS, radar and EPIRB

It is mandatory to have a valid MMSI / radio license on your boat so we recommend our boat owners to apply for a MMSI / Radio license when applying for the UK flag registration. The MMSI license permits the following equipment: VHF Radio, radar, epirb, transponder & radar and assigns the numbers needed to operate correctly.

We can arrange a UK MMSI radio license for our clients. The cost is cost £135,- in combination with any flag registration or £175,- if you order it alone.

Required documents: we only require a passport copy. (you do not need any radio course)