Registration/deletion from the Luxembourg shipping register

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There are 3 different procedures concerning the registration of a ship in the Luxembourg public shipping register:

  • the application for full registration, which is when the ownership rights are registered in Luxembourg and the ship is authorised to fly the Luxembourg flag;
  • the application for bareboat in registration, which is when the ownership rights of the ship are registered in another country and the ship flies the Luxembourg flag;
  • the application for bareboat out registration, which is when the ownership rights of the ship are registered in Luxembourg and the ship flies a foreign flag.

Applications for registration, renewal and deletion are processed by the Luxembourg Maritime Administration (Commissariat aux Affaires Maritimes - CAM).

For ships with a crew, the application for the safe manning document must be submitted at the time of application for registration of the ship. In the case of a change in commercial operations which would justify a change in the minimum safe manning requirement, a new application may be filed.

Similarly, any modification of the indications which must be made on the application and the documents in order to register the ship must be notified within 30 days to the CAM (e.g. changer of owner, change of declarant article 6b, change of charterer, change of the ship's name).

Who is concerned?

The applications must be submitted:

  • either by the owner of the ship;
  • or by the charterer in the event of bareboat in registration;
  • or by the operator in whose name the ship will be registered.

An operator may apply for full registration in his own name if he has been specifically authorised to do so by the owner and if he accepts responsibility for the ship and the persons on board pursuant to Luxembourg law and under the same conditions and in the same respect as the owner of the ship, if the registration had been made in his name.

Prerequisites

A maritime company established in Luxembourg must, before commencing its activities, be accredited as a Luxembourg maritime company.

In order to register a ship in Luxembourg, all, or at least a significant part of the management of the ship, must be carried out in Luxembourg and the ship must:

  • either be owned by more than half by EU nationals or by commercial companies having their registered office in an EU Member State;
  • either be operated by the same persons;
  • or be chartered in on a bareboat basis.

Vessels with a tonnage of at least 25 tons which are used, or are intended to be regularly used, for the transport by sea of persons or things, for towing or any other commercial seafaring activity shall be deemed to be ships.

How to proceed

Filing an application

Depending on the case, applicants must complete:

online via MyGuichet.lu.

Completed applications can be saved in the applicant's eSpace until the application is finalised.

When all the fields are completed, the system generates:

  • the form corresponding to the applicant's situation;
  • a list of the required supporting documents (sales contract, technical documents of the ship, crew list, etc.).

Once the application is finalised and validated, it must be sent to the CAM via MyGuichet's secure electronic transmission system.

Following up on the application

The registration certificate is handed to the applicant in person.

The deletion certificate is handed in person to the applicant; it will allow the registrar of the mortgage registry to proceed with the deletion of the ship from the Luxembourg shipping register.

Online services and forms

Online services

Who to contact

Luxembourg Maritime Administration

Related procedures and links

Procedures

Links

Further information

Legal references

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