If you plan to travel internationally with your pleasure craft that is registered in the Netherlands, it’s highly recommended to take a zeebrief (Certificate of Registry) with you on your journey. You can get a Certificate of Registry from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT).
This information is for pleasure craft used only for sports or leisure, not for work or business. It does not apply to vessels that carry commercial cargo or paying passengers.
Which pleasure craft can get a Certificate of Registry?
To obtain a Certificate of Registry from the ILT, the pleasure craft must meet the nationality requirements of the Netherlands following Article 311 of the Wetboek van Koophandel (Commercial Code, in Dutch). A pleasure craft meets the nationality requirements of the Netherlands if:
you, as the owner, have the nationality of a Member State of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or have the same rights as EU citizens according to the European Economic Community (ECC) Treaty, and;
you, as the owner, have a residence in the Netherlands where someone is responsible for the vessel and can act quickly in emergencies.
If you, as the owner, have transferred the management of the pleasure craft to a business partnership or company, it meets the nationality requirements of the Netherlands if:
the partnership or company follows the laws of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, and;
the partnership or company has an office in the Netherlands where someone is responsible for the vessel and can act quickly in emergencies.
The Certificate of Registry is valid as long as you own the vessel and the vessel meets the nationality requirements.
It’s not mandatory to have a Certificate of Registry for pleasure craft sailing at sea. However, having one can help you avoid problems when you’re sailing outside Dutch waters in a pleasure craft that’s registered in the Netherlands. With the Certificate of Registry, you have:
legal certainty: before you get the Certificate of Registry, your vessel is registered with Kadaster (the Netherlands’ Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency). This proves that you own the vessel.
proof of nationality: this is like a passport for your vessel. The Certificate of Registry has an official international status. The International Certificate for Pleasure Craft (ICP) does not have this.
right to fly the Dutch flag: the Certificate of Registry is accepted when visiting ports outside the Netherlands and offers protection in emergencies.
When you apply for a Certificate of Registry, you are actually requesting a set of documents. By law, the ILT can only issue the Certificate of Registry after some other things are arranged between the ILT and Kadaster.
Kadaster registers your pleasure craft as your property if you can prove you own it. It must meet the nationality requirements of the Netherlands, as specified above in ‘Which pleasure craft can get a Certificate of Registry?’. The ILT issues a nationaliteitsverklaring (Declaration of Nationality) if your vessel passes the checks. You need a meetbrief (Tonnage Certificate) that shows the size and weight of your vessel to obtain the Kadaster registration, the Declaration of Nationality and the Certificate of Registry.
Applications are processed within the time frame defined under the Algemene wet bestuursrecht, Awb (General Administrative Law Act). In 2024, this period is 8 weeks.
Fill out the relevant Kadaster registration application forms (in Dutch). Send these forms and the Declaration of Nationality to Kadaster.
A Kadaster inspector contacts you to inspect and brand your vessel.
Kadaster reports to the ILT that your vessel is registered.
The ILT sends you the Certificate of Registry.
Kadaster and the ILT send you separate invoices.
How to amend a Certificate of Registry for pleasure craft
Report the sale to Kadaster (registration office). This cancels the Certificate of Registry. If the new owner wants a Certificate of Registry, they must:
