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Registering a seagoing vessel in the Netherlands

You can register a koopvaardijschip (merchant vessel) in the Netherlands as a zeeschip (seagoing vessel) under eigendom (ownership) or as a seagoing vessel under rompbevrachting (bareboat charter), also known as bareboat-in. In both cases, you can apply for a zeebrief (Certificate of Registry, in Dutch). With a Certificate of Registry, the ship is permitted to fly the Dutch flag.

The Nederlandse zeescheepsregister (seagoing vessel registry) also provides the option to register in a buitenlands rompbevrachtingsregister (bareboat charter outside the Netherlands), also known as bareboat-out. For this, you must apply for a verklaring bareboat-out (bareboat-out certificate). During the bareboat-out period, the ship is permitted to fly the flag of another country.

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Owner and ship manager

When you, as the owner of a merchant vessel, register the vessel under the Dutch flag, you can choose on the application form to:

  • Operate the seagoing vessel yourself from an establishment in the Netherlands. In this case, you are the ship manager according to the Wet zeevarenden (Seafarers Act).
  • Designate a company with an establishment in the Netherlands to operate the seagoing vessel on your behalf. In this case, you do not need to set up your own establishment. Instead, you designate the address of this company as your domicile. The company then serves as the ship manager according to the Seafarers Act. This ship manager may also be the International Safety Management (ISM) manager, but it is not required.

As the owner, you are listed on the Certificate of Registry. The ship manager is the point of contact for the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) for crew-related matters, such as submitting the bemanningsplan (manning proposal).

Types of seagoing vessels

The law in the Netherlands distinguishes the following types of seagoing vessels:

  • Merchant vessels
  • Commercial Cruising Vessels (CCVs)
  • Pleziervaartuigen (pleasure craft)

Registering a merchant vessel

Merchant vessels may be eligible for:

Merchant vessels are seagoing vessels used for commercial purposes, such as:

  • Vrachtschepen (freighters)
  • Passagiersschepen (passenger ships)
  • Baggersschepen (dredgers)
  • Pontons (pontoons)
  • Mobile offshore drilling units

Registration of Commercial Cruising Vessels (CCVs)

Commercial Cruising Vessels (CCVs) may be eligible for:

CCVs can be defined as seagoing cruising vessels for commercial use that measure more than 12 metres and are designed and built for recreational use by passengers. They should either be:

  • Exclusively or mainly propelled by mechanical propulsion and equipped to carry no more than 12 passengers.
  • Mainly propelled by sails and equipped to carry no more than 36 passengers.

Registration of pleasure craft

If you want to register a yacht or another seagoing pleasure craft in the Netherlands, you must apply for a Certificate of Registry for pleasure craft with the ILT.

Implementation test of vessel registration

At the request of the Minister of Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, IenW (Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management), the ILT conducted an implementation test on the Regeling nationaliteit zeeschepen (regulation on the nationality of seagoing vessels, in Dutch). This regulation builds upon the Rijkswet nationaliteit zeeschepen (Nationality (Seagoing Vessels) Kingdom Act ), which is aimed at modernising vessel registration laws in the Netherlands.