United Kingdom (UK) Registration

The United Kingdom (UK) flag is one of the Red Ensign flags managed by the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and is one of the most preferred options in the world for yachts today.

Duration of the Document and What It Provides

• Register document period is 5 years. You do not need to pay any taxes, visa or document renewal fees or take any action in the UK within these 5 years.
• Registered boats are given a lifetime Call Sign and MMSI number . If your boat has an IMO number, you can also have it included in the documents.
• The registration certificate is published as QR code; In this way, the document can be queried and verified at any time.
• The registration certificate is also a deed and allows the yacht owner to register a mortgage on the boat.
• At the end of 5 years, it can easily be renewed for another 5 years.

Who Can Register?

The UK Ship Register is an international register; It is not limited to UK companies or nationals only. The registry accepts private and commercial yachts of all sizes located and operated anywhere in the world.

All British citizens and companies on their own behalf; Additionally, citizens and companies of the countries in the following groups can also register yachts in their own names:

• European Economic Area (EEA) countries — Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Iceland, Cyprus, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece
• Overseas Territories — Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands
• Royal Dependencies — Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man
• Commonwealth countries — Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Dominica, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Cameroon, Canada, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, South Africa, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia
• Other countries — United States, Argentina, Aruba, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, China (including Hong Kong), Faroe Islands, South Korea, Haiti, Israel, Switzerland, Japan, Canary Islands, Liberia, Madeira, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Panama, Suriname

Registration / Binding Registry Ports

The UK flag has 116 Port of Register . London is the most popular port of registration; However, the yacht to be registered can choose any of the following ports:

Aberdeen, Aberystwyth, Alloa, Arbroath, Ardrossan, Ayr, Banff, Barnstaple, Barrow, Beaumaris, Belfast, Berwick on Tweed, Bideford, Blyth, Borrowstoness, Boston, Bridgewater, Bristol, Brixham, Buckie, Burntisland, Caernarfon, Campbelltown, Cardiff, Cardigan, Chester, Colchester, Coleraine, Cowes, Dartmouth, Dover, Dumfries, Dundee, Exeter, Falmouth, Faversham, Felixstowe, Fishguard, Fleetwood, Folkestone, Fowey, Fraserburgh, Glasgow, Gloucester, Goole, Grangemouth, Granton, Great Yarmouth, Greenock, Grimsby, Hartlepool, Hartlepool West, Harwich, Hull, Inverness, Ipswich, Irvine, Kings Lynn, Kirkcaldy, Kirkwall, Lancaster, Leith, Lerwick, Littlehampton, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Londonderry, Lowestoft, Maldon, Manchester, Maryport, Methil, Middlesbrough, Milford Haven, Montrose, Newcastle, Newhaven, Newport, Newry, North Shields, Padstow, Penzance, Peterhead, Plymouth, Poole, Portland, Port Talbot, Portsmouth, Preston, Ramsgate, Rochester, Runcorn, Rye, Salcombe, Scarborough, Scilly, Shoreham, South Shields, Southampton, St Ives, Stockton, Stornoway, Stranraer, Sunderland, Swansea, Teignmouth, Troon, Truro, Weymouth, Whitby, Whitehaven, Wick, Wigtown, Wisbech, Workington