Notice issued by the Malta Registrar of Ships:-

“IMPORTANT NOTICE

Dear all,

Please note the following:

The Directorate wishes to draw the attention of all concerned to the following enhancements related to the procedure for the bareboat charter registration of a vessel under Part IIA of the Merchant Shipping Act and its renewal. The rationale behind these enhancements is to streamline the process of registration and the documentation required for the registration and its renewal, and to harmonize the expiry dates of (i) the Certificate of Malta Bareboat Charter Registry and (ii) the Radio License.

  1. A bareboat charter agreement between the registered owner (in the underlying registry) and the bareboat charterer may be valid for more than 2 years.
  2. The consent of the owners and the registered mortgagees may also include a provision for the charterer to apply for any further extensions in the future without the need to produce a specific consent every two years. Such consents may also include the consent for any changes in the name of the vessel requested by the bareboat charterer in the future.  The owners and the mortgagees may also state that they reserve the right to withdraw their consent at any time and to inform the Administration accordingly.
  3. If so requested, instead of being notarized, the signatures on the consents may be certified by a lawyer.
  4. The certification of the signature of the notary/lawyer by Apostille may be replaced by a certification by a Maltese Consul.
  5. Provided that the bareboat charter agreement cover the period, the Certificate of Malta Bareboat Charter Registry may be issued for a period of two years in accordance with the expiry date of the consent of the underlying registry. It is important to note however, that the annual fee shall be payable in accordance with the requirements of the Merchant Shipping Act, i.e., on an annual basis. Failure to pay the applicable annual fee may lead to the suspension of the Certificate of Malta Bareboat Charter Registry and to initiate the process of cancelling the vessel from the bareboat charter registry.
  6. As already advised, the Ship Station License may now be valid for a period not exceeding three years.  Therefore, bareboat charterers may opt to apply for a Radio Station License valid for a period of two years to coincide with the expiry date of the Certificate of Malta Bareboat Charter Registry.

Registrar of Ships
Merchant Shipping Directorate”

For further details, contact us on:

Tel: (00356) 21 651387
Fax: (00356) 21 651384
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.combinedmaritime.com