Shipping | Bareboat registration in Norway – available in NOR and NIS from today 1 July 2020

The amendments to the Norwegian Maritime Act and the Act on the Norwegian International Ship Register that allow for temporary bareboat registration of vessels in and out of the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR) and the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) are effective from today 1 July 2020.

Bareboat Registration in NOR and NIS

Vessels can now be temporary bareboat registered into or out of NOR and NIS.

Bareboat registration applies primarily to passenger- and cargo ships, drilling platforms and other mobile offshore unites.

The charterer must fulfil the relevant nationality requirements set out in the Norwegian Maritime Act and the Act on the Norwegian International Ship Register.

The time period for bareboat registration will be limited to the charter period under the bareboat charter party and can maximum be a period of up to 10 years. It is possible to apply for an extension of the registration period for five years at a time.

When a vessel is bareboat registered into a Norwegian ship registry, the vessel will be subject to Norwegian jurisdiction and will sail under the Norwegian flag. A vessel bareboat registered out of the Norwegian ship registry shall temporary sail under the flag of the jurisdiction where the vessel is bareboat registered into, and will during such time period not be considered a Norwegian vessel under the Norwegian Maritime Act.

Encumbrances may not be registered over the bareboat registered vessel in the Norwegian ship registry. As for vessels bareboat registered out of the Norwegian ship registry, registered encumbrances will remain registered over the vessels, and new encumbrances may be registered.

Documentation requirements

In order to register the vessel into NOR or NIS the following documentation must be provided:

Copy of the bareboat charter party;
Transcript from the primary ship registry documenting the registered owner of the vessel as well as any persons having a right in the vessel;
Written consent to bareboat registration in the relevant Norwegian ship registry from the registered owner of the vessel as well as any other person having a right in the vessel; and
Documentation from the primary ship registry showing that the vessel is allowed to be temporary bareboat registered in the relevant Norwegian registry and sail under Norwegian flag.

The Norwegian ship registry also requires certain additional forms to be submitted.

Further details on the documentation requirements to register the various types of vessels into NOR or NIS are set out on the web pages of the Norwegian Maritime Authority available here.

In order to register the vessel out of NOR or NIS the following documentation must be provided:

Copy of the bareboat charter party;
Written consent to bareboat registration in the relevant foreign ship registry from the registered owner of the vessel as well as any other person having a right in the vessel; and
Documentation from the foreign ship registry showing that the vessel is allowed to be bareboat registered into such registry.

The Norwegian ship registry also requires certain additional forms to be submitted.

Further details on the documentation requirements to register a vessel out of NOR or NIS are set out on the web pages of the Norwegian Maritime Authority available here.

Do not hesitate to contact any of BAHR’s shipping team members for further information about bareboat registration in Norway.