“First register” and “second register”
German shipping registry comprises the:
Shipping registers of ocean-going ships (in colloquial terms “first register”) and the
International German shipping register (GIS) (in colloquial terms “second register”).
There is no central German „first register“ but a number of shipping registers of ocean-going ships maintained by particular district courts, located mainly near the German coastline. The responsible court depends on the home port of the ship. In contrast, the GIS is a central register, maintained by the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency).
Mandatory registration in the “first register”, voluntary registration in the “second register”
German owned ocean going ships with a length of 15 m and above must be registered in one of the registers of ocean-going ships (first register). Smaller ships may be registered on demand of the owner. Registration in the GIS („second register“) is not mandatory.
Registration in the shipping register of ocean-going ships serves several purposes
Mandatory registration of ships with a length of 15 m and above in the shipping register of ocean-going ships serves several purposes:
to disclose the nationality of the shipowner,
to identify the ship,
to register the ownership structure,
to register a possible financial burden of ship mortgages.
Responsible register (district court of home port)
The various shipping registers of ocean-going ships are maintained by district courts, located mainly near the German coastline. Which register (district court) is responsible depends on the home port of the ship. The home port is the place from where the ship’s operation is managed, regardless whether the ship calls there regularly or not.
Prerequisites for registration
Details of registration may differ from court to court. Generally the following documents have to be submitted with the application for registration:
International tonnage certificate,
Copy of the bill of sale (for a ship already in service) or shipyard construction certificate (for newbuildings),
Copy of commercial register extract,
Copy of the personal identification document of the managing director of the shipowning company,
On the day of changing flag, deletion certificate from the previous flag registry (for ships already in service).
Some district courts provide specimen application forms for registration.
Ships remain registered even when leaving the German flag
German owned ocean-going ships remain registered in the German shipping register of ocean-going ships when changing temporarily to a foreign flag. In such case the approval for the temporary flying of a foreign flag is recorded in the register. A German owner may operate his ship temporarily under a foreign flag, if he either provides training opportunities or pays a compensation. For further information please click here.
Simplified registration at reflagging
Frequently it is not necessary to submit all documents again when changing to the German flag as most Germen owned ships are already registered in a German shipping register and are operated only temporarily under a foreign flag.
Certificate of registry is proof of registration in a shipping register
Proof of registration in a shipping register is the certificate of registry, in special cases also other flag documents. If a ship changes to the German flag when it is abroad, an interim certificate of registry may be issued with a period of validity of 6 months, based on § 5 of the "Flaggenrechtsgesetz" (Law of the Flag Act).
Distinctive number or letters identify a ship
In addition to the certificate of registry, the distinctive number or letters are provided by the shipping register. The distinctive number or letters unambiguously identifies a ship and is at the same time the call sign for maritime radiocommunication. German distinctive number or letters are normally a combination of four letters, starting with „DA“ to „DR“ and possibly an additional number. Ships with less then 15m hull length which do not have to be listed in the shipping register of ocean-going ships, have a call sign of two letters and four cyphers.
Contact
The register (district court) responsible depends on the home port of the ship.