CHANGE FLAG & CLASS VESSEL
a) From Foreigner to Indonesian
b) From Indonesian to Foreigner
- We provide CLASS & FLAG registration services for shipowners including shipbrokers, builders, ship managers and legal advisers who wish to register commercial ships and pleasure boats under various flags.
- Also known as vessel registration, flag registration is the documentation and nationality registry process for vessels. In order for a vessel to travel in international waters, it would require a nationality as proof of ownership of the vessel.
- The country in which the vessel is registered under, known as the flag state, has regulatory control over the vessel. The flag state is required to conduct regular inspections, certify the ship’s equipment and crew, as well as issue safety and pollution prevention guidelines. There are different types of registries: Traditional Registry is only open to ships from its own nation, while Open Registries are open to foreign-owned ships.
- Ships can change the flag state they register with for many reasons. Because the owner of the ship has control over their flag registration, ships often switch flags because of their owner’s decisions to change or to sell their ship to a new owner.
- The flag state of a merchant vessel is the jurisdiction under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed, and is deemed the nationality of the vessel. A merchant vessel must be registered and can only be registered in one jurisdiction, but may change the jurisdiction in which it is registered.
- Flag state must ensure:
- Registered ship is subject to its exclusive jurisdiction of the Flag Station the high seas.
- Flag State has jurisdiction under its internal law over each ship and its master, officers, and crew in respect of administrative, technical, and social points about the ship.
- Flag State must have Laws and regulations incorporating:
- Standards of ship construction, ship’s equipment’s, and ship survey.
- Manning of ships, crew accommodation conditions.
- Training of crew members.
- Safe Navigation
- Mitigation and Limitation of marine pollution.
- Investigation of casualties
- Reason for choosing Flag State:
- A country that allows a company owned and controlled by non- nationals to operate ships under its flag.
- A country that allows beneficial owners to reside, operate abroad, and manage all banking operations, retain all profits in a foreign country.
- A country that allows the employment of crew of any nationality and any wage scale the shipowners wished.
- A country that demands minimal taxation.
- Ship Classification
- A ship must have registered, Classification is an independent check on the condition of the vessel. It would be hard to find employment or insurance for an unclassified vessel because shippers, charterers, underwriters, P&I clubs require that the vessel has to be classed. This independent check is carried out by classification societies.
- Ship Classification Societies are independent organization which run under the direction of representatives of shipowners, shipbuilders, Marine Insurance Underwriters, Professional institutes such as Naval Architects, Marine Engineers and Metallurgists.
- Classification Societies detailed specifications of all material used in the construction of ships and rules regarding not only the construction of all equipment on board but also the ship itself. Classification Societies enforce their rules and regulations by maintaining a network of surveyors. To obtain a classification from a Ship Classification Society:
- Vessel plans are examined and approved by the Classification Society.
- The Building of the vessel will be supervised by a surveyor from the Classification Society. Classification Society conducts a programmed of regular spot checks and inspections to ensure that the rules of the Classification Society are being matched. Surveyor will also assure that all materials and equipment’s used are of quality approved by the Classification Society.
- The Final sea trials of the new-building vessel will be accompanied by the surveyor. If everything is satisfactory, then the vessel will be formally entered “Classed” with the Classification society and a certificate of class will be issued.
To maintain class the vessel will then have enter a programmed of class surveys. Class survey programmed will ensure that everything on board the vessel which is material to the safety of the vessel is surveyed in rotation according to pre-determined timetable. Class surveys are scheduled so that every item will have been inspected at the end of period of 4 years. Once this cycle of surveys has been completed satisfaction the vessel will have completed its first Special Survey (SS) where upon the entire cycle of survey begins all over again. Inserted into this programmed is a requirement that the vessel is dry-docked twice during the survey cycle.
However, Ship Classification Societies grant an extension of one year(Year of grace) in a survey cycle bringing it up to 5 years in certain cases where the progress of survey items and the condition of vessel permit it. Furthermore, classification societies require that in the event of an accident happening to the ship or its equipment a class surveyor is called in to inspect the damage; to advice if the repair has to be done immediately, or whether it can be postponed and if so for how long. If a postponement is granted, full details are entered in a vessel records as recommendation. The eventual repair will have to be done under the supervision of the class surveyor. It is common for a vessel, once it has been built under the rules of a particular Classification Society, to remain with the classification society for itself. Nevertheless, there is nothing to stop shipowners from transferring from one society to another, always providing that the two classification societies building rules are compatible and subject to a full survey by the new Classification society.
Ship Classification Societies keep full survey records of all vessels which they classify. Survey records will list all the surveys passed with the date during the current cycle, together with all surveys yet to be passed with the dates when they fall due. Survey records will also list all repairs done under the classification society’s requirements and all current recommendations for scheduled repairs. Additional certificates are issued in respects of special features such as the vessels capacity to carry refrigerated cargo. Classification society’s records are vital for potential buyers any second-hand vessel. Frequently, the classification societies records are inspected at an early stage in negotiations.
After receiving all relevant information from the Classification Society, and a fee from shipowners, the Flag state authorities will be issue:
- Certificate of Registry: authenticating that the vessel is registered in that country. Authorities also give the vessel’s official number and Radio Call Sign.
- International Tonnage Certificate: displays the gross and net tonnage.
- License to operate the vessel’s radio station
The Vessel is now registered
source : ( https://www.handybulk.com/ship-registration-and-classification/#google_vignette )