Transport Malta has issued a notice to Shipowners, Ship Operators, Managers, Masters, Owners’ Representatives and Recognised Organisations.
This notice revokes MS Notice 127 Rev.1
The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Act, 2025, is brought to everyone’s attention by the Merchant Shipping Directorate. The Directorate has examined the procedures for determining the seaworthiness of vessels that are to be registered as Maltese ships in accordance with Article 12(a) of the Merchant Shipping Act.
Merchant ships that are 20 years of age or older will typically not be registered under Article 3(8), although applications for other ships’ registration will be evaluated in accordance with:
• The ship being either in class or in the process of being classed with a Recognised Organisation (RO);
• The receipt of an up-to-date class survey status report or information on the validity of the current statutory certificates, including details of any pending recommendations, exemptions granted, acceptance of equivalents or otherwise, related to both class and statutory certificates;
• The receipt of an affirmation by the relative class that the ship is in a position to be issued with all the appropriate statutory certificates without recommendations;
• The receipt of appropriate information on the performance of the ISM managers who are to manage the ship.
Additionally, the results of an authorised flag state inspector’s pre-registration inspection are required before merchant ships 15 years of age and older can be registered; the Directorate may mandate that the inspection be conducted in dry dock. Only a non-operational provisional certificate of registry will be given after the Directorate permits the inspection to be conducted upon registration.
Within a month of registration, ships that are 10 years old or older but under 15 years old must also be brought in for an examination by an official flag state inspector. Owners may choose to have their ship inspected before registration, provided they pay the applicable fees.
If a registered ship’s inspection yields unfavourable results, the registry may be closed right away.
A negative outcome of an inspection of a registered ship may lead to the immediate closure of the registry.
The fee for pre-registration inspections, even when allowed to be carried out on registration, shall be:
1. €500 on vessels of less than 24 metres without cargo carrying capacity issued or qualified to be issued with a licence or permit to operate in terms of the Commercial Vessels Regulations;
2. €1,500 on vessels of less than 500 gross tons; and on vessels falling under category A.i (v) as provided in the First Schedule (Registration Fees) of the Merchant Shipping Act;
3. €3,000 on ships owned or operated by companies that already own or operate 5 or more ships under the Malta flag;
4. €5,000 on ships of 500 gross tons and over which do not fall under category 1, 2 or 3 above.
Before the inspection may be authorised, payments must be made. Pre-registration costs must be paid just once. Unexpected expenses that are not included in these sums, like additional inspections, travel charges, and higher inspection fees, will be billed individually.
The specified pre-registration inspection fees will not include any ancillary expenses that may come from these inspections.
It should be stressed that the Directorate still has the last say over a vessel’s registration and seaworthiness.
The full notice can be read on the Transport Malta website.
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