British Virgin Islands (member of the Red Ensign group)

The Virgin Islands Shipping Registry is a branch of the General Registry of British Ships and ships registered fly the renowned Red Ensign. It is responsible for all registration matters.

The first step toward registration is to reserve a ship's name. A name may be refused if it could be regarded as offensive or if it could cause confusion in an emergency. The name chosen must also not be that of a ship already on the register. If the name is available, it will be reserved for a period of six months during which time steps must be taken to register the vessel or the name may be reallocated.

Then, the following original documents should be submitted to the Registrar of Shipping in BVI:
- Application for approval of name, for all ships
- Application to Register Ship, for all ships
- Declaration of Ownership Individual / body corporate owner(s), as appropriate
- Certificate of Incorporation, for bodies corporate only
- Appointment of Authorized Officers Form, for bodies corporate only
- Appointment of Representative Person, if applicable
- Certificate of Survey and Tonnage Certificate, for all ships
- Statement of Intended Use of vessel (e.g.: trade, commercial, cargo, passenger or private pleasure)
- Closed Transcript or Deletion Certificate (if applicable for ships previously registered), showing inter alia, name and address of last owner of record
- Proof of Ownership: Builders' Certificate for new ships, Bill(s) of Sale as applicable to show clear chain of title, for all ships.

After the Registrar is satisfied the above requirements have been met, an official number will be allocated and a Ship's Carving and Marking Note issued. The Note will contain instruction on how the ship is to be marked with her name, port of registry, official number and tonnage in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act. After the Note, certified by an approved authority is returned to the registry, registration will be completed and a certificate of registry issued. All fees must be paid before registration is completed. It is customary to submit the registration fee with the documents.

Provisional registration is permitted only in special circumstances, and even then for a period of not more than three months. Procedures and conditions must be discussed with the registrar.

Transfers within the Red Ensign Group of ship registries are feasible. Such transfers must be agreeably between the Registrar of the original port of registry and that of the receiving port. Respective fees are charged.

Transcripts and Extracts of the Register are obtainable from the Registrar Blanks of all Statutory Forms are obtainable from the Office of the Registrar in Tortola. Documents are to be submitted in original and where necessary, translated into the English Language.

Bareboat charter registration is not allowed for vessels of the size currently permitted on the BVI Register. Further enquiries may be addressed to the Registrar in BVI.