Registration of a vessel on the Australian general shipping register provides legally and internationally recognisable nationality to your ship. When registered, you will have Australian protection on the high seas and in foreign ports.
Australian owned ships are required to be registered on the Australian general shipping register if it is one of the following:
- a commercial vessel, 24 metres or over in tonnage length, capable of navigating the high seas
- any vessel travelling overseas.
The following vessels are exempt from the requirement to be registered (except if they are travelling overseas):
- pleasure craft
- fishing vessels
- government vessels.
These vessels are permitted to be registered and may be registered on the Australian general shipping register if the owner chooses to do so.
Australian registered recreational vessels may also require state registration. If you need to find out whether you need state registration, contact your local state marine safety agency.
To register your vessel on the Australian general shipping register, you need to:
