Gibraltar calls the register

GIBRALTAR's location at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and between Europe and Africa, has made it a strategic commercial and maritime centre. It is set to become an increasingly active centre for ship registration.

Having been dormant for some years, Gibraltar's ship registry is now fully operational. Together with the Isle of Man, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar now forms part of the category 1 Red Ensign Group of Registries. There are, however, a number of features which make Gibraltar particularly attractive as a port of registration for ships within the red ensign group.

There are no tonnage restrictions, and most types of vessels - excluding nuclear-powered craft and fishing vessels - irrespective of size may register. Gibraltar-registered vessels fly the British Red Ensign with the armorial bearings of Malta and have access to EU cabotage trade, unlike some of the other red ensign registries. And Gibraltar's status as the only British port in the EU with no VAT regime will doubtless increase the potential attraction of its register to shipowners.

There are a wide range of individuals and corporate bodies which are allowed to qualify as eligible owners of a Gibraltar-registered ship.These include, among others, nationals or corporate bodies of EU or EEA member states.

Ships are often registered in the name of a Gibraltar tax-exempt company which pays tax at a flat rate of £225 per annum. The registration legislation also makes provision for registering vessels which are bareboat-chartered, and for registering ships which are under construction.

Manning requirements for officers and crew of Gibraltar-registered ships follow the requirements of UK-registered vessels. Certificated officers serving on a Gibraltar-registered ship must hold a UK certificate of competency, or a certificate of equivalent competency.

Certificates of competency in the following countries are considered as meeting UK - and therefore Gibraltar - standards: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Republic of Ireland, Singapore and South Africa.

Applications in this regard are considered on a case-by-case basis. The following ships, however, are require to have a British Commonwealth, NATO, EU or EEA national as serving master - large passengerships, ro-ros, and product and chemical tankers.

A certificate of full registration is valid for a maximum period of one year. A certificate of bareboat registration is valid for a maximum of two years. A certificate of provisional registration, meanwhile, is valid for a period of three months once the ship is fully registered

In addition to registering vessels, the maritime administration is also able to register mortgages and related instruments at the Gibraltar shipping registry.

Admiralty law in Gibraltar is substantially the same as English law.
The fee for registering a vessel in Gibraltar is £450. There are three bands of tonnage tax, meanwhile.

• For vessels of up to and including 50,000 gross tons, the tax is £600 plus £0.07 per grt.
• For vessels of between 50,001 and 100,000 grt, the tax is £600 plus £0.07 per grt up to and including 50,000 grt, plus £0.04 per grt in excess of 50,000 grt.
• For vessels of 100,001 tons or more, the tax is £6000 plus £0.07 per grt up to and including 50,000 grt, plus Ï0.04 per grt from 50,0001 to 100,000 grt, plus £0.02 per grt in excess of 100,000 grt, subject to a maximum annual tonnage tax payable in the sum of £9,000.