FAQs

No. Only original application forms which contain the ‘wet signature’ of the applicant can be accepted for registration.

i.    The current name of ship:
The current name is the name reflected on the most recent document (Licence or Certificate of Registry) issued by the ship registry or official vessel documentation center with which the vessel is currently registered or documented.  If the vessel is unregistered, the name marked on the vessel should be used. 

ii.    The Desired Name of ship:
The Desired name is the name to be marked on the ship.  This name will appear on the certificate of registry, when the ship is registered in Jamaica.  

iii.    Alternative Names:
The Name(s) to be considered for the vessel if the Desired Name is not available.  Alternative Names should be provided in the order of preference.

Although not mandatory, alternate names should be submitted as the desired name may not be accepted. 
 

The proposed date of registration is the date on which registration is desired to be effected.

Yes. Roman letters and Roman or Arabic Numerals may be used in a vessel name.

If the vessel is a Jamaican ship or was last registered in Jamaica, the information to be provided is that appearing on the Certificate of Registry or De-Registration Certificate issued to the vessel.  

If the vessel has a foreign registration, the information appearing on the certificate of registry for the flag should be used.  

If the vessel is unregistered, “N/A” should be entered.
 

The Caribship Number only applies to vessels of under 24 metres, operating in Jamaican waters exclusively. 

This is the city and country where the vessel is located.  It is the location where the vessel will be marked with the Jamaican Port of Registry or surveyed for registration. 

For vessels based in Jamaica, it may be the property, beach or port, from which the vessel operates
 

The area where the vessel will operate; for example in the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Mediterranean or international.

All measurement provided must be in metric units. Lengths must be the overall length, expressed in metres.

This refers to the mechanism by which the ship moves through the water (whether by motor, steam, wind, nuclear, battery, etc).

The serial number is the unique number imprinted in the hull, by which the vessel is particularly identified.  It is also understood to be the Hull Number for the ship. In ships of 100 gt and above, the IMO Number is used instead. The Serial /Hull Number must be provided.

In the case of a ship, the year of build is the date the Keel was laid.  In the case of an engine, it is the year of building of the engine.

The year of build is different from and should not be confused with the year of re-build.  The latter is when major refurbishing/refitting of the vessel ended.
 

The builder of a ship is any individual or entity responsible for laying the keel or casting the mold in the construction of a ship.   The full street address should be provided for the builder.  

This refers to the fuel used to propel the vessel, whether electricity, gasoline, diesel, LNG, etc.

The name that appears on the Bill of Sale or Builders Certificate should be used. 

The full legal name and contact information of the owner (individual or entity) must be provided in all instances where the name and contact information of the owner is requested. 

The name of the owner should be the same as that reflected on the Certificate of Incorporation or Establishment, the Certificate of Partnership, or Jamaican Passport certificate of Jamaican citizenship (if an individual), which is required in support of the application.  
 

The full registered (street) address of the owner, if an entity, or the residential (street) address of the individual owner, must be provided. 

Where the current address differs from that reflected on the Bill of Sale, the address on the Bill of Sale should be used.  

A P.O. Box address cannot serve as a substitute for the residential address.
 

Where the application requests a mailing address, it may either be a physical street address or a P.O. Box. However, the mailing address must always be a valid physical location where mail may be deposited.

The email address of the owner should be inserted.

The direct telephone number of the owner should be inserted.

The information submitted must provide for direct contact with the individual owner (reflected on the Bill of Sale) or the director of the owning entity (appearing on the Notice of Directors). Acceptable contact information allowing for the owning director to be readily contacted may include, but is not limited to:
•    Email address (minimum requirement)
•    Telephone number
•    Mobile number

Information related to the shipmanager, authorized representative, or individual with power of attorney, may not serve as the direct contact for the owner.
 

An owner may not wish to be directly contacted regarding ‘routine’ matters about a vessel. This primary contact will be used as the main point of communication with the owner, in such an event. All communication with the primary contact will be deemed to have been held with the owner. The name and contact information for such a person, should be stated.

Where the owner has a formal arrangement with an independent third party to serve as primary contact and in which the third party assumes all obligations of the owner in this regard, the Registrar may be so notified by way of a Power of Attorney which must be duly executed (and notarized if from outside of Jamaica or certified by a Justice of the Peace, if in Jamaica) and be otherwise executed in compliance with the Laws of Jamaica.
 

After Hours Number for the contact person

A suitable mailing address should be indicated. The owner will be deemed to have received the correspondence the moment it is deposited at the given address.

An Authorized Representative is a company incorporated in Jamaica or a Jamaican Individual with an address in Jamaica, appointed by the owner of a vessel being registered in Jamaica, to meet the requirement of the Shipping Act (section 20) for a managing owner or agent in Jamaica. The managing owner or agent facilitates the service of documents under section 449 (c.) of the Shipping Act.  The Authorized Representative, having been appointed by the owner, is not (considered as) the owner of the vessel. 

All routine correspondence regarding a vessel will be with the owner/owner’s primary contact. Communication with the Authorized Representative is reserved only for instances where the owner cannot be contacted.   

Authorized Representatives may be required to provide evidence of their incorporation in Jamaica or their Jamaican nationality, in respect of each vessel represented.  This will be by way of a certified copy of the entity’s Certificate of Incorporation and Passport or National Identification and proof or address, in the case of individuals. Annually, they may be required to confirm vessels they represent as Authorized Representative.  

The minimum required contact information, in addition to a street address, is an email address.

Direct contact information for the authorized representative only, may be provided.
 

Yes.  Each application must be complete with required supporting documents to ‘stand on its own’ as a complete record.

The Declaration of ownership is the buyer’s confirmation of the transfer of the vessel from the seller as well as that they now own the vessel, having accepted the transfer.  A Bill of Sale reflects the seller and the buyer, however, only the seller signs. The Declaration of Ownership may be a separate form or incorporated into another form as in the case of the application for registration of a yacht. 

A Bill of Sale is a final document evidencing sale of a vessel/property. It is issued by a seller at the ‘closing’ of the sale, after all conditions of a sale agreement have been satisfied. It distinctly identifies:
i. The vessel (including hull/serial number)
ii. The seller (at an address)
iii. The buyer (at an address)
iv. The number of shares transferred
v. Whether the ownership is sole, joint or in common
vi. Whether the vessel is transferred with encumbrance
vii. The date of the (final) transfer
viii. The signatory on the behalf of the seller/the seller

For acceptance in the process of registration, the seller must sign in the presence of a Notary Public or a Justice of the Peace.  An original Bill of Sale is required for registration of a vessel (or Builder’s Certificate if the vessel has never been transferred).
 

The MAJ/JSR has neither a form of a Bill of Sale nor stipulation governing the form of a Bill of Sale for acceptance. Any document identified as a Bill of Sale which provides the information in “1”, above, will be acceptable for registration.

A Builder’s Certificate is acceptable where the vessel was contracted from a Builder and subsequently submitted for registration. 
 

Part A: Confirming the Vessel's Registration Status

Before registering a mortgage, request a Transcript of the Register, or a viewing of the Register Entry, for the vessel. This confirms that the vessel is registered and that there is no restriction on registering a further mortgage. Where a mortgage is already registered, there is usually a restriction on registering a subsequent mortgage without the prior written consent of the existing mortgagee. The Transcript sets out the vessel's owners, mortgages, and particulars as at the date and time of issue.

Step 1. Send a request for a Transcript of the Register, or to view the Register Entry, to the Registrar (registrar@jamaicaships.com). The Registrar will respond with the necessary guidance.

Step 2. Pay the applicable fee. An invoice for the service will be provided by the Registry.

Step 3. Receive the Transcript. An original document is sent to the address provided. An electronic copy is sent first, to the email address from which the request was received.

Part B: Registering the Mortgage

Step 1. Submit the (Short Form) Mortgage document, duly executed. We ask that the supporting documents referred to in the mortgage also be submitted for review, to ensure consistency among the documents. The mortgage can be registered without them; only the Short Form Mortgage is used in the registration itself.

Step 2. Payment of fees. An invoice will be issued once all other administrative requirements are satisfied. Settlement of the invoice triggers processing of the request.

Step 3. Approval of the mortgage. The mortgagee is vetted for sanctions and OFAC compliance.

Step 4. Registration and endorsement of the mortgage. Where the mortgage meets the requirements for entry in the Register, it is entered.

Step 5. Notification of registration. Where requested, a Transcript is issued to evidence registration of the mortgage. Where a second original copy of the mortgage documents is received, it is endorsed with the date and time of registration, at present free of charge, and returned to the sender, as provided for.

Step 6. Dispatch of documents. Documents are dispatched as instructed, including where original copies are to be delivered; an electronic copy is sent first in every case.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Registrar at registrar@jamaicaships.com.

Only Citizens of Jamaica may be registered as owner of a Jamaican ship. Individuals not born in Jamaica, must be deemed to be Jamaican Citizens by the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA). 

Individual owners will provide either:
1.    A valid Jamaican Passport
2.    Certificate of Naturalization (issued by the Jamaica Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency)
3.    National Passport reflecting a current status as "Permanent Resident", granted by PICA.