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Are you in the process of registering a vessel purchased in Finland used for merchant shipping? Watch registration instructions from here.

Please note that the vessel must be entered in the Register of Merchant Vessels separately if you plan to apply for financial aid for merchant vessels for a vessel registered in the Transport Register (Act on Improving the Competitiveness of Vessels engaged in Maritime Transport (1277/2007)). More information about this , (only in finnish).

1

Check the documents

You will need the original or a notarised copy of the Builders Certificate as well as the ship's documents of title as of its completion. A document of title can be a Bill of Sale and/or Protocol of Delivery and Acceptance, for example.

If the final transfer of title to the ship is not clear from the documents (the transfer is usually tied to such transactions as the payment of the sales price), the receipt of payment or the Deed of Transfer will be required. The Bill of Sale and the Deed of Transfer for the ship must be signed by the buyer, the seller and two witnesses. The original documents will be returned to you.

The ship's documents of title can be submitted as copies if ownership was transferred within the last two months. In this case the original or notarised copies of the ship's documents of title must be delivered to the register to be checked within two months of the transfer of ownership.

You will need the international tonnage certificate issued by Trafi or Traficom. If the length of the ship is at least 12 metres, an international tonnage certificate must be issued for the ship before the registration. For a ship with a length of between 10 and 12 metres, a tonnage measurement certificate issued by the body carrying out the measurement is sufficient.

If you don't have a right to sign for the shipowner, you will also need a power of attorney.

2

Fill in and print the registration application

Check that you have entered the contact details of the applicant or the agent so we can easily be in contact you with, if need be. Please ensure that the name and domicile of the ship are the same on both the application and the international tonnage certificate.

3

Post the documents

Send the documents to the address on the application form.

Handling time is normally about 10 working days.

Passenger vessels or cargo vessels with a gross tonnage of at least 500 tonnes and sailing in international waters must have a continuous synopsis record .

If the ship is used in foreign traffic, it must have call sign. Send a free-form signal letter application by e-mail to kirjaamo@traficom.fi and alusrekisteri@traficom.fi.