Eligibility to register a ship in the UK needs to be considered at the outset.
For Parts I and IV, applications may be made from
- British Citizens
- British Dependant Territories citizens
- British Citizens living overseas
- Citizens of an EU member state exercising their rights under articles 48 or 52 of the EU Treaty in the UK
- Companies incorporated in one of the EEA countries
- Companies incorporated in any British overseas possession which have their principal place of business in the UK or those possessions
- European Economic Interest Groupings
When none of the qualified owners are resident in the UK, a representative person must be appointed who may be either:
- An individual resident in the UK
- A Company incorporated in one of the EEA countries with a place of business in the UK
Part II allows applications from
- British Citizens
- Citizens of an EU member state exercising their rights under articles 48 or 52 of the EU Treaty in the UK
- Companies which are incorporated in one of the EEA countries and which have a place of business in the UK
- European Economic Interest Groupings
When none of the qualified owners are resident in the UK, a representative person must be appointed who may be either:
- An individual resident in the UK
- A Company incorporated in one of the EEA countries with a place of business in the UK
- A local authority in the United Kingdom
Small Ships Register (Part III) allows applications from
- British Citizens
- British Dependent Territories Citizens
- British Overseas Citizens
- Persons who under the British Nationality Act 1981 are British subjects
- Persons who under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 are British Nationals (overseas)
- Commonwealth Citizens not falling within those paragraphs
- Citizens of an EU member state exercising their rights under articles 48 or 52 of the EU Treaty in the UK