The announcement made by the UK Ship Registry states:
This means that any currently ongoing UK registration that has not been completed or any new registration application by an EU citizen who is not settled in the UK will be declined.
We understand that EU citizens who are not settled in the United Kingdom who have already registered their vessel in the UK will be allowed to continue their registration. However, when the time comes to renew their registration at the end of their Certificate of British Registry’s five-year validity period they will not be allowed to renew.
It should be noted that vessels registered in the UK in the name of EU companies remain eligible for registration and are unaffected by this change.
We suggest that we register the vessel under the British flag in Jersey instead of the UK.
We suggest that prior to the expiry of their current registration that we make a transfer of port procedure under the British flag from the UK to Jersey.
Registration under the Jersey flag will provide all of the same benefits of the British ‘red ensign’ flag associated with UK registration. There’s also the added benefit that a Jersey flag registration will not attract UK Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) saving owners 12% on their annual insurance premiums.
Read our Jersey registration guide
We're hopeful that this is a temporary situation, and that once the UK Ship Registry are able to amend their shipping legislation they will allow EU citizens not settled in the UK direct access to the register.