Swiss Yacht Registration

Introduction

Although a landlocked country there are over 1,500 yachts sailing internationally under the Swiss flag which  is testament to the prestige, neutrality and unversal acceptance of the the flag for worldwide cruising.

Oceanskies is a Channel Island based yacht registration agency and the purpose of this guide to highlight the many advantages of the Swiss register and to introduce the Swiss yacht registration services that we provide.

About Switzerland

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. Switzerland is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association, but notably not part of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Eurozone. However, it participates in the Schengen Area  and the European Single Marker through bilateral treaties.

The Registry of Ships in Switzerland

The Swiss Office of Maritime Navigation (SMNO)  is responsible for the registration of all  Swiss registered vessels operating outside Switzerland. The SMNO also supervises the examining body authorised to issue and license the Swiss Certificate for Capacity (Swiss Certificate for Maritime Navigation). Recognised internationally, the Swiss Certificate has been issued since 2007 by the authorised examining body in a credit-card format.

Port of Registry

The principal Port of Registry is Basel. This means that the word BASEL appears on the stern of all Swiss  registered vessels, (although it is possible to nominate preferred spelling as BASEL, BÂLE or BASILEA).

The Flag ('Ensign')

Owners of Swiss registered yachts fly the Swiss flag. The flag of Switzerland displays a white cross in the centre of a square red field. The white cross is known as the Swiss cross. Its arms are equilateral, and their ratio of length to width is 7:6. The size of the cross in relation to the field was set in 2017 as 5:8. 

The Certificate of Swiss Registry

Upon completion of registration formalities a Swiss registered yacht is issued with a certificate of flag registration valid for sailing at sea and in foreign waters. The Certificate of Registry is valid for four years from the date of issue.

Eligibility – Yachts

The SMNO will accept for registration only private pleasure yachts up to 24 metres in registered lenght that are based and operated anywhere in the world.

Eligibility – Owners

The SMNO will accept only private individuals wh are Swiss citizens for registration.

For the avoidance of doubt Swiss residents who are not Swiss citizens cannot register in Switzerland. For Swiss residents who are not Swiss citizens we recommend instead that consideration is given to one of the British Registers such as the UK or Jersey who will allow a variety of international citizens direct access to their registers.

Summary of Features & Benefits of Yacht Registration in Switzerland

• Switzerland  is a neutral, politically stable and well-regarded jurisdiction
• Government funded, operated, backed and staffed ship registry
• High service levels driven by a customer first service ethos resulting in quick turnaround of applications
• No priority or rush fees – all applications are dealt with on a timely basis
• Wealth of experience – over 1,500 yachts current on the register
• Competitive registry fees
• European time zone
• Swiss  registration is valid internationally
• Swiss registered yachts do not have to ever physically visit Switzerland (unlike other registries, for example Delaware state registration which is only valid for yachts principally used in the State of Delaware)
• Certificate of Swiss Registry is valid for four years and at the end of the four year validity period the process for renewing the registration for a further four years is very easy
• Switzerland  is fiscally located outside the VAT territory of the EU making the register useful for non-EU resident owners wanting to operate VAT free in Europe and who are eligible to do so under Temporary Admission (Temporary Importation) relief

Swiss Yacht Registration By Oceanskies

Oceanskies is based in the Channel Islands and provides a fixed fee yacht registration service to all yacht owners wishing to take advantage of the benefits of Swiss flag registration for their yacht.

The registration service results in Oceanskies taking responsibility for the entire registration process on behalf of the owner.

Our fees include all registry fees and disbursements providing the internationally recognised Certificate of Swiss  Registry valid for four years and a  radio licence allocating the vessel’s call sign and MMSI number.

Other Swiss Yacht Registration Services by Oceanskies

Oceanskies are able to provide a range of stand alone fixed fee additional registration services including:

• Registration of new owner details in event of vessel transferring to a new owner qualified to maintain the Swiss registration of the vessel;
• Drafting of sale documents such as a Bill of Sale and any supporting documentation required by the Buyer of the vessel;
• Transfers of vessel registration to Switzerland from other Registries of Ships, (and vice versa);
• Effect change of vessel name;
• Make amendments to registered particulars of vessel;
• Renew registrations at end of four  year validity period;
• Arrange deletion / cancellation of Swiss registration to provide a deletion certificate.