Part B ship registration

Part B registration is mainly for pleasure vessels that need nationality for overseas voyaging. Read about the required form, fee and application process to register your ship under Part B.

Part B registration:

• provides a ship with New Zealand nationality when it goes on overseas voyages
• protects a ship's name for as long as it is registered
• lasts for five years only. It can be renewed at the end of five years if there have been no changes to the details on the Certificate of Registration. Registration automatically terminates if there are any changes in the ship’s ownership or changes made to the ship.

A person wanting to register a ship under Part B of the register needs to send Maritime New Zealand’s Registrar of Ships the following:

• an Application for Part B Registration (form SR3). The original form must be lodged. It cannot be accepted by fax or email
• evidence of closure of any previous overseas registration if applicable
• a fee of NZ$426.00.

Application for Registration of a Ship in Part B (form SR3) [PDF: 338Kb, 11 pages]

No measurement by a surveyor is required for Part B registration. You must measure the ship's overall length using the diagrams that are included with the application form.

The approximate processing time for a Part B registration is five working days from receipt of the correctly completed application, supporting documents (if applicable) and payment of the fee.

Where to get further assistance

A general guide to ship registration [PDF: 1Mb, 7 pages]

Contact Maritime New Zealand’s Registrar of Ships