The type of ship registration needed

Use our flow chart to find out if you need to register your ship, and if so, the type of registration that you need to apply for.

The requirement to register a ship and the type of registration required is defined under the Ship Registration Act 1992.

Not all ships are required to be registered, and some can be registered voluntarily.

The type of registration required depends on several factors, including the following:

• if the ship will be used commercially or for pleasure
• the length of the ship
• if the ship is New Zealand or foreign owned
• if the ship will go overseas.

Part A registration is mainly for larger commercial vessels. Part B registration is mainly for pleasure vessels that need nationality for overseas voyaging.

Registration type flow chart [PDF: 62Kb, 1 page]