Ship mortgages for Part A registered ships

Registering a ship mortgage on a Part A registered ship

To register a mortgage on a ship, send the Maritime NZ Registrar of Ships:

• a Mortgage (to secure account current) form (form SR16) in two original signed copies, or
• a Mortgage (to secure principal sum and interest) form (form SR17) in two original signed copies

The fee to register a ship’s mortgage is NZ$490. After your application is received, you will be invoiced by Maritime NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

Mortgages are registered in the order the Registrar of Ships receives them. The approximate processing time is 10 working days from receipt of correctly completed documents and payment of the fee once invoice received.

Discharging a mortgage

To discharge a mortgage on a ship, send the Registrar of Ships:

the original registered mortgage (the mortgage endorsed by the Registrar of Ships) with the discharge section completed in full and signed by the mortgagee

The fee to discharge a ship’s mortgage is NZ$245. After your application is received, you will be invoiced by Maritime NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

If the discharge is signed by an attorney for the mortgagee, also send:

• a certified copy of the power of attorney, and
• a certificate of non‑revocation of power of attorney.

Procedure to discharge a mortgage where the original mortgage is lost

If the original registered ship’s mortgage is lost, to discharge the mortgage you must send the Maritime NZ Registrar of Ships:

a statutory declaration of loss made by the ship’s mortgagee, giving full details of how the original mortgage was lost

The fee to discharge a ship’s mortgage is NZ$245. After your application is received, you will be invoiced by Maritime NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

There is no specific format for the statutory declaration of loss, but it must comply with the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957.

• If the mortgagee is a company, the person making the declaration must state their position in the company and confirm they are authorised to act on its behalf.
• The declaration must include:
• enough information to properly identify the ship and the mortgage
• details of how the original mortgage was lost
• confirmation that all money owing under the mortgage has been repaid.

You do not need a separate discharge of mortgage form.

Please contact the Registrar of Ships for more information. Email: [email protected]

Varying the priority of mortgages

To vary the priority of a mortgage on a ship, send the Registrar of Ships:

a Variation of priority of mortgages form (form SR18) in two original signed copies

The fee to vary the priority of a ship’s mortgage is NZ$368. After your application is received, you will be invoiced by Maritime NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

Transactions are registered in the order they are received by the Registrar of Ships. The approximate processing time is 10 working days from receipt of correctly completed documents and payment of the fee.

Alter the terms of a mortgage

To alter the terms of a mortgage on a ship, send the Registrar of Ships:

an Alteration of terms of mortgage by endorsement form (form SR19) in two original signed copies

The fee to alter the terms of a ship’s mortgage is NZ$368. After your application is received, you will be invoiced by Maritime NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

Transactions are registered in the order they are received. The approximate processing time is 10 working days from receipt of correctly completed documents and payment of the fee once invoiced.

Death of a ship’s mortgagee

Registering the death of a joint mortgagee

When a joint mortgagee of a registered mortgage dies, the mortgage passes to the remaining joint mortgagee(s) by operation of law.

The transmission must be registered before the surviving joint mortgagee(s) can deal with the mortgage, for example before they can transfer or discharge it.

To register the death of a joint mortgagee, send the Registrar of Ships:

• a Declaration of transmission (form SR13) completed by the surviving joint mortgagee(s)
• a Declaration of identity (form SR29) made by a person well acquainted with the deceased, who is not one of the joint mortgagee(s) to whom the mortgage will be transmitted
• a certified copy of the deceased’s death certificate

The fee for transmission of a ship’s mortgage on the death of a joint mortgagee is NZ$368. After your application is received, the new owner will be invoiced by Maritme NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

Transactions are registered in the order they are received. The approximate processing time is 10 working days from receipt of correctly completed documents and payment of the fee.

Registering the death of a sole ship’s mortgagee

When the sole mortgagee of a registered mortgage dies, the mortgage passes by transmission to the legal personal representative(s) of the deceased, usually the trustees of the deceased’s estate.

The transmission must be registered before the legal personal representative(s) can deal with the mortgage, for example transfer or discharge it.

To register the death of a sole mortgagee, send the Registrar of Ships:

• a Declaration of transmission (form SR13) made by the legal personal representative(s) to whom the mortgage will be transmitted
• a certified copy of probate or letters of administration

The fee for transmissions of a ship’s mortgage on the death of a sole mortgagee is NZ$368. After your application is received, the new owner will be invoiced by Maritme NZ, with information also provided about how to pay.

Transactions are registered in the order they are received. The approximate processing time is 10 working days from receipt of correctly completed documents and payment of the fee once invoiced.

Other forms of transmission

For other forms of transmission by operation of law, for example to the Crown, Public Trustee, or by court order, contact the Maritime NZ Registrar of Ships.

How to send your application

You can send your application via email, courier or post:

Email [email protected]

By courier:

Registrar of Ships

Regulatory Licensing Operators

Maritime NZ

1 Grey Street

Wellington 6011

New Zealand

By post:

Registrar of Ships

Regulatory Licensing Operators

Maritime NZ

PO Box 25620

Wellington 6140

New Zealand

Contact us

If you have any questions about ship registration, contact Maritime NZ.