Ownership

The following are qualified to own a Jamaican ship:

• Citizens of Jamaica
• Commonwealth Citizens deemed Jamaican
• Bodies Corporate established in Jamaica and having a place of business, managing owner or agent in Jamaica;
• Partnerships and Limited Partnerships established in Jamaica and having business or managing owner or agent in Jamaica
• Foreign Maritime Entities and foreign companies established in a jurisdiction other than Jamaica and having a managing owner or agent in Jamaica. Foreign entity includes partnerships or limited partnerships established in a jurisdiction

Types of Registration

First Time Ship Registration

1. Completion and submission of the following Forms :

• Application for Registration and Notice of Name of Ship.
• Declaration of Ownership - (must be notarised)
• Application for Minimum Safe Manning Certificate.
• Application for Radio Station Licence.
• Declaration of Information for Continuous Synopsis Record.
• Declaration of Company Security Officer.
• Applications for Endorsements. The Application Form lists the supporting documentation to be submitted to allow verification of the crew qualification.
• Mortgage Form (where applicable).

2. Submission of the following Documentation :

• Certificate of Incorporation,
• Notice of Directors
• Articles of Association or similar document of Owning Entity
• Certificate of Good Standing.
• Power of Attorney (where applicable) executed by the Owning Company in favour of the person(s) signing the various Forms for registration.
• LRIT Conformance Test Report.
• Bill of Sale or Builder's Certificate or Condemnation Order - duly executed.
• Certificate of Deletion or DeRegistration or Cancellation from previous Registry.
• Statutory Certificates issued under the previous Registry.
• International Tonnage Certificate (ITC) from previous Registry.
• DOC and SMC of the Vessel, evidencing compliance with the ISM Code.

3. Other Requirements :

• Confirmation from Class indicating the validity of the Safety Certificates. Any exemption / conditions pertaining to the Certificates are to be indicated.
• Radio Accounting Authority's confirmation in respect of the management of the vessel's radio accounts, in the form of a Letter on the AAIC's Letterhead.
• INMARSAT approved PSA (Point of Service Activation) Contractor (ONLY in the event that the AAIC does not also serve as a PSA).
• Payment of all applicable fees and costs.

Provisional Registration may be effected upon the submission of faxed or e-mailed copies of forms / documents. The original documents must be submitted within 30 days of the provisional registration

Statutory certificates issued under the previous Registry are not required to be submitted in original.

Previously Registered Ships

A ship which has been registered in a foreign registry is not eligible to be registered in Jamaica unless evidence has been supplied to the satisfaction of the Registrar that:

• The ship has been de-registered on or before the day that the registration is to be effected in Jamaica.
• No mortgage is outstanding against the ship or where there is a mortgage outstanding, that the holders of such mortgage has consented in writing to the de-registration of the ship’s foreign registration.

Bare Boat Charter Registration

The Shipping Act provides for parallel registration to the JSR or bareboat (out) registration in cases where it is the Charter’s wish to use a different flag for a ship originally registered in Jamaica. During the period of the charter, mortgages may continue to be recorded in the Jamaican register but, in other respects, the Jamaican registration is suspended.

Reciprocally, provided that the law of the country of original registration allow, ships may be bareboat chartered onto the Jamaican register.

The basic conditions, which apply to Bareboat (In), are:

• The charterer must have have complete management and operational control of the ship including the employment of the master and the crew;
• An application for Bareboat Charter Registration must be made;
• The written consent of the owner of the underlying registry of the ship must be obtained;
• The written consent of the authorised authority of the underlying registry;
• The written consent of any mortgagee of the underlying registry of the ship must be obtained;
• A declaration of Bareboat Charter must be made by the Charterer that the ship is subject to charter by demise, in lieu of a declaration of ownership;
• A certified copy of the Bareboat charter party must be rendered to the Jamaican registrar;
• The vessel is required to comply with the Shipping Laws and regulations of Jamaica for the duration of the charter;
• The vessel must fly the Jamaican flag during the period of Bareboat charter
  

A ship to be bareboat registered into the Jamaican registry shall retain the name it is registered in the underlying registry, provided that’s such name is not already that of a registered Jamaican ship or a name so similar as to calculated to deceive. If change of name is necessary or desired the consent of the owner, mortgagee and underlying registry is required.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR BAREBOAT CHARTER REGISTRATION

Bare Boat In

1. Consent of Shipowners, Underlying Registry and Mortgage
2. Application of Bareboat Charter
3. Declaration of Bareboat Charter indicating that the charterer is qualified to own a Jamaican ship
4. Transcript of underlying registry
5. Bareboat Charter Party
6. Appointment of authorised Agent ( where appropriate)
7. Consent for change of name ( where applicable)
8. Written application for MMSI number and Radio Cal Sign
9. Certificate of Survey
10. Carving and Marking Note duly Completed
11. Consent of Mortgage for registration
12. Certificate of Company Incorporation and Certificate of Good Standing
13. International Tonnage Certificate

Bareboat Out

1. Application for Bareboat Charter Registration in a Foreign Registry
2. Consent in writing of mortgages ( where applicable)
3. Written undertaking by owner to surrender the Jamaican Certificate of Registry
4. undertaking by charterer that the Jamaican flag shall not be displayed during the period of bareboat charter registration.
5. Copy of the bareboat charter party

Fees and Discounts

The registration and annual fee for a Jamaican ship are determined according to its gross tonnage and are outlined in the fee schedule.

Discounts are available to the shipowner on Initial Registration or Annual Fees where:

• The ship being registered is less than 9 years old
• More than one vessel is being registered
• The ship being registered is a passenger ship exceeding 10,000 gross tonnes
• The ship has, in the preceding 5 years, consistently met the requirements of the Shipping Act and any regulations made thereunder relating to the maritime safety and pollution prevention
• The technical management or crewing of the ship is carried out by an entity established and operating in Jamaica
• A minimum of 20% or five members ( whichever is greater) of the crew and including at least one officer, are Jamaican Nationals;
• In the case of a passenger ship over 10,000 gross tonnes, the home port during the 12 month period prior to the anniversary due date, was in Jamaica.

Taxation & Concessions

Under the Shipping Act:

• No tax shall be charged or payable on the income of a shipping entity in respect of gains or profits derived from the ownership or operation of a registered Jamaican ship, or on any dividend paid to the shareholders or partners in this regard.
• No tax shall be payable by any person on interest or other income payable to him by any shipping entity registered in respect of any loan raised or debt due by such shipping entity for the purpose of acquiring the ownership of a Jamaican ship or for the purpose of operation of such ship.
• No tax shall be payable by any seafarer on income derived from employment on a Jamaican registered ship.
• A Jamaican registered ship is exempt from death or succession duties and transfer tax, duty on documents.
• In addition Jamaican has double taxation agreements with many countries.