BVI CATEGORY I RED ENSIGN SHIPPING REGISTRY
 
The BVI recently reached another historic milestone upon Order in Council in the United Kingdom Parliament promoting the territory to a Category One Red Ensign ship registry
 
Generally, Category One administrations may register ships of unlimited tonnage, type and size.  The BVI will be register all types of yachts, including mega yachts and super yachts up to 3000 gross tons (GT) and general cargo ships of unlimited tonnage.  The the Director of Shipping, Captain Sallah, has stated that “over 95% of yachts presently in operation around the world are less than 3000 GT”.  For the time being the BVI will not register specialist vessels such as oil tankers, ore carriers and cruise-liners.
 
Blenheim has many years experience in the registration of yachts in Road Harbour and the BVI is one of the preferred jurisdictions worldwide.  UK persons, (including crown dependencies and overseas territories), may register a vessel in the BVI hence foreign nationals typically form a BVI Business Company for this purpose and as a limited liability vehicle and owner of perpetual existence to own the vessel.
 
The application requirements are minimal and the cost is negligible involving only a small annual registration fee and initial costs such as a survey and carving and marking note.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact the ship registration professionals at Blenheim who will be pleased to assist with the entire registration process, registration and obtaining your yacht owners BVI registry “blue book”.

Note: The Red Ensign Group is comprised of the United Kingdom and it Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey and UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and the Turks & Caicos Islands.