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Vanuatu Maritime

The Vanuatu registry combines safety and quality with low costs

Recognised even by its competitors as a safety and quality-conscious registry, Vanuatu currently has about 520 vessels on its registry.

Open registry
The 1981 enactment of the Vanuatu Maritime Act established the Vanuatu international ship registry as an open registry. The Act and its regulations have been updated a number of times to ensure that Vanuatu remains on the cutting edge. Vanuatu is a member of the IMO, the FAO, the United Nations, the British Commonwealth, and has a privileged relationship with the European Union. Its registry is open to owners of any nationality. Likewise, seafarers may be of any nationality, provided they are competent, qualified and certificated.

Vanuatu assigns high priority to the safety and quality of its ships. It has adopted all appropriate IMO conventions and will not register a vessel until it is shown to be safe, seaworthy and, where appropriate, classed with a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies. Vanuatu acceded to the Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, is on the IMO ‘white list’, and fully complies with the 1995 STCW amendments.

Vanuatu Maritime Services
With its executive offices in Port Vila, Vanuatu Maritime Services Limited (VMSL), the maritime administrator, operates a New York registry office that handles day-to-day operations including registrations, inspections and investigations. The registry also has deputy commissioners in London, Athens, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, San Diego and Yokohama. Elsewhere, a large team of special agents has been established. VMSL’s goal is to provide prompt, quality service at a low cost. A 50% decrease in initial registration fees for larger vessels will make the registry even more attractive for ship owners.

VMSL’s staff are active in numerous safety and quality organisations, including the American Society of Safety Engineers, SNAME, Marine Accident Investigators International Forum, Marine Society of New York, Nautical Institute, Council of American Master Mariners, US Coast Guard’s Navigation Safety Advisory Council, and North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners Association. The New York office is certified to an ISO 9000 quality system. Vanuatu is not on any Port State Control black list and its casualty record remains excellent compared with the world average.

Website: www.vanuatuships.com

www.vanuatuships.com