Hamburg District Court

Apply for registration in the shipbuilding register

Would you like to have your ship construction publicly registered? Learn how to apply for entry in the Shipbuilding Register here.

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Detailed description

A ship under construction is an unfinished vessel that is currently under construction, for example in a shipyard.


You can already legally register a ship under construction and have it entered in the shipbuilding register. This may be the case, for example, if you want to secure the financing with a ship mortgage or if the ship under construction is to be put up for auction.


Once the ship is completed, it is no longer considered a ship under construction, but a ship. The completed ship can be entered into the ship register.

 

Information

Prerequisites

  • At the same time as the ship is registered in the shipbuilding register, a ship mortgage is registered or compulsory auction is applied for.
  • The ship construction is registered in the register of the place of construction.
  • As the owner of the shipyard or as the proprietor, you must properly register the ship construction for registration.

Documents required

  • Application for registration of the ship construction with details of the owner, ship name, ship number or other designation, ship type, shipyard and place of construction
  • certified declaration of the shipyard owner regarding the acquisition of ownership
  • Certificate from the responsible ship measurement authority or calibration authority

Please note

The District Court does not provide legal advice. For legal advice, please contact a law firm or notary office of your choice.



Due to international treaties between the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and other federal states, the Hamburg Ship Register is also responsible for the following areas: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse.


Therefore, you can apply for registration at the Hamburg Ship Register, which is locally responsible for seagoing vessels, inland waterway vessels and ship structures.

Deadlines

no

Procedure

  • You apply for registration in the shipbuilding register
  • You submit the required documents.
  • The responsible agency will review your application and documents for completeness and accuracy. If necessary, it may request additional documents or information from you.
  • The responsible judicial officers of the registry court will examine your application and decide on it.
  • Your ship construction will be entered in the shipbuilding register.
  • You will receive confirmation of your registration.

Processing time

The processing time depends on the individual case.

Fees

Fees apply for registering the ship. The amount of the fees depends on the value of the ship.

Legal remedies

Complaint

Legal basis

§§ 65 ff. Ship Register Ordinance (SchRegO)


https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/schrego/BJNR015910940.html#BJNR015910940BJNG000501307

Address and contact information

Hamburg District Court

Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-1 p.m., applications until 3 p.m., Fridays until 2 p.m.

In addition to the files for the home port of Hamburg, the ship register of the district court of Hamburg also keeps the files for the home port of Berlin and home port of Brandenburg.

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Last updated: 06.02.2026