Vessel Eligibility & Survey Requirements

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Vessels of any size and type having an age not exceeding 15 years, except cargo vessels with a gross tonnage less than 1000, passenger vessels, fishing vessels, coastal passenger and small passenger vessels, may be registered in the Cyprus Register of Ships or the Special Book of Parallel Registration as long as they comply with the provisions contained in the merchant shipping legislation and the circulars of the Department of Merchant Shipping.

Government Policy on the Registration of Vessels in the Cyprus Register of Ships

Language of Supporting Documentation

Cypriot legislation provides that all documents which refer to Cyprus ships (i.e. including documents for their registration) are admissible provided that they are drawn up in a language comprehensible to the competent officers of the Department of Merchant Shipping. In practice, most of the documents are admissible in the English language.  Such provision makes the registration of vessels faster and saves on translation expenses.

Ownership
The application for registration must be accompanied by documents attesting ownership and compliance with the various conditions which need to be fulfilled at the time of the provisional registration, the direct permanent registration or the parallel-in registration, as the case may be.

The entry / occasional inspection is carried out by the surveyors of the Department of Merchant Shipping at the expense of the shipowner/bareboat charterer.

The entry inspection of a vessel acquired by a person qualified to own a Cyprus vessel should be carried out at the latest within 3 months from the date of provisional or parallel-in registration, or within 1 month from the date of permanent registration, if effected directly.

The annual inspection of passenger vessels should be carried out within three months before or after the anniversary date of the registration of the vessel, unless alternative arrangements are agreed with the Department of Merchant Shipping, to take place during dry-docking or before re-activation, after winter laid-up period, or during planned maintenance.

Management and Operation of a Vessel

The management and operation of a vessel is evidenced by the Joint Declaration on the Operation of a Ship (form ISM.01Revision 2).

A vessel is considered as managed and operated by a ship management company if that company holds, or is to be issued by or on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus with a valid, for the type of the vessel, Document of Compliance (DoC) or Interim DoC and the vessel is to be issued with a Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or Interim SMC by or on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, indicating that it is operated by the said company.  Alternatively, the management of a vessel shall be proved by an audit of the management company carried out to the satisfaction of the Department of Merchant Shipping.  Such audit shall be carried out to the extent possible in accordance with the requirements of the ISM Code.

Request for Assessment and Certification in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS 74 and the ISM Code

The entry into force of Chapter IX of SOLAS 74, as from 1 July 2002, made the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) mandatory for all vessels, irrespective of type, of 500 gross tonnage and upwards.

The management companies must hold a valid Document of Compliance (DoC) and each vessel of 500 gross tons and upwards should be provided with a valid Safety Management Certificate (SMC).

Cyprus has already enacted the necessary legislation and the Department of Merchant Shipping has issued a Guidance Note, which contains, among other things:

Document of Safe Manning

Every Cyprus ship should be in possession of a valid document of safe manning specifying the number and composition of her complement. Owners of Cyprus ships should apply to the Department of Merchant Shipping requesting the issue of a document of safe manning.

If the vessel is designed and constructed with unattended machinery spaces, or is provided with any other automated machinery or remote controls, on account of which the owner may seek reduced manning, then the owner should indicate these in his application and should request the vessel’s classification society to advise the Department on these, including the corresponding class notation and confirm the class position of the vessel, as far as this notation is concerned.

If the vessel is to be engaged exclusively in trading in a particular geographical area and the owner seeks reduced manning on account of this, then he should indicate it by stating the names of the ports from which the vessel will be plying or by providing the geographical co-ordinates (latitude and longitude) and other appropriate information defining the geographical area in which the vessel will be sailing or by submitting an appropriately marked chart.

Safety and Security

The safety standards of the Cyprus fleet have been improved.  The number of casualties and the rate of port state control detentions have been dramatically reduced. This is evident by the classification of Cyprus into the White List of the Paris and Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control.

The International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS Code) has been adopted and is being implemented.  Already all ships under the Cyprus flag as well as all port facilities in Cyprus have been duly certified as complying with the requirements of this code.

Inspectors of Cyprus Ships

A global network of inspectors of Cyprus ships is established by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. The aim of the programme is the verification and enforcement of compliance of Cyprus ships with the applicable provisions of the national and international maritime legislation relating to safety, pollution prevention, the qualifications of the seafarers and the living and working conditions on board Cyprus ships. Several inspectors have so far been authorised to perform the aforementioned inspections.

These flag state inspections are carried out at no cost to the shipowners.

Classification Societies recognised by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus

Classification Societies authorised to carry out assessment, auditing, verification and certification of safety management system, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus