Life saving appliances:

BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Referat Nautik
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg


Peer Lange
Phone: +49 40 361 37-319
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mobile: +49 171 882 70 68
Mail: nautik@bg-verkehr.de



Fire protection equipment:

BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Referat Brandschutz
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg


Jens Niehus
Phone: +49 40 361 37-201
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: jens.niehus@bg-verkehr.de

Carsten Hackl
Phone: +49 40 361 37-241
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: carsten.hackl@bg-verkehr.de


John Martens
Phone: +49 40 361 37-269
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: john.martens@bg-verkehr.de



Navigational and radio equipment:

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Referat S22
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg

Matthias Lafrentz
Phone: +49 40 31 90-7210
Fax: +49 40 31 90-50 00
Mail: matthias.lafrentz@bsh.de



Medical equipment:

BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Seeärztlicher Dienst
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg


Jan Schultz
Phone: +49 40 36137-335
Fax: +49 40 36137-333
Mail: jan.schultz@bg-verkehr.de

Equipment for the ship

No conversions for a change of flag

The German flag stands for high safety standards. This does not mean, however, that a ship has to undergo conversion construction upon changing the flag. German special provisions are a thing of the past. Although, different to other flag states, the German flag state applies the recommendations of the International Maritime Organization on a mandatory basis. An example: in the SOLAS Convention, chapter II-2, regulation 13, 4.2, emergency exits in the engine room are recommended to offer seafarers an easy way to escape in case of fire. Present-day ships readily fulfill these safety standards. On older ships additional Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBD’s) make up for the poor accessibility of emergency exits.

At a change of flag, ship’s equipment with a SOLAS-approval which does not meet the requirements of the Marine Equipment Directive (so called wheel mark) may remain on board and does not have to be exchanged. A verification and listing of the equipment concerned as well as approval by the Ship Safety Division is required.

We have compiled the few additional German/ EU requirements regarding ship safety in the list "Additional statutory requirements".

Equip your ship: bring legislative texts on board and install new home port

Although the shipping industry is very international, a change of flag always means a change to the legal requirements of the respective flag state. Please equip your ship for a change of flag with the legislative texts and information boards according to our equipment list. You can bring the legislative texts as electronic data on board.

With a change of flag the home port of the ship changes too; the new German home port needs to be installed at the stern of the ship. A new load line mark is not necessary, however.

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bild ausrüstung für das schiff 

Up-to-date on-board pharmacy for change of flag

According to the Maritime Labour Convention seafarers on board a seagoing vessel are entitled to a comparable medical standard to the one in their homeland. Hence why, the German flag stipulates higher medical requirements in comparison to the international standard. For a change of flag, you, as shipowner, have to equip the on-board pharmacy to German standard. The easiest way to go about this is to contact a pharmacy with experience in medical equipment for seagoing vessels. Read about the necessary medical equipment on board (“State of medical knowledge”) under our heading "Maritime Medicine".

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Flagging-in ships with asbestos