Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Referat S11
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg
Anette Claudia Scholz
Phone: +49 40 31 90-7112
Fax: +49 40 31 90-5003
Mail: flaggenrecht@bsh.de
Jasmin Lohse
Phone: +49 40 31 90-7113
Fax: +49 40 31 90-5003
Mail: flaggenrecht@bsh.de
Lennart Neumann
Phone: +49 40 31 90-7115
Fax: +49 40 31 90-5003
Mail: flaggenrecht@bsh.de
Uta Paternoga
Phone: +49 40 31 90 71 14
Fax: +49 40 31 90 5003
Mail: flaggenzertifikate@bsh.de
Flag documents
Flying the Federal flag
The BSH administrates the German Flag Register and provides the shipping industry with documents of evidence of the authorization to carry the Federal Flag. All sea-going vessels receiving such a document are recorded in the Flag Register.
The authorization to fly the Federal Flag can be proven with one of the following documents:
- Flag Document
Yard trials or conveyance voyages to another port (in accordance with FlRG– Flaggenrechtsgesetz, section 10): application form
as well as for temporarily flagged-in foreign ships (in accordance with FlRG, section 11): application form - Flag Attestation
Ships operated by the government (upon free-text application);
exception: Flag Attestations for sea-going ships of the Federal Armed Forces are issued by the Federal Ministry of Defense - Flag Certificate
Is available for sea-going vessels of up to 15 m hull length (recreational craft); read more about the Flag Certificate - Certificate of Registry
not issued by BSH but by the shipping registers of sea-going ships: for merchant ships and any other sea-going ships
Sanction measures against Russia: Flag services
As of 5 December 2022 or 5 February 2023, European Economic Participants may only carry crude oil and petroleum products of Russian origin via maritime transport to third countries and perform the associated services such as technical assistance, brokering services, financing or financial assistance if said crude oil or petroleum products have been acquired at or under the prices stipulated by regulation by the EU Commission.
Article 3n of Council Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014, by which saction measuers against Russia are implemented, also covers "Flag services" by the respective Flag State. This means that, in case a permission covered by flag law is sought-after for a ship that can carry crude oil and petroleum products, either the exclusion from transport of Russian oil or the price limits for transport of goods covered by Annex XXVIII to third countries has to be proven in addition to providing the information and supporting documents required under German flag law.
As assistance as to how the conditions of Article 3n of Council Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014 are to be implemented and interpreted, a Guidance on oil price cap has been developed and published by bodies of the Commission.
Please note that the requirements for the attestations to be submitted changed as of 20 February 2024. Since then, these have to be issued per voyage (‘per-voyage’ attestation). The guidance on the oil price cap has also been up-dated and now also answers questions regarding this amemdment of the Council Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014.