Fees

• Low priced fees under German flag
• Fees calculator
• Ordinances on fees are the basis
• Different kinds of fees
• No block fee agreements possible
• Overview of the most relevant fees

Low priced fees under German flag

Ship surveys, issuance of certificates, verifications of documents – the costs of these and other services of the German flag are covered by fees. The fees of the German flag are very reasonable: especially the costs of certificates regarding the ship are low priced in comparison to other flag states. The annual registration fee for ships does not exist under German flag either.

The costs of ship surveys of ships with a class are usually settled between shipowner and classification society in, so called, block fee contracts.

Changing to the German flag is particularly good value when the ship is already registered in a German shipping register and is currently trading under a foreign flag – this is the normal case. This is when no registration fees apply but only minor costs for the certificate of registry and further documents, if applicable, need to be covered.

For crew members working on German-flagged ships the medical fitness examination for seafarers is free of charge as the BG Verkehr covers the costs.

Fees calculator

Transparency regarding fess is important to us. With our

Fees Calculator

you can calculate the most important fees for merchant ships engaged in international trade yourself.

Please note:
As of 1 October 2024, the "BSH-Gebührenverordnung" (Ordinance of fees of the BSH) has been integrated into the Special ordinance of fees of the BMDV - BMDV-WS-BesGebV). Some of the fees of the BSH have been changed. These changes will soon be considered in the Fees Calculator.

Ordinances on fees are the basis

The fees for the services of the German flag are established in several ordinances on fees (Gebührenverordungen), among others these are:

• Special Ordinance on fees of the BMDV - BMDV-WS-BesGebV; Section 4 of the Annex lists the fees of the BSH and Section for those of the BG Verkehr)
• Gerichts- und Notarkostengesetz (GKNotG; registration of seagoing vessels)
• Besondere Gebührenverordnung BNetzA (BNetzABGebV; Seefunk).

These ordinances contain annexes (Anlagen) with lists naming the individual service fees.

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Different kinds of fees

Most fees are fixed amounts. In addition, there are sliding-scale fees where the exact amount is based on the actual work but with a minimum and maximum amount. Fees can also be based on expenditure of time alone. Here, travel time, preparation and post-processing time and, potentially, waiting times that are not caused by the administration factor in as well. In addition to the fees, expenditures (e.g. travel costs) may apply.

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No block fee agreements possible

Block fee agreements, which are common for contracts with classification societies for example, are not available at the German flag because the amount of the individual fees is defined in statutory ordinances. Sliding-scale fees allow for reductions when several applications are filed at the same time.

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Overview of the most relevant fees

The following table gives examples of fees of the German flag. Please take into consideration that only the rates listed in the fee ordinances are applicable and, particularly in regard to ship surveys, additional expenditures may accrue. Therefore, this table only serves as a guide.

If you want to know which certificates are necessary for a ship, we recommend our directory for ship certificates.

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Abbreviations:

• BSH: Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency
• SD: Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr
• BMDV-WS-BesGebV: BMDV-Wasserstraßen und Schifffahrt Besondere Gebührenverordnung
• BSHGebV: BSH-Gebührenverordnung
• GKNotG: Gerichts- und Notarkostengesetz
• BNetzAGebV: Besondere Gebührenverordnung BNetzA