Shipping registers

“First register” and “second register”

German shipping registry comprises the:

• Shipping registers of sea-going ships (or “first register”) and the
• International German shipping register (GIS) (or “second register”).

There is no central German „first register“ but a number of shipping registers of sea-going ships maintained by particular district courts, located mainly near the German coastline. The responsible court depends on the home port of the ship. German owned sea-going ships with a length of 15 m and above must be registered in one of the registers of sea-going ships (first register). Smaller ships may be registered on demand of the owner.
In contrast, the GIS is a central register, maintained by the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency). Registration in the GIS („second register“) is not mandatory.