Ships

The main rule is that more than fifty percent of a ship must be owned by a Swedish owner to be registered in the Swedish Register of Shipping, but if half or more of the ship is owned by a foreign owner from a country within the European Economic Area, it may be registered in the Swedish Register of Shipping. The rule on free movement of persons within the European Community applies to private persons. The ship and the owner must usually be located in Sweden. Registration of ships owned by companies is possible if the ship is part of an economic undertaking established in Sweden and the operation of the ship is managed and controlled from Sweden.

Registration may also be possible for ships whose owners do not meet the requirements above, but the owner must apply to the Swedish Maritime Administration for an exemption. Contact the Legal Department of the Swedish Maritime Administration in this regard.

According to Swedish law, a ship cannot be registered in Sweden if it is registered in any other country’s register of ships. For that reason, proof of deregistration from the ship’s former home country or an affidavit proving that the ship has not been registered in any register of ships is required.

If the ship was not registered in its former home country, the ownership history of the ship to the last registration in any country or the constructing shipyard must be investigated. Previous purchase documents/receipts or investigations of authorised signatory rights must be sent in the original to the Swedish Register of Shipping. Contact the Swedish Register of Shipping for more information.

Registration – ships

• Form 1: APPLICATION to register a ship
  
  
• Acquisition document (Bill of Sale, deed of gift, etc.) – one original and one certified copy
  
  
• National registration document or birth certificate (or the like) showing citizenship, if the buyer is a private person
  
  
• Company Registration issued by the Swedish Companies Office within the past twelve months if the buyer/seller/manufacturer is a legal person
  
  
• Fishing ships: Copy of commercial fishing licence
  
  
• Survey Certificate issued by the Maritime Safety Inspectorate after tonnage measurement

Form 1a: APPLICATION for tonnage measurement shall be submitted to the Maritime Safety Inspectorate.

If the ship was formerly foreign, the following documents are also required for registration:

• Proof of deregistration if the ship was previously registered in the former home country.
  
  
• Affidavit stating that the ship was not registered in the former home country as well as investigation of previous owners of the ship.
  
  
• Company Registration issued by an authority within the past twelve months or legalization of documents done by authorities that proves the seller’s authorisation if the seller is a legal person.

Change of ownership – ship

• Form 2: APPLICATION to record the acquisition of a registered ship or part ownership in a registered ship.
  
  
• Acquisition document (Bill of Sale, deed of gift, etc.) – one original and one certified copy.
  
  
• National registration document or birth certificate (or the like) showing citizenship (private person) or Company Registration issued by the Swedish Companies Office within the past twelve months (legal person).

Ship’s name

A ship’s name must be clearly different from the names of other Swedish ships so that they cannot be confused. If you want to make sure you can get a desired, available name for your future ship, you may have a reservation of ship name recorded in the register (form 13: Application to record a ship name). The reservation will remain valid for five years. If it is not used for a ship within that time, it is stricken from the register.

Note that a ship’s name may be changed when ownership changes. In other circumstances there must be special reason for the change.

State ships

State ships, i.e., ships owned and used by the Swedish State, shall not be registered unless used for commercial purposes. The names of State ships may be recorded in the registry upon request by a Swedish government agency.

Deregistration – ship

Ships that are no longer Swedish must be deregistered in Sweden. The Swedish owner reports this to the registry. Proof of deregistration is issued upon request when the matter is concluded.

Ship deregistered because it is no longer Swedish:

• Form 5: APPLICATION to deregister a ship because the ship is no longer Swedish
  
  
• Acquisition document (Bill of Sale, deed of gift, etc.) – one original and one certified copy
  
  
• Company Registration issued by the Swedish Companies Office within the past twelve months for the seller (legal person)
  
  
• Company Registration issued by an authority within the past twelve months for the buyer (legal person), e.g., Certificate of Registration and Certificate of Good Standing
  
  
• Proof of the buyer’s nationality, e.g., through a certified copy of his or her passport (private person)
  
  
• The original Swedish Certificate of Nationality for the ship
  
  
• Mortgage deeds and a written request from the owner that the liens be cancelled

Ship deregistered for reason other than that it is no longer Swedish (e.g., scrapping)

• Form 6: APPLICATION to deregister a ship for reason other than that the ship is no longer Swedish.
  
  
• Report on the reason for the deregistration
  
  
• Original Certificate of Nationality
  
  
• Mortgage deeds and a written request from the owner that the liens be cancelled
  
  
• Company Registration issued by the Swedish Companies Office within the past twelve months for legal persons