1. Are there any mortgages registered against the vessel?

Mortgages very often contain the clause "sale and further mortgages forbidden". The mortgagee must either consent to the sale (and possible registration of new mortgages) or sign the mortgage for deletion. The amendment must be made on the original document.

2. Bill of Sale

The vendor issues a Bill of Sale and signs it with binding signature. For companies: according to the certificate of company registration.

Identification of sole proprietorships

A sole proprietorship is not an independent legal entity and may, therefore, not be registered owner of a vessel in the Ship Register. When registering a Bill of Sale or other title document, we kindly ask that you provide full name and Personal ID Number (11 digits) of the person responsible for the business. In addition, the organization number to the sole proprietorship should be stated.
If the full Personal ID Number is not given, the document will be returned without registration.

Confirmation of issuer's signature on Norwegian documents

Issuer's signature may be confirmed by:

  • two individuals who are of age and resident in Norway
  • lawyer/ assistant lawyer
  • licensed registered accountant or
  • Notary Public
    Buyer and his/her immediate family may not act as witnesses.

Confirmation of issuer's signature on foreign documents

Title documents and power of attorneys issued abroad must be notarized and thereafter legalized/ amended with an Apostille. A Notary Public has to confirm:

  • the identity of the person signing
  • that the person is of age
  • that the person is authorized to sign for and on behalf of the company in question

It must be confirmed that the Notary Public is a public official holding the position specified in the document and, therefore, has the right to sign.
Notarial statements issued by Notaries in countries that are party to the Hague Convention are confirmed by the amendment of an Apostille by local authorities in the country.
Notarial statements issued by Notaries in countries that are not party to the Hague Convention are legalized by the Norwegian consular station in the relevant country.
Notarial statements from the Nordic Countries are exempt from legalization requirements.
You can find the list of countries that are parties to the Hague Convention on Apostille here.

The original Bill of Sale must be sent to the Ship Registers with all signatures in original

Registration may take place on the basis of a PDF copy. The original is then to be forwarded to the Ship Registers within three weeks from entry into the journal.

3. Notification of change

The notification form, KR-0008 is to be signed with binding signature by the new owner and sent to post@nis-nor.no.

4. Owner's nationality

Section 1 of the Maritime Act sets out the requirements to owner's nationality

The main rule is that the owner of a pleasure craft in NOR is a Norwegian citizen, or a citizen of a country associated with the EEA agreement and resident in Norway.

The owner must confirm her/his nationality in the form "Notification of Change" (item 3 above).

If the owner is a Norwegian citizen resident abroad, the following must also be submitted:

  • Appointment of a Norwegian representative. Use form KR-0060.
  • The representative must satisfy the nationality conditions in Section 1 of the Maritime Act and confirm this by completing the relevant "Declaration of Nationality". Select the correct form, KR-0001 – KR-0007 in our forms directory, tab for “Registration in NIS/NOR”.

If the owner is an EEA citizen living abroad or a citizen from a country outside the EEA

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (NFD) can in special cases approve applications for a dispensation from the nationality conditions according to Section 1 of the Maritime Act. If the vessel is owned by several people, all owners must either fulfill the nationality conditions or be granted a dispensation.

Applications are approved if the ministry considers that there is a sufficiently strong connection between the owner, the vessel and Norway.

More information about what the application to NFD must contain about the owner of the vessel.

5. Is the pleasure craft also changing name and/or home port?

Enter the changes in the notification form (see item no 3).
Please note that registration of new name and/or home port simultaneously with new owner does not generate extra fees.

6. Are there to be registered new mortgages?

Provided that the original mortgage has been received by the Department of Ship Registration it may be registered simultaneously with the new owner.

7. Registration fees as of 1 January 2024

NOK 2 469, - per consent from a mortgagee
NOK 1 975, - for Bill of Sale (including simultaneous change of name and/or home port)
NOK 2 884, - for each new mortgage to be registered against the vessel

An invoice will be sent out after registration has taken place. To ensure correct invoicing we kindly ask the recipient to fill in the form payment information, KR-0070 and send the signed form to post@nis-nor.no.

In addition (and if applicable), there will be charged applicable fee rates and hourly rates related to the initial-and annual fees based on the vessel’s length/ NET as well as other, relevant fees (for example dispensation applications and certain certificates) ref. the NMA's Tariff of Fees / Fees Regulations.

8. Please note

Language

All documents, notarial statements etc. must be issued in one of the Scandinavian languages, English or translated by a licensed translator.

Original title- and mortgage documents

We kindly ask that these are not sent for deposit at the register more than maximum3 week prior to planned registration. Sender is kindly asked to include a statement to this effect.
If registration does not take place within this time, the original documents will be returned to sender without registration.

All documents related to the registration process must be sent directly to the Department of Ship Registration

The Norwegian Maritime Authority, Department of Ship Registration
P.O.Box 73 Nygårdstangen
N-5838 BERGEN
Please contact us and we will guide you through the registration process

Phone: (+ 47) 52 74 50 00
post@nis-nor.no

9. Certificate of Nationality/Registry

Will be issued automatically upon registration.
If the vessel is abroad, or going abroad, we can issue a temporary certificate pending any deficiencies (i.e., original documents) for final registration to take place.