Register a fishing vessel of 15 meters or more in NOR

Pre-clearance of documents is recommended.

1. Application for certificate of name

Names of vessels of 15 meters and more must be approved prior to registration. If a Norwegian call sign has not been assigned previously, it will be assigned upon receipt of the Application for Certificate of Name. If the PDF version is chosen, please send a signed copy to nis-nor@sdir.no.

The desired home port should be entered according to this list, approved home ports in NOR and NIS.

2. Notification for registration

For registration of a vessel of 15 meters or more, choose this form: Notification for vessel to be registered - NIS and NOR. The notification must be signed with binding signature by the owner. For companies, the form must be signed by the general manager or in accordance with the certificate of company registration.
If the PDF version is chosen, please send a signed copy to nis-nor@sdir.no.

3. Tonnage Certificate

A Tonnage Certificate must be issued or approved by the NMA, section for fishing vessels, before registration can take place.

4. Confirmation of survey

A valid Trading Certificate or Safety Certificates must be on board before the vessel may sail. Such a certificate will be issued after a document control and survey of the vessel has been carried out. Kindly send a request for survey as outlined here, Vessel inspection.

5. Ownership 

Title documents such as Builder's Certificate and Bills of sale must form an unbroken chain of ownership back to the last registered owner in the previous assets register or all the way back to the manufacturer.

If the ship is changing flag: Last registered owner must correspond with seller on Bill of Sale.
If the vessel is a newbuilding not yet registered:  Builder's Certificate has to be issued.

Signature requirements
All title documents and powers of attorney must be signed with binding signature. For Norwegian registered companies: according to the certificate of company 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; a lawyer/assistant lawyer; licensed registered accountant; or
Notary Public.

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 regulations on registration of ships in the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR)§ 18 identifies who can confirm or witness the signatures.

All title documents must be submitted in original.
Registration may take place upon receipt of PDF copies. Final registration will then be conditional upon receipt of the original documents within three weeks thereafter.

6. If documentation of ownership is not possible the vessel may still be registered

Ownership must then be acquired through the Norwegian Maritime Code § 35. You will find the Norwegian Maritime Code here: Acts.

§ 35: Acquisition of Registered Title by Consolidated Proceedings against possible Holders of Rights.
If the owner of a Norwegian ship lacks a registered title and it is impossible or unreasonably difficult for him or her to obtain registered title in any other manner, he or she can acquire registered title by a judgment confirming his or her title to the ship, obtained in consolidated proceedings against possible holders of rights and by registration of such judgment.
If the Court finds that the conditions have been met, it shall order that an extract of the writ be published in Norsk lysningsblad (the official gazette), with an announcement calling on any person claiming to have a better right to the ship than the plaintiff to appear in Court within a period, which shall be set at not less than 3 months, and prove his right.
If no defendant appears within the time limit, the Court shall give judgment without a hearing confirming that the plaintiff is the owner. Such judgment shall immediately become final and binding on each and every person and shall not be subject to the right of appeal.

7. Protocol of Delivery and Acceptance

If the vessel is a newbuilding and confirmation of delivery is not stated in Builder's Certificate:  A PDF copy signed by both the builder and the owner must be sent to the register prior to registration. The original is not to be forwarded the NOR after registration has taken place.

8. Declaration of Nationality

The Norwegian Maritime Code (available here: Acts) § 1 sets out the requirements to owner's nationality.

To ensure fulfilment, a declaration must be submitted. For private individuals it is sufficient to complete the form “Notification for registration” (see item 2 above). All other entities must declare their nationality in a separate form, “Declaration of Nationality”. Choose the correct form, KR-0001 - KR-0007, in our forms directory The declaration must be signed with binding signature by the owner. 
If the PDF version is chosen, please send a signed copy to nis-nor@sdir.no.

9. Certificate from the previous ship register/country

This only applies to vessels imported from abroad. To ensure that the vessel is not registered in two countries and to document the connection between the last registered owner in the previous assets register and the person registering the vessel, confirmation from the previous country's ship register (not small boat register) must be obtained.

If the vessel has been registered in a foreign ship register (real assets register), a deletion certificate must be obtained. In case of sale, there must be consistency between the last registered owner according to the deletion certificate and the seller in the deed/Bill of Sale. The certificate must contain the following information: time of deletion, the owner at the time of deletion, and a positive confirmation that the vessel was deleted free of encumbrances  

 If the vessel has not been registered in the country it comes from, this must be confirmed in writing by the relevant ship register (real asset register) by issuance of a "Certificate of Non-Registry": 

If the vessel has been unregistered and owned in several countries before registration in NOR, the ship register (real asset register) in all these countries must issue a confirmation that the vessel has not been registered.

Confirmation of the certificates issued by overseas ship registers
Certificates issued by countries that are party to the Hague Convention are confirmed by the amendment of an Apostille by local authorities in the country.
Certificates issued by countries that that are not party to the Hague Convention are legalized by the Norwegian consular station in the relevant country.
Certificates from the Nordic countries’ ship registries are exempt from legalization requirements.
You can find the list of countries that are parties to the Hague Convention on Apostille here.

Submission of the certificates
PDF copies may be accepted at the time of registration. Final registration will then be conditional upon receipt of the original documents within three weeks thereafter.

10. Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries

A confirmation stating the registration number the Register of Norwegian Fishing Vessels must be produced.  An electronic copy sent directly from the Directorate of Fisheries to nis-nor@sdir.no will suffice.

11. Appointment of managing company according to the ISM Code or the Ship Safety Act

Check if the vessel falls under the provisions for appointing an ISM responsible company in the Safety management system for Norwegian ships and mobile offshore units§ 1, or for appointing a managing company according to the Ship Safety Act, cf. the Safety management for small cargo ships, passenger ships and fishing vessels, etc. § 1.

Choose the correct form:

• ISM responsible company is reported on form KR-0014, Notification concerning the ISM-Code
• Managing company according to the Ship Safety Act is reported on form KR-0061, Managing Company the Ship Safety Act 

Send a copy of the signed form to nis-nor@sdir.no.

12. Registration fees as of 1 January 2026

NOK 4 408, - for the formal registration of the vessel + NOK 3 301, - for each mortgage to be registered against the vessel (if any). An invoice will be sent out after registration has taken place. To ensure correct invoicing we kindly ask the recipient to fill in this form: Payment information for the formal registrations in NIS/NOR/BYGG.. If the PDF version is chosen, please send a signed copy to nis-nor@sdir.no.

In addition, there will be charged initial- and annual fees according to the ship's NET as well as fees for dispensation applications and certain certificates ref. the Tariff of Fees and Fees Regulations. 

• Imported ships which have previously been registered in NOR or NIS are exempt from the initial fee.
• Annual fee will be issued the year after registration.

The fees can easily be calculated using our Fee Calculator.

See the Tariff of Fees S. 6 regarding special certificates and permits not covered by initial fees and annual fees.

13. Certificate of nationality/provisional certificate of nationality

Is the ship situated abroad at the time of delivery? The Ship Registers will issue a Provisional Certificate of Nationality/Registry upon registration and send a PDF copy directly on board/to where the owner instructs. The provisional certificate will not be forwarded in original.

A permanent Certificate of Nationality/Registry will be issued once the registration has been approved by the Registrar. The permanent certificate will be forwarded in original to be kept on board.

14. Language and submission of the documents

All documents, notarial statements, etc. must be issued in one of the Scandinavian languages, English or translated by a licensed translator re. the regulations on registration of ships in the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR) § 17.

15. Remember to apply for ship certificates prior to sailing

• Safe Manning: applies for all fishing vessels of 24 meters and more.
• The vessel’s type, tonnage and cargo determines which certificates that are relevant.
  Read more about the different certificates and the application process here: Certificates and documents for vessels

Please contact us and we will guide you through the registration process
Phone: + 47 52 74 50 00
nis-nor@sdir.no