Flagging-in Cargo ships above 500 GT

Forms and documentation

The following must be e-mailed in pdf format to your Point-of-Contact (POC) and cfs@dma.dk:

• Non-asbestos declaration

• If the ship is built before 1 July 2002, an asbestos investigation/documentation is also required to be forwarded. It is prohibited to transfer ships containing asbestos to the Danish flag.

• All statutory and class certificates, including current certificate of nationality and general arrangement and accommodation plan.

• Noise measurement report.

• Contact details and IP address for crewing.

How to registry your vessel(s)

Use registration form S21 – one for each vessel. Form S21 must be forwarded with the authorised signatories’ original signatures.

The document “Title to ship”, Non-Registration/Deletion Certificate from the former flag State and an R-form in case of a foreign owner as well as a statement of activity are also requested and must be forwarded to the Registrar of Shipping’s office.

Please note that ship registration requires in-depth legal knowledge. Therefore it is advisable to seek professional legal advice for this process.

Contact the Danish Register of Shipping by srg@dma.dk

Certificates

The ship must have the following certificates:

• Minimum safe manning document

• DMLC Part I

• Bunker Certificate

• Civil Liability Certificate

• Wreck Removal Certificate

• Continuous Synopsis Record – CSR application

• Permit for a Ship Station License

• LRIT conformance test report

Please see the following information on how to apply for each certificate.

Minimum safe manning document (MSMD)

In order to be issued with a minimum safe manning document, you must fill in an application form online.

In order to be able to proceed to sea with a non-EU/EEC master, a special permission must be granted. The application, including the vessel's IMO no., should be forwarded to cfs@dma.dk.

For questions regarding safe manning, please contact the Department for Ship survey, Certification and Manning at cfs@dma.dk

DMLC – part I

A DMLC part I must be requested from your POC within 6 months from the change of flag.

In case of any exemptions or equivalents, such as common mess rooms, the owner has to ask the DMA for approval. The DMA will send the request to the trade unions for a consultation period of two weeks.

Bunker Certificate

In order to be issued with a Bunker Certificate, the owner must fill in an “Application for a certificate confirming insurance or any other guarantee covering civil liability in connection with pollution damage caused by bunker oil from ships”. Submit the form together with a copy of the valid Blue Card from the insurance company and proof of payment, to bunkercertifikat@dma.dk

As soon as the Interim Certificate of Nationality has been issued, this certificate will also be issued.

Civil Liability Certificate

In order to be issued with a Civil Liability Certificate, the owner must fill in an "Application for certificate confirming insurance or any other guarantee covering civil liability for oil pollution damage from ships". Submit the form together with a copy of the valid Blue Card from the insurance company and proof of payment to bunkercertifikat@dma.dk.

As soon as the Interim Certificate of Nationality has been issued, this certificate will also be issued.

Wreck Removal Certificate

In order to be issued with a Wreck Removal Certificate, the owner must fill in an “Application for certificate of insurance or other financial security in respect of shipowner liability for the removal of wrecks, etc.”. Submit the form together with a copy of the valid Blue Card from the insurance company and proof of payment to vragcertifikat@dma.dk.

As soon as the Interim Certificate of Nationality has been issued, this certificate will also be issued.

Continuous Synopsis Record – CSR application

From 1 July 2004, SOLAS Chapter XI-1, regulation 5 requires all passenger ships and cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and above engaged on international voyages to have on board a Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR).

A ship’s CSR file comprises of:

1. all CSR documents (Form 1) issued by the ship’s Administration(s), numbered sequentially over the life of the ship;

2. all amendment forms (Form 2) attached to each individual CSR document relating to changes made to that CSR document; and

3. all indices of amendments (Form 3) listing all amendments (specified by amendment forms) relating to each CSR document and attached to Form 1 above.

This CSR (file) builds up, over time, the history of the ship and constitutes the Continuous Synopsis Record, all of which MUST be available, on request, to authorised port state inspectors.

Permit for a Ship Station License

In order to be issued with a call sign and a Ship Radio Station License, you need to apply online.

If you, as a company or person, do not have a NemID employee certificate or private NemID, please contact radio@dma.dk before applying for a Ship Station License.

LRIT conformance test report

The ship owner is required to provide the DMA with a conformance test report and contact details of the Company Security Officer.

When can I expect an answer?

In straightforward cases, you can expect to get an answer from the Danish Maritime Authority within one month.

In case of rejection

The Danish Maritime Authority will give advice on how to fulfil the requirements.

Already at an early stage of the change of flag process, it may be necessary to enroll the crew and officers for the following courses in order for them to be able to apply for their recognition certificates in due time:

• Medical care - STCW/EU certificate

• Non-EUmasters, on board ships flying the Danish flag, must always pass the Danish supplementary course. The same course applies to non-EU designated medical officers engaged on Danish ships.

• Courses are available in Denmark and Mumbai. The Centre of Maritime Health Service (CMS) offers the courses. Request for courses contact directly cms@dma.dk

• Courses are also available in Manila offered by OSM. Request for courses contact training.manila@osm.no

• Occupational health course (§ 16)

• Danish legislation course for foreign masters

• Danish maritime law course for senior officers

In addition, the following should be requested and downloaded:

• Please request a physical Danish medicine chest by pharmacy or supplier

• Please request the Medical guide for seafarers from www.seahealth.dk

• Please download the Danish Inventory, User-instruction, control document for medicine and equipment on board Seafarers and Manning

• Please download DMA - Radio Medical Records Seafarers and Manning

Please download Notice A from DMA, Chapter IX B, 1. September 2007

To be issued with a Danish recognition certificate (DRC), you need to apply online. At the end of the electronic application form, you are requested to attach the required documentation.

If your shipping company uses shipping agents, a letter of approval must be forwarded to Seafarers, certificates and social affairs at bevis@dma.dk, stating the agent's contact data.

• Masters: Masters are not permitted to engage in service on the basis of a Certificate of Receipt of Application (CRA).

• Documentation of education from a country/training institute recognised by the DMA.

• If the master’s education is from a recognised country, but the training institution has not been recognised by the DMA, an operational interview is needed or an assessment has to be made.

The following courses must be completed before signing on after a change of flag:

• Medical care course

• Danish maritime law course for foreign masters

• Occupational health course (§ 16) for masters

• Danish medical certificate (also referred to as the "Blue Book").

• If the master is not from an EU country, the ship concerned needs a permission from the DMA.

• All masters are required to forward GMDSS documentation.

• If the master is Polish, an ARPA course is required.

• Officers/crew

• Danish maritime law course for senior officers. For officers in charge of the navigational/engineering watch, this is not necessary.

• Danish medical certificate (also referred to as the "Blue Book").

• Documentation of education from a country/training institute recognised by the DMA.

• If the officer's/crew's education is from a recognised country, but the training institution has not been recognised by the DMA, an operational interview or assessment is needed.

• All deck officers are required to forward GMDSS documentation.

• If the deck officer is Polish, an ARPA course will also be required.

Certificate of Receipt of Application (CRA):

In general, masters and officers must hold an appropriate Danish Recognition Certificate (DRC). Officers other than the master can serve on Danish vessels with a CRA without holding a DRC for a period of three months if requested by the ship owner after the application has been submitted and validated by the DMA.

In order to issue a CRA, the DMA needs to receive documentation that the officer has been enrolled for the required courses. A CRA is valid for 3 months, and during this time all the required courses and missing documentation must be put in order if the crews are to be able to stay on board the ship. The CRA cannot be extended.

If you have any questions about the DRC/CRA, please contact Seafarers, Certificate sand Social Affairs by email: bevis@dma.dk.

Order No. 1154 of 19 November 2019, on the construction and equipment, etc. of ships, implementation of the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea