Ships no longer entitled to be registered

To close the registration of a ship no longer entitled to Australian registration, you need to:

Tell us in writing

Send us a written notice with the following information:

• details of the sale of the vessel to a non-Australian
• the circumstances and date of the loss or breaking up of the vessel.

Make sure the letter is signed by all registered owners, or a person appointed by the registered owner to act on their behalf before sending it to us.

Request a deletion certificate (if required)

Deletion certificates are required by most ship registries for the registration of a vessel. If the vessel is to be registered on another ship registry by the new owner it is likely that they will need a deletion certificate. If you need to give a deletion certificate to the new owner of your vessel, include your request in the letter.

The deletion certificate is made up of three documents:

• A certificate stating that the ship is not Australian registered and the circumstances of its closure.
• A statement of the registered ownership at the time of closure.
• A certified title extract from the register, with the description of the ship at the time of closure.

Pay the fee for a deletion certificate

You must pay a non-refundable fee when lodging your application.

Learn more about shipping registration fees and payment options.

Lodge your documents

Send the original signed notice with a copy of the bill of sale (if you are selling to a non-Australian) and the original registration certificate to:

Shipping Registration Office
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

If the original registration certificate has been lost or destroyed, state this in the letter and provide an undertaking that it will be returned to us if it is found.

Wait for us to let you know

We will let you know if there is any additional information that we need to process your application. If not the registration will be closed and a letter advising you of the closure will be mailed to you. If a deletion certificate has been requested it will also be mailed to you unless otherwise advised.