General Overview. The Marshall Islands is an offshore jurisdiction which is internationally known for its shipping registry. Many vessels from different countries are registered there, as the jurisdiction offers efficient and cost-effective procedures.

Shipping Registry. The maritime fleet of the Marshall Islands is constantly growing and the Registry has established a number of offices on different continents to handle registration and management procedures in a more effective way. An owner of the vessel registered in the Marshall Islands must be a Marshall Islands citizen, corporation or foreign company recognized in the jurisdiction. Generally, any type of vessel may be registered there, but it must be less than 20 years of age. A number of documents are requested by local authorities for registering a vessel in the Marshall Islands. Several registration fee schemes are offered to an entity which plans to register a vessel there, depending on a type of vessel and its objectives.