SHIP'S / BOAT'S DOCUMENTS/RECORDS

All vessels must be entered into the Register of Ships (Upisnik brodova), and boats in the Register of Boats (Upisnik camaca), the categories being commercial, personal use, sports recreation. All commercial vessels must be registered with the competent harbour master's office, while other vessels are registered with the harbour master's office or the local branch office on which the boat depends. The above registers are public documents which record details concerning the vessel, name of owner and/or holder of the right of use and any other legal information about the rights concerning the ship or boat.

All vessels and boats owned by Croatian legal subjects or citizens must be entered. Vessels and boats owned by foreign physical or legal persons need to be entered only if so required by Croatian law and regulations relevant for the registration of vessels.

Foreign citizen may, in principle, register his boat in the Register of Boats, but only if this boat is not entered in the foreign register.

Boats intended for sport or recreation whose owner is a citizen of Croatia resident abroad, a foreign national resident abroad, or a foreign legal subject operating from abroad must also be registered if they constantly or mainly navigate in the territorial sea of the Republic of Croatia. They must not be entered in a foreign Register of Boats.

Registration forms for initial registration of ships must be accompanied by:

certificate of make or some other certificate of ownership;

nationality certificate for physical persons and certificate of registration in the Republic of Croatia for legal subjects;

certificate showing name and home-port of a vessel;

tonnage certificate (tonnage bill);

dead weight scale;

seaworthiness certificate or navigation permit;

freeboard certificate (loadline certificate).

Registration forms for initial entry of boats into a Register of Boats must be accompanied by:

construction certificate or statement attesting do-it-yourself construction or any other certificate of ownership;

tonnage certificate (tonnage bill);

proof of ownership of engine.

In addition the harbour master's offices and branch offices may demand other complementary certificates.

All documents accompanying the request for registering must be submitted in the original.

When registration is completed a Certificate of Registration for a ship and a Navigation Permit for a boat which bear all the data entered into the register will be issued. Any later changes entered into the register must also be entered into a Certificate of Registration or a Navigation Permit.

The following craft do not have to be entered into the Register of Boats:

a boat entered in a foreign register;

by-boats;

sports rowing boats, kayaks and similar craft, boats of less than 3 m in length and 1 m in width; exception to the last are boats less than 3 m long which are so constructed to be used for speed boating (with appropriate engines).

Ships and boats are deleted from the register:

if they are lost or may be considered lost;

if they no longer meet the required conditions or are not used for their original purpose;

if they are permanently withdrawn from use;

if they have been entered into another register.

A ship or boat propelled mechanically is taken to be lost if nothing has been noticed of her for three months, or six months for a vessel without mechanical propulsion. The owner or holder of legal right of use of the vessel must request deletion within 8 days. Such deletion is effected by the harbour master's office where the vessel is registered.