United States (US Coast Guard)

In the United States, national registration of vessels is known as vessel documentation and is handled by the Coast Guard. We assist with documentation procedures and, above all, when you buy an American vessel to bring under the Italian flag or that of another country.

Who runs the register

Documentation is handled by the National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) of the US Coast Guard, which issues the Certificate of Documentation with an endorsement for the vessel's use: pleasure (recreational), international trade (registry), coastwise trade or fishing.

Who can register a vessel

Vessels of at least five net tons wholly owned by US citizens can be documented. A company counts as a citizen if it is incorporated under US law, its chief executive officer and chairman of the board are US citizens, and non-citizen directors are a minority; stricter share-ownership requirements apply for coastwise trade and fishing. For an Italian owner, therefore, this register is only accessible with US citizenship or through a company that meets these requirements.

When you need our help

• Buying a US-documented vessel to register in Italy: registration requires the certificate of deletion from the foreign register, as well as customs clearance.
• Owners with US citizenship who wish to document their vessel.
• Checking a vessel's documentation status before purchase.

How we help

• Gathering and checking the vessel's US documentation.
• Coordination with the seller and the NVDC for the deletion.
• Sworn translation of the documents and work with licensed customs agents for clearance.
• Subsequent registration of the vessel on the Italian register or another register.

Contact us using the form at the bottom of the page, telling us about the vessel and the flag you want: we will explain how to proceed.

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