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Ship Registration & Management

Owning a vessel through a Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) Company and its registration in Mauritius has many advantages. As a pioneer in this market, OCRA Mauritius has unique expertise in the facilitation of the registration of ships in Mauritius.

Our services include:

  • Setting up and registration of a Mauritius GBC Company as a Ship Management Company
  • Ongoing management and administration of the corporate entity
  • Crew solutions

For guidance, read the information below then contact us for further advice.

A Guide to Ship Registration in Mauritius

Some of the advantages of registering your ship in Mauritius include:

  • Mauritius registered vessels are exempt from tax on freight earnings
  • Dividends paid from the Mauritius shipping company are free of withholding tax
  • Ship’s stores, consumables, spare parts and bunkers are exempted from customs and excise duties
  • Crew are exempted from Mauritius income tax
  • No capital gains tax is payable upon the sale or transfer of a ship or of the shares in a shipping company
  • No estate duty is payable on the inheritance of shares in a shipping company
  • There are no restrictions on the nationality of the crew and work permits are not required
  • Mauritius has ratified most of the international conventions on maritime safety, prevention of pollution and training and certification of seafarers.
  • Mauritius citizens and certain types of companies are entitled to own and register ships under the Mauritius Flag. Specifically this includes companies holding a Global Business Licence (GBC), provided their objects are confined to the registering of ships under the Mauritius Flag and that their shipping activities are carried out exclusively outside Mauritius

Further, the above persons or companies can register a foreign ship under the Mauritius Flag if the ship is bareboat chartered to them for a period of at least 12 months but not exceeding three years. Every type of seaworthy vessel intended for use in navigation is eligible, but they should not be older than 15 years. It must maintain class with one of the classification societies approved by the Director of Shipping and a third party liability insurance certificate must be produced evidencing compliance with international maritime conventions to which Mauritius has acceded.

The registration procedures involve the formation of a Company licensed by the Financial Services Commission to hold a Global Business Licence (GBC) and the registration of the vessel itself with the Ministry of Trade and Shipping.

The Mauritius shipping laws allow for permanent, provisional and parallel registration of vessels.

Provisional registration under the Mauritius Flag for a period of up to six months prior to permanent registration is allowed and may be effected at any place abroad, where Mauritius has an embassy, a consulate or an honorary consul.

The requirements as to the age, class, and proof of liability insurance and international conventions as required for permanent registration shall apply. For a ship which has a foreign certificate of registration and wants to transfer to the Mauritius register, a certificate of deletion from the foreign register clearing any registered encumbrances, is required.

Parallel registration. Ships bareboat registered in a foreign registry chartered by Mauritius companies may be registered in the Mauritius Open Ship Registry for the period of the charter, however, not exceeding three years.

Permanent Registration is where the ship is permanently registered after fulfilment of all of the registration procedures. On receipt of the certificates, the Director of Shipping will allot to the ship the number which must be carved on the ship, together with the name, registered tonnage and the port of registry. On the completion of the carving, marking and the inspection by an approved surveyor, and receipt of the necessary documents and fees, the Director of Shipping will issue the certificate of registration.

A Mauritius ship may be given as mortgage for security of principal sum and interest. The legislation has been amended to bring it in line with the British System of Mortgages. Both owners and mortgagees are fully safeguarded by clear provisions in the appropriate regulations.

A ship under the Mauritius Flag or a share therein may be pledged or given security for a loaner guarantee. A provisionally registered Mauritius ship can be mortgaged and the priority of such mortgage is preserved upon permanent registration of the ship.

The process includes two steps, the incorporation of the Mauritius GBC Company, and the registration of the vessel in Mauritius with a Mauritius Flag. Depending on the business plan and the availability of the documents, it takes around 3-4 weeks for the company incorporation and another 2-3 weeks for the ship registration.

This type of company can be used for Ship Management engaged in various activities such as fishing, transport, etc.

Main Features

The company pays a low rate of tax (1.5 to 3%) on its profits and situated in a jurisdiction where there are no withholding tax and no capital gains tax. It is the ideal vehicle for those who want to fish in the Indian Ocean, keeping the registry in a jurisdiction near to that of their catches.

Who is it for?

  • Fishing Companies fishing in the Indian Ocean
  • Cargo company
  • Ship Management companies for tax reduction

Benefits

  • Low rate of tax (1.5 % or max of 3%)
  • Tax minimisation and planning
  • Avoidance of double taxation
  • Confidential vehicle
  • No capital gains tax
  • No withholding tax on repatriation of profits (dividends)

Proposed Vehicle

Mauritius GBC I Company
Seychelles CSL Company

Taxation

  • Mauritius GBC I – between 0 and 3% tax
  • Seychelles CSL – flat 1.5% tax
  • Only in resident state but at a reduced rate, as per the treaty between the two countries

How to proceed

We would welcome the opportunity to assist you with more information:

Contact us for a FREE consultation if you would like to discuss your requirements with one of our consultants in person.
Alternatively, complete our Online Questionnaire and a consultant will contact you directly.
For professional intermediaries and repeat orders, download the relevant Application Form and return by fax or email.

Submit your enquiry

OCRA Worldwide respects your privacy. Your details will never be disclosed to any third party for any purpose without your prior written consent.

OCRA Worldwide announces strategic merger with Acclime

17th November 2022, Hong Kong - OCRA Worldwide (OCRA), announces today that it has completed the strategic merger with Asia Pacific’s premier corporate services provider Acclime (www.acclime.com). This is the latest step in Acclime’s active expansion as the Asia specialist in compliance and corporate services throughout the region.

Established in 1975 and led by Bart Dekker and Dharmesh Naik, OCRA is one of the industry pioneers in the corporate services sector with a full suite of corporate services from company formation, company secretarial support, accounting, and HR services. Over the past 40 years, OCRA has become a truly global business by providing very personalised services to their clients, most of whom are private investors or companies investing abroad.

From its founding base in Europe, OCRA has morphed over the past decade to focus on the faster growing markets of Asia and the Indian Ocean, and currently has teams in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Mauritius and the Seychelles with around 80 staff. Additionally, OCRA is licensed in Samoa and the UAE to provide incorporation services to clients and referral partners.

"The high quality of the team, the interesting gateway jurisdictions of Mauritius and UAE which are important investment hubs for Africa and India, and the synergy of offering OCRA clients more services and Asian locations for expanding their business were the strategic logic for Acclime's interest in acquiring OCRA," said Martin Crawford, CEO and Co-Founder of Acclime. "We look forward to introducing OCRA’s corporate clients to our regional experts in China, Hong Kong, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam," he added.

The sale of the business was managed by the corporate advisory team of Mazars in London (Paul Joyce & Fred Dearden), acting for the ultimate shareholder of OCRA, and was opened for bids. "Acclime was chosen as the preferred bidder as the team recognised the cultural similarities, with high quality, personalised services at the core," said Bart Dekker, OCRA’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific. Dharmesh Naik, OCRA's Managing Director, Middle East and Indian Ocean, added, "We are excited and delighted to become an integral part of a large international team with the established resources across Acclime's network, and to execute the transaction in line with OCRA's long term succession plan in the interest of all of our stakeholders."

OCRA will operate as an independent business unit within Acclime, supported by funding, IT and marketing initiatives that will grow the business further. Bart Dekker and Dharmesh Naik will remain running the business post-acquisition.

The transaction is subjected to regulatory approvals in several locations and Acclime is expected to complete the acquisition by the end of 2022.

About OCRA
Established in 1975, OCRA is one of the industry pioneers in the corporate services sector with a full suite of corporate services from company formation, company secretarial support, accounting and HR services. For over 40 years, OCRA has been providing personalised services to its clients, most of whom are private investors or companies investing abroad.

About Acclime
Acclime, the premier corporate services provider in Asia, helps corporate and private clients to advance their businesses and interests in difficult-to-navigate markets in emerging Asia. The company’s vision is to reinvent the corporate services sector with innovative solutions that are seamlessly delivered to the highest global standards.

Enquiries: enquiries@ocra.com