Law 2133 of 2021
Vessel Registration & License Management
What is the applicable law/regulation for the registration of ships, and does the fisheries legislation have any relevant provisions for registration such as pre-approval?
Article 14
Translated text:Vessels and naval artifacts that are registered in the Colombian and want to registry for the first time, may obtain a provisional registration while the requirements for the definitive registration are completed, depending on the request of the interested party and the fulfillment of the requirements established in the present law.
Article 15
Translated text:The owners and/or shipowners or their representatives, directly or by proxy, shall submit, in person or electronically, an application for registration to the Port Captaincy or to the General Maritime Directorate, indicating: The name of the vessel or naval device to be registered; Name and address of the owner; Builder, date and place of construction; Service to which it is intended to be destined.
Article 16
Translated text:The request referred to in the previous article must be accompanied by the following documentation in physical or digital format. Certificates of seaworthiness and safety in force, which may have been issued by the previous flag or by an organization recognized by it, or by another one that has a valid delegation agreement with the General Maritime Directorate. Certificate of cancellation of the previous registration or proof of initiation of such procedure. Copy of the purchase act or contract, if applicable; Extra-contractual civil liability insurance covering the risk of sudden pollution in favor of affected third parties, for the amount previously fixed by the General Maritime Directorate-Ministry of National Defense, according to the class, the cargo and the service to which the vessel or naval artifact will be destined. The aforementioned insurance may be contracted with Colombian or foreign insurance companies or P & I Protection and Indemnity Clubs that offer such coverage. Payment of the fee established for the procedure. Paragraph 1. The requirement of paragraph d) is not applicable to recreational or sporting vessels not engaged in commercial activities. Paragraph 2. For the registration and issuance of the Provisional Registration for tugboats, the General Maritime Directorate together with the issuance of the Provisional Registration, shall issue a Provisional Operating Permit, while the procedures determined by the regulations of the General Maritime Directorate are being carried out.
Article 17
Translated text:Once the documentation listed in the previous article has been received in full, the General Maritime Directorate shall, within the following three working days, register the vessel or naval craft in the Colombian registry and shall issue the provisional registration certificate and the license for access to the frequency bands allocated to the maritime mobile service and the assignment of call letters and the maritime mobile service identification number (MMSI). It is not necessary for the vessel or naval artifact to be in Colombian territory for provisional registration to be issued. The provisional registration certificate shall be valid for six (6) months, non-extendable; once this term has expired without the definitive registration certificate having been processed, the registration shall be cancelled.
Article 18
Translated text:The owners and/or shipowners or their representatives directly or by proxy shall submit, in person or electronically, an application for the registration of the definitive registration to the Port Captaincy or to the General Maritime Directorate. Provided that the provisional registration referred to in Article 16 has not been initially requested, the following documentation must be provided: Copy of the purchase document of the vessel or naval device. Certificate of cancellation of the previous registration. Non-contractual civil liability insurance covering the risk of sudden pollution in favor of affected third parties, for the amount previously fixed by the General Maritime Directorate-Ministry of National Defense, according to the class, the cargo and the service to which the vessel or naval device will be destined. The aforementioned insurance may be contracted with Colombian or foreign insurance companies or P & I Protection and Indemnity Clubs that offer such coverage. In the case of a legal entity, its certificate of existence and legal representation issued by the Chamber of Commerce of its registered office, whose date of issue is not older than three (3) months. Certificates of seaworthiness and safety issued on behalf of the Republic of Colombia by the General Maritime Directorate or by an International Organization of classification or other recognized by it, which has a valid delegation agreement with the General Maritime Directorate. The technical documentation determined by the regulations of the General Maritime Directorate, according to the classification of the registry established in this Law. In case of having requested and obtained the provisional registration referred to in article 16 of this law, only the documentation required in paragraphs d), e) and f) shall be provided. Said documentation must be submitted at least two months prior to the term of validity or duration of the provisional registration referred to in article 16. The requirement of paragraph c) is not applicable to recreational or sporting vessels engaged in non-commercial activities.
Article 19
Translated text:Once the documentation listed in the previous article has been received in full, the General Maritime Directorate shall issue, within the following five (5) working days, the definitive registration. In the case where the General Maritime Directorate denies the issuance of the definitive registration, the interested party may file appeals for reconsideration and/or appeal before the competent authorities.
Article 20
Translated text:The procedure for the issuance of the Provisional or Definitive Registration shall not require the appointment of an inspector by the Maritime Authority, if the vessel and/or naval artifact is duly certified by a recognized organization with a valid delegation agreement with the General Maritime Directorate.