The Republic of Palau is a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, near Indonesia and the Philippines, in one of the most rapidly developing regions of the world. Comprising 340 islands, it is one of the four smallest countries, with a population of approximately 21,000 people. The official languages are English, Palauan (the local language), and Japanese (a regional language). The currency is the US dollar.

Palau has a "free association" agreement with the United States, offering several benefits for vessels registered under its flag. Notably, it provides favorable conditions for access to US and EU territorial waters.

The entire registration process can be completed remotely. The radio license (MMSI and Call Sign) is included in the registration fee, and a radio operator's certificate is not necessary. You can choose to register the flag for a period of 1, 3, or 5 years, based on your preference.

The Palau flag is available for registration to all nationalities, although countries under sanctions are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Yacht Registration in Palau

WRITTEN WITH SUPPORT OF
PALAU SHIP REGISTRY

Private Yachts up to 24 Meters

from $ 705
(incl. MMSI, Call Sign)

It is Possible to Register
for 1, 3 or 5 Years

Radio Operator's Certificate
NOT REQUIRED

PRICES OF SHIP REGISTRY
WITHOUT MIDDLE PARTIES

MORE INFO

National Flag ON REQUEST

The yacht registration in Palau is divided into two steps. The first step is obtaining a provisional registration of the yacht for a period of 6 months. The second step is to obtain permanent registration for a period of 1 year, 3 or 5 years (by choice).

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Registration of Pleasure Yachts up to 24 Metres

The first step: obtaining a provisional registration
for a period of 6 months

Documents Required for Boat Registration

1. Completed Application for Pleasure Yacht Registration where it is necessary to provide detailed information about the yacht, its age, its technical characteristics, where it was registered earlier, to suggest a couple of names for the yacht, to enter in information about the owner of the yacht, their passport details, address, telephone, e-mail, etc. We will help you prepare this form.

2. A copy of the passport (page with photo) or ID card of the boat owner.

3. If the owner of the yacht is a company, a Power of Attorney (POA) or Certificate of Incumbency, as evidence of the applicant's authorization to sign on behalf of the company, is required. Additionally, a copy of the passport of the applicant signatory must be provided. All documents should be in English.

4. Documents confirming the ownership of the yacht:

- Builders Certificate for new boats;
- if the vessel was purchased, then Bill of Sale, Sales Agreement, Invoice, Court Documents, etc.

The documents should be notarized, or apostilled or authenticated by a Deputy Registrar of PISR.

5. If the yacht was registered earlier:

- Certificate of Registry from the previous ship register;
- Deletion Certificate.

If the Deletion Certificate is not yet available, you can proceed with a temporary registration with the flag of Palau, offering a convenient solution. However, the Deletion Certificate must be obtained and submitted to the registry within six months to convert the temporary registration into a permanent one.

6. Radio License. An Application for Ship Radio Station License where it is necessary to list all radio devices on your yacht

7. Survey Inspection. The Palau Flag Administration does not require survey documents for temporary and permanent registration of pleasure yachts up to 24 meters. However, it is the duty of shipowner to undergo a survey on a timely basis in the recognized organizations.

RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS UNDER
THE PALAU FLAG ADMINISTRATION

8. Confirmation of payment.

To obtain a provisional registration, good quality scans in PDF format are sufficient.

If the documents are not in English, an official translation is required.

During the registration process, Palau ship registry may request more documents about your yacht, if needed. Any requested technical information should be provided.

Provisional registration is done within 24 hours, in case if all the documents are duly submitted, they satisfy the register, and payment is done.

The second step: obtaining a permanent registration
for a period of 1, 3 or 5 years (at your option)

Within 180 days it is necessary to provide to the ship registry the originals or notarized copies of the following documents:

1. The original of the Application for Pleasure Yacht Registration.

2. The original of Deletion Certificate from the previous boat registry.

3. Notarized Bill of Sale, Builders' Certificate and so forth confirming the ownership of the yacht.

All of the above documents have to be sent by courier delivery to the registry's head office in Piraeus, Greece.

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Yachts for Commercial Use
Registration of Private Yachts Over 24 Meters

Registration of boats for commercial use is more involved and requires additional documents such as:

- International Tonnage Certificate.

- Minimum Safe Manning Certificate.

- Current International Safety Management (ISM) Document of Compliance (DOC).

- Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) Conformance Test Report.

- Radio Accounting Authority (RAA) Attestation Letter.

- Crew List.

The bigger the vessel, the more requirements. We will help you prepare all the necessary documents. Write to us and we’ll start delving into your tasks.

Switch to Commercial Operation
for a Maximum of 90 Days per Calendar Year

Private yachts under 500 GT can register as commercial yachts, as Palau Ship Registry provides a Limited Charter Allowance, permitting up to 90 days of chartering within a calendar year. Contact us to guide you accordingly for your conversion from pleasure to commercial yacht registration.

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Optional Services

Reservation of Name – free of charge for 30 days, during which you’ll have to make payment for registration

Extension of Provisional Registration (6 months) – 324 USD

Change of Owner for:
yachts up to 24 m – 350 USD
yachts over 24 m – 756 USD

Change of Name for:
yachts up to 24 m – 350 USD
yachts over 24 m – 540 USD

Extract from Registry – 324 USD

Re-issuance per Certificate for Yacht – 108 USD

Certificate of Closure / Deletion for:
yachts up to 24 m – 350 USD
yachts over 24 m – 540 USD

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More Information

The registration of yachts under the flag of Palau takes place at the Palau International Ship Registry (PISR). The head office of PISR is located in Greece, in the city of Piraeus. The ship registry also has its offices in the USA, Great Britain and Cyprus. At the moment, the registry has more than 70 Deputy Registrars spread around the world. We are one of these registrars.

Our company is the Deputy Registrar of the Palau flag. This means that we offer prices from the registry without extra charges. We are part of the Palau Registry team and we are ready to provide you with the fastest and the highest quality service.

The flag of Palau is internationally recognized and operates worldwide.

Palau's main home port is Malakal Harbor.

The Palau Ship Registry is a next-generation digital register, one of the most advanced in the world. The whole registration process is done online. Full Electronic Certification. The QR code on a certificate allows to verify information or check the validity of the document right away.

SAMPLE OF
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRY

Safety Radio Certificate. Safety Radio Certificate is included in the registration fee, and should not be paid extra. A radio operator's certificate is not required to obtain a radio license – this is one of the most attractive advantages of Palau registration. All that is needed is to provide a list of available radio equipment.

Direct Registration. To register a boat in Palau for a non-resident, you do not need a local agent, which is very convenient.

The support service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Easy access to staff and senior management.

Young and dedicated people with whom it is pleasant to communicate work in the Palau Maritime Administration. They are eager to help you with all specifics of registration process and respond promptly to any questions.

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Interesting Facts

Paradise on Earth. Palau has the perfect air temperature from 25 °C to 30 °C year-round, rivers with crystal drinking water, picturesque waterfalls, vegetation rich in fruits, many delicious fish in the coastal waters, incredibly beautiful nature and a diverse underwater world. Palau is the real treasure of the planet!

Mysterious Structures. Most of the 340 islands that make up Palau are uninhabited, declared a Nature Reserve and look the same as before the arrival of man. The largest island, Babeldaob, is covered with pyramids and mysterious constructions erected by unknown forces in ancient times.

Jellyfish Lake. There is a unique small lake in Palau, Ongeim'l Tketau, which is home to about 2 million jellyfish. The jellyfish have bred so much due to the lack of predators and have lost their ability to sting. If you wish you can swim in this lake with the jellyfish absolutely safe.

A Giant Clam. The coastal waters of Palau are home to Tridacna gigas. It is a mollusk that looks like a giant oyster of about 2 meters long and 200 kilos of weight. There are horror stories that if a person's hand or foot accidentally falls between its flaps, the tridacna will slap them and never let go. In fact, the shells move far too slowly to be a death trap.

Mengol Women. Unmarried girls in Palau, even the daughters of Chiefs, were sent from their village to a neighboring one for few months. This was a necessity for a small nation living on islands in the ocean to have strong and healthy children.

Significance of Japan. The Palau Islands lie in a strategically important location in the Pacific Ocean, above all from a military point of view. After World War I, the islands came to Japan, and the Japanese began to rapidly develop Palau. They built the modern city of Koror, which was also called "Little Tokyo". They opened schools with instruction in Japanese, as a result almost all children became literate and fluent in Japanese soon. Japanese is still considered the regional language of Palau.

Sites of Fierce Battle. During World War II, fierce battles between American and Japanese forces took place here. There are still rusty tanks and other military equipment lying around in Palau. But the most interesting sights are underwater – downed planes and sunken ships are rested on the ocean floor, all of them attract divers from different parts of the world.

Diving. There are about one and a half thousand species of fish in the coastal waters of Palau, including about 130 species of sharks. A renowned diving paradise, it boasts vibrant marine diversity and crystal-clear waters that satisfy wildlife fans from all over the world.

There are barely a dozen places on Earth that are as breathtaking as Palau. You need to visit such a precious land at least once!

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Summary of Palau Flag

Same Day Delivery, Based
on Met Requirements

User-Friendly Ship Registry,
Easy Access to Staff and Top
Management

Registration for
All Types of Yachts

Competitive Fees,
Transparent Pricing

Advanced IT Technologies,
Full Electronic Certification

Instant Verification of
Certificates by QR Code

Permanent Registration and
Radio License are Issued for
1, 3 or 5 Years (by choice)

Advantageous and
Fast-Developing Ship Registry

Remote Registration Process
from Start to Completion

Simple and Clear Requirements

Offices are in Greece, USA, UK
and Cyprus. More than 70 Deputy
Registrars Worldwide

Simple Registration of a Radio
License, Radio Operator's
Certificate is Not Required

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Yacht Registration in Palau

Private Yachts up to 24 Meters

Registration of Pleasure Yachts up to 24 Metres

The first step: obtaining a provisional registration for a period of 6 months Documents Required for Boat Registration

The second step: obtaining a permanent registration for a period of 1, 3 or 5 years (at your option)

Yachts for Commercial Use Registration of Private Yachts Over 24 Meters

Switch to Commercial Operation for a Maximum of 90 Days per Calendar Year

Optional Services

More Information

Interesting Facts

Summary of Palau Flag

Recognized Organizations under the Palau Flag Administration

SAMPLE of Certificate of Registry

The first step: obtaining a provisional registration
for a period of 6 months

Documents Required for Boat Registration

The second step: obtaining a permanent registration
for a period of 1, 3 or 5 years (at your option)

Yachts for Commercial Use
Registration of Private Yachts Over 24 Meters

Switch to Commercial Operation
for a Maximum of 90 Days per Calendar Year

Recognized Organizations
under the Palau Flag Administration

SAMPLE of
Certificate of Registry