IMO approves new guidelines on ship registration

The International Maritime Organization’s Legal Committee has approved a new set of guidelines to improve transparency and due diligence in ship registration, as well as prevent fraudulent registrations and misuse of flags.  

The guidelines help to close a key regulatory gap for the maritime industry, given there is currently no binding international framework to regulate the registration of ships.  

The newly approved Guidelines will assist new and existing flag State ship registries by providing practical measures to strengthen verification and due diligence, ensure accurate ownership records, and improve oversight of registration procedures. 

Welcome step

Closing the 113th session of the Legal Committee held in London (13-17 April), IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez said: 

“This is a welcome step towards ensuring due diligence in ship registration systems for the benefit of safety, protection of the marine environment and the well-being of seafarers, essential for the safety and security of international shipping. The Guidelines will also aid in eliminating cases of fraudulent registration.” 

The Legal Committee noted that the number of ships flying a false flag had increased since the previous session in 2025, with 529 ships falsely flying the flag of a country in the past year. Nearly 40 Member States had seen cases of their flags being fraudulently used by criminal groups without their knowledge or consent. 

The Guidelines focus on: 

• Legislation governance and control on who can perform registration of ships 
• Procedures for quality assurance in ship registration  
• Due diligence on ownership and ship identification 
• Due diligence on ship identity and eligibility checks 
• Information sources and information sharing.