Do you have a leisure yacht and would like to sail under Lithuania’s national flag? In this article, you will find out how you could do this.

Who is eligible to register a yacht in Lithuania?

In Lithuania, a leisure yacht (i.e. any waterway vehicle designed for sport and leisure purposes) can be registered by its owner (operator), who must be: 

• Lithuanian citizen or a foreigner with the right to permanently reside in Lithuania.
• Lithuanian-registered company or a Lithuanian branch of a foreign company.

If a foreigner wishes to register a yacht in Lithuania, the most viable option for them is to establish a company in Lithuania. There are no limits for foreigners to organise a company in Lithuania. EU and non-EU citizens may establish a company in Lithuania.

Registrar

Yachts are registered in the Register of Inland Waterway Vessels of the Republic of Lithuania, which is administered by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.

Application

A yacht’s owner (operator) must submit the following documents to register a yacht:

• application for registration;
• yacht origin documents proving its construction (manufacture) or operation or termination of operation in another country:
  • documents issued by manufacturers or private importers confirming the manufacture and technical compliance of new yachts that have not been registered and/or operated;
  • for used yachts imported from foreign countries – a yacht registration document, certificate of ownership, export document or other document confirming the registration of the yacht issued by the competent authorities of foreign countries;
• a document confirming the ownership or control of the yacht:
  • a purchase and sale, gift, exchange agreement, payment invoice, invoice, certificate of inheritance, court decision, or other similar document, when the yacht is controlled by right of ownership;
  • a lease, operating lease, rental agreement, usufruct agreement, asset trust agreement, power of attorney granting the right to use the vehicle, or other similar document, where the yacht is operated on the basis of a lease, usufruct, trust, or other legal basis;
• if the yacht was previously registered in a foreign state register, a document issued by the competent authority of the foreign state confirming the deregistration of the yacht from the previous register (if the register issues such a document);
• a document confirming the class of the yacht (if applicable);
• a document issued by a pre-trial investigation institution confirming the identified changes or falsification of the yacht’s identification marks, where the owner (operator) of the yacht acquired or recovered the vehicle after an investigation conducted by a pre-trial investigation institution;
• when seeking to register a yacht whose owner (operator) is a foreigner, a document issued by the competent authorities of the Republic of Lithuania confirming or granting the right to reside permanently in the Republic of Lithuania.

In addition to the documents specified above, at least 4 digital photographs of the exterior of the yacht from different angles, showing at least one side and the bow or stern, photographs showing the identification marks (manufacturer’s plate, technical parameters, CE marking (where applicable), hull number), photographs showing the engine and engine identification marks (manufacturer’s plate, technical parameters, CE marking (where applicable), engine number).

How to submit the application?

The application is submitted remotely: E-Government Gateway.

A Lithuanian digital signature is needed to submit the application.

Legal assistance in registering yachts in Lithuania

If you need a trusted partner in Lithuania to register a yacht, contact us<<