• Check list for newbuildings
• Additional information on newbuilding of ships
• Flag State Interpretations
• Plan approval for ship’s equipment
• Flag document

Check list for newbuildings

Design and construction of seagoing ships under the German flag is actively supported by the German flag state administration.

All relevant items are clearly listed in the following check list for newbuildings.

• DS = Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit der (Ship safety division of the) BG Verkehr
• BSH = Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency)

1. Submission of the announcement of newbuilding to the DS (who will forward it to the BSH)

2. Plan approval

• by a recognized organisation (classification society) for ships with class notation (which is the norm), or
• by the BSH with regard to navigational and radio equipment and equipment according to COLREG 72 (Application for plan approval)

3. Ship construction

4. Application for tonnage measurement by the BSH and for the International Tonnage Certificate (ITC 69) (Application tonnage measurement, in German only)

5. Application for registration in a German shipping register and for the ship certificate at the responsible district court of the envisaged home port

6. Application for registration in the German International Shipping Register (GIS) at the BSH, if applicable (Application for GIS, only in German)

7. Application for assignment of numbers for mobile maritime radio service (call sign, MMSI, ATIS; ship station licence) (in German only) at the Bundesnetzagentur (German Federal Network Agency).

8. Ship survey

• by a recognized organisation (classification society) for ships with class notation (which is the norm), or
• by the DS in case of ships without classification, as well as
• by the BSH with regard to navigational and radio equipment as well as equipment according to COLREG 72 (Application for on-board survey)

9. Application for ship safety certificates (please state the date of the ship’s delivery):

• Application for preliminary ISPS-documents (interim-ISSC/CSR) at the BSH (Application for the issuance of an Interim ISSC / ISSC, Application for the issuance of a Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR))
• Application for preliminary ISM documents ((interim SMC and, if  applicable, DOC) at the DS,
• Application for a safe manning certificate at the DS. (Application for a safe manning certificate).

10. Fitting out of the ship in accordance with the National List of Equipment for sea ships under German flag and with medical equipment.

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Additional information on newbuilding of ships

Further to the above check list the following links provide the most important information and requirements relevant to newbuildings under the German flag:

• "General information for newbuildings under German flag" 
• "List of Standard Letters" (list of information papers on newbuildings)
• "List of rules and regulations applicable to newbuildings for German flag"
• "National List of Equipment for sea ships under German flag"
• "Completable "List of Equipment to be approved" according to Marine Equipment Directive (MED)"

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Flag State Interpretations of shipbuilding regulations

Legal texts usually leave some room for different meanings. When a ship is newly built or converted, shipyards, designers and operators have to know exactly which rules apply.

We, as the Flag State Administration, offer you uniform interpretations of international as well as national regulations on shipbuilding matters. With our "Flag State Interpretations" (FI), we ensure a consistent standard in the interpretation of the sets of rules for sea-going ships flying the German flag.

Given the number of legal standards, we cannot cover all areas with uniform interpretations. We will, however, continually extent and update our "Flag State Interpretations" (FI).

1. Intact Stability
   
   
   • FI 01/2017/Rev.00: Basis for the Application of the Alternative Stability Criteria
   • FI 02/2017/Rev.00: Gradient of GZ-Curve of Multi-Hull Vessels which are not High Speed Craft
   • FI 03/2017/Rev.01: Stability Criteria for Fishing Vessels with a Length of less than 24 m
   • FI 04/2017/Rev.00: Approval of Intact Stability Booklet for Fishing Vessels with a Length of less than 24 m
   • FI 05/2017/Rev.00: Evaluation of Lightship Particulars for Pontoons without Conducting an Inclining Experiment
   • FI 06/2017/Rev.01: Conveyance of Inland Water Vessels at Sea 
   • FI 13/2018/Rev.00: Lightweight Survey
   • FI 14/2018/Rev.00: Inclining Test
2. Damaged stability
   • No Flag State Interpretations available as of yet
3. International Load Lines
   • FI 10/2018/Rev.00: Proof of Watertightness and Weathertightness
   • FI 11/2018/Rev.02: Heights of Ventilators to Machinery Spaces or Emergency Generator Rooms
4. National Load Lines
   • FI 07/2017/Rev.00: Marking of the Freeboard for Vessels on which the Load Line cannot be placed in Half of their Length
   • FI 08/2017/Rev.01: Content and Details of a Freeboard Plan
   • FI 10/2018/Rev.00: Proof of Watertightness and Weathertightness
   • FI 11/2018/Rev.02: Heights of Ventilators to Machinery Spaces or Emergency Generator Rooms
5. Structural condition
   • FI 09/2018/Rev.01: Surveys to Ensure Structural Integrity
6. Regarding all topics
   • FI 12/2018/Rev.00: Plan Approval by a Classification Society

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Plan approval for ship’s equipment

For any newly constructed, modified or refitted ship under the German flag a plan approval of the ship’s equipment is required. By means of drawings and documents it will be verified that all requirements regarding arrangement, fitting and installation of the ship’s equipment are complied with. Plan approval is the preliminary stage to the ship’s survey and helps to avoid costly modifications, which might otherwise become necessary.

Follow the link for further information on plan approval and on the surveys for navigational and radio equipment.

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Flag document

Information about the flag document can be found under Flag documents.

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