Financial support and subsidies of the shipping sector:

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Referat S 13
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg

Angela Boemke
Phone: +49 40 3190-7130
Fax: +49 40 3190-5020
Mail: schifffahrtsfoerderung@bsh.de



Training-foundation:

Stiftung "Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland"
Burchardstr. 24
20095 Hamburg

Phone: +49 40 350 97-270
Fax: +49 40 350 97-310
Mail: info@stiftung-schifffahrtsstandort.de



Fees of the Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr:

BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Gebühren
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg

Christiane Kolz
Phone: +49 40 361 37-242
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: christiane.kolz@bg-verkehr.de



Fees of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency:

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Referat S 3
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg

Karin Andersen
Phone: +49 40 3190 - 7315
Fax: +49 40 3190 - 5000
Mail: NavCom@bsh.de

Subsidies, fees

German flag is comprehensively sponsored

The German Federal Government supports shipping under the German flag with:

  • subsidies for reducing ancillary labour costs,
  • subsidies for training slots, and
  • wage tax deduction in favour of employers

Furthermore, the „Stiftung Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland“ (German shipping foundation) subsidises training of seafarers on ships flying the German or an EU flag.

Overview of the subsidies and sponsorships of the German flag

The following table shows a simplified overview of the promotion of the German flag by the Federal Government, the federal states and the „Stiftung Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland“. Please find out about the individual conditions of support, in particular the application deadlines, from the legal provisions and funding guidelines which you can read about in our section on "Financial Matters". The following table only serves as a guide.

Reimbursement of ancillary labour costs by the federal government

Full reimbursement of the employers' contributions to the social security in Germany fr EU/EAA seafarers. More Information in our section "Financial matters".

Financial support of vocational training places by the federal government

Illustrated: subsidy amount per training place (not annual amount). Please apply prior to closing a vocational training contract.

Ship mechanic – trainee

32.000

Navigational/Electro-technical assistant officer

16.000

Engineering assistant officer

21.000

Financial support by the Stiftung "Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland" (German shipping foundation)

Illustrated: annual subsidy amount: limited funding duration, only quarterly funding.

Ship mechanic – trainee

14.000

Navigational / Engineering / Electro-technical assistant officer

14.000

Young officers and masters

32.000

Wage tax deduction in favour of employers by federal government/states

Employers need not pay any wage tax dues for his/her crew members in Germany.

100% wage tax deduction

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Low-priced fees under German flag

Ship surveys, issuance of certificates, verifications of documents – the costs of these and other services of the German flag are covered by fees. The fees of the German flag are very reasonable: especially the costs of certificates regarding the ship are low priced in comparison to other flag states. The annual registration fee for ships does not exist under German flag either.

The costs of ship surveys of ships with a class are usually settled between shipowner and classification society in, so called, block fee contracts.

Changing to the German flag is particularly good value when the ship is already registered in a German shipping register and is currently trading under a foreign flag – this is the normal case. This is when no registration fees apply but only minor costs for the certificate of registry and further documents, if applicable, need to be covered.

For crew members working on German-flagged ships the medical fitness examination for seafarers is free of charge since the BG Verkehr covers the costs.

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bild zuschüsse, gebühren 

Overview of the most relevant fees

The following table gives examples of fees of the German flag. Please take into consideration that only the rates listed in the fee ordinances are applicable and, particularly in regard to ship surveys, additional expenditures may accrue. Therefore, this table only serves as a guide.

If you want to know which certificates are necessary for a ship, we recommend our directory for ship certificates.

Service Fee in EUR Authority Legal basis

I. Documents and certificates referring to seafarers

Seafarer’s card

25

BSH

Nr. 2005 Anlage BSHGebV

Certificates of competency, Certificate of proficiency, marine radio certificate of proficiency (price reduction with several applications at the same time)

50

BSH

Nr. 2001 Anlage BSHGebV

Endorsements

100

BSH

Nr. 2001 Anlage BSHGebV

Complete medical fitness examination for seafarers (self-pay patient = not insured with BG Verkehr)

149

SD

Nr. 3002 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Medical certificate (self-pay patient = not insured with BG Verkehr)

19.95

SD

Nr. 3001 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

II. Documents and certificates referring to ships

Shipping register

Changing to the German flag: changes in the certificate of registry

25

Shipping register

Nr. 14261 Anlage 1 GNotKG

Changing to the German flag: certified copy of the registration page (for BSH)

20

Shipping register

Nr. 17001 Anlage GNotKG

Registration in the German International Shipping Register (GIS)

106

BSH

Nr. 1005 Anlage BSHGebV

Safety

Minimum Safe Manning Certificate

59.85

SD

Nr. 3201 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Load Line Certificate (no newbuilding) incl. confirmation of the surveys

855

SD

Nr. 0002 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate for SOLAS-ship incl. confirmation of the surveys

837

SD

Nr. 0202 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate for SOLAS-ship incl. confirmation of the surveys

837

SD

Nr. 0202 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate for SOLAS-ship

175

SD

Nr. 0701 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

ISM Code: DOC after renewal verification incl. confirmation of the annual verifications

837

SD

Nr. 1002 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

ISM Code: SMC after renewal verification incl. confirmation of the annual verifications

406

SD

Nr. 1012 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Security

Int. Ship Security Certificate (ISSC) or interim-ISSC

107

BSH

Nr. 8006 Anlage BSHGebV

Continuous Synopsis Record, CSR

94

BSH

Nr. 8008 Anlage BSHGebV

Confirmation of conformity of the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS)

1011

BSH

Nr. 8002 Anlage BSHGebV

Maritime radiocommunication

Assignment of frequencies for maritime radiocommunication (call sign, MMSI, ATIS-number) for Ship Station License

59,05

Bundesnetzagentur (German Federal Network Agency)

No. 1.4.12 Anlage BNetzABGebV

Protection of the marine environment

IOPP Certificate (prevention of oil pollution) for an existing ship incl. the confirmation of the surveys

359

SD

Nr. 2102 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

ISPP Certificate (prevention of pollution with ship’s sewage) for existing ship

164

SD

Nr. 2302 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

IAPP Certificate (prevention of air pollution) incl. confirmation of the surveys

418

SD

Nr. 2402 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

IEE Certificate (International Energy Efficiency) for existing ship

164

SD

Nr. 2404 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Approval of the shipboard emergency plans (SOPEP/SMPEP)

65

SD

Nr. 2558 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Maritime labour law

Interim maritime labour certificate

239

SD

Nr. 3101 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Maritime labour certificate

478

SD

Nr. 3102 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Declaration of maritime labour compliance (DMLC)

1197

SD

Nr. 3103 Anlage BMDV-WS-BesGebV

Liability certificates

Liability certificates (e.g. civil liability certificate for oil tankers)

118

BSH

Nr. 7001 Anlage BSHGebV

Abbreviations:

  • BSH: Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency
  • SD: Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr
  • BMDV-WS-BesGebV: BMDV-Wasserstraßen und Schifffahrt Besondere Gebührenverordnung
  • BSHGebV: BSH-Gebührenverordnung
  • GKNotG: Gerichts- und Notarkostengesetz
  • TnGebV: Telekommunikations-Gebührenverordnung

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