BELGIAN PAVILION

PAVILLON BELGE

advantages

Click on the button to discover all the advantages of the Belgian pavilion or contact us directly to obtain a file.

procedure

Click on the button to discover the procedure for obtaining the Belgian flag or contact us directly to obtain a file. In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

equipment

Click on the button to discover the safety equipment linked to the Belgian flag or contact us directly to obtain a file. In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

prices

Click on the button to discover the different prices of the services offered or contact us directly to obtain a file.

downloads

Click on the button to obtain the registration forms to build your registration file.

disadvantages

Click on the button to know the disadvantages and choose your pavilion without regret.

Belgian flag - Advantages

Navigation limit and access conditions

Terms of Access

Since 2019, the conditions of access to the Belgian pavilion are as follows :

  • The pleasure craft must be owned more than 50% by Belgians or persons residing in Belgium, or
  • The pleasure craft must be owned at least 50% by a legal person registered with the BCE, or
  • A combination of the above.
  • If you hold an unexpired Belgian flag letter, you can continue to navigate with this navigation permit without any problem. Upon expiration, and if you do not meet the access conditions defined above, you must :
  • Either cancel your registration certificate and opt for another flag,
  • Or transfer 51% of your shares to a person who meets the allocation criteria so that you can renew your navigation title. You will then be issued a registration letter valid for 5 years (see model deed of share transfer in the “Download” section)

Navigation limit

There is no navigation limit. Only the regulations governing the construction category (A to D) are recognized. The construction category does not limit navigation to a navigation distance, so there is no nautical limit under the Belgian flag. In addition, the liferaft is not required in the safety equipment, regardless of the navigation area.

Obtaining deadlines

It takes a minimum of 4 weeks regardless of the season to obtain the registration certificate.

Security equipment

Maritime equipment is kept to a minimum. It is up to everyone to adapt it according to their program and the places of navigation. Survival is not compulsory under the Belgian flag regardless of the type of navigation (coastal or offshore). You will find the detailed list in the “Equipment” section.

Navigation permit

A sea license (coastal, sea card, etc.) remains compulsory to navigate in the maritime domain, only for boats that can travel at more than 20 km / hour (= 10.8 knots) or if the hull exceeds 15 meters. Note: Whatever your license, you will not be limited in navigation distances.

Homeport

The home port of the pleasure craft must be the official name of a Belgian town or municipality.
This has no impact on where the boat is moored nor for its tax dependence, if applicable. As a reminder, boats taxable in France will remain dependent on the place of collection of the annual tax (annual navigation fee), which remains due under the Belgian flag.

Insurance

The change of flag must be reported to your insurer. Check with your insurance company BEFORE registration.

If you encounter any difficulties or if you wish to obtain an insurance quote on your pleasure craft, you can contact our insurance partners by sending them the following information directly :

  • Your full contact details (address, telephone, internet address)
  • Description of the boat and its characteristics (Type, model, manufacturer, year of construction, length, materials, type of engine, number of engines, brand and power, flag nationality)
  • The insurance value (hull, engine, personal effects, etc.)
  • History for 5 years
  • The use you want to make of the boat (private navigation, rental with or without a crew, etc.)
  • The navigation area: Europe, Africa, Asia, etc….

Contact our insurance partners :

APRIL MARINE  

4 avenue Carnot

85109 Les Sables d’Olonne

Contact Geoffrey DELAIRE

geoffrey.delaire@aprilmarine.com

Tel 02 49 98 85 00 / 06 85 09 96 49

Fax 02 49 98 85 01

Download here the quotation request

PANTAENIUS     

34 Quai Jean Charles Rey

MC – 98000 MONACO

Jean Sébastien BERTHELOT

jberthelot@pantaenius.com

Tel +377 97 70 12 05

Fax +377 97 70 12 07

Download here the quotation request

BELGIAN PAVILION - DISADVANTAGES

Terms of Access

Since 2019, the conditions of access to the Belgian pavilion are as follows :

  • The pleasure craft must be owned more than 50% by Belgians or persons residing in Belgium, or
  • The pleasure craft must be owned at least 50% by a legal person registered with the BCE, or
  • A combination of the above.

If you hold an up-to-date and unexpired Belgian flag letter, you can continue to navigate with this navigation permit without any problem. Upon expiration, and if you do not meet the access conditions defined above, you must :

  • Either cancel your registration certificate and opt for another flag,
  • Or transfer 51% of your shares to a person who meets the allocation criteria so that you can renew your navigation title. You will then be issued with a registration letter valid for 5 years (see model deed of share transfer in Download).

Single flat rate tax  :

All boats are subject to a single flat-rate tax of EUR 2,478.00 when they are first registered in Belgium when they are first registered in Belgium.

BELGIAN PAVILION - PROCEDURE

Registration procedure

  • Proof of ownership of the vessel (invoice, contract of sale, notarial deed). The deed of sale must always mention the following elements: surname, first name and full address of the seller (s) and of the buyer (s), the date, the price, certain characteristics of the vessel / engine and the signature of all parties ;
  • If the owner is a non-Belgian natural person: proof of nationality (which mentions the date and place of birth) or a copy of the identity card or passport ;
  • If the owner is a legal person: an updated copy of the articles of association ;
  • If there is more than one natural person owner: a proxy form (part of the application form) signed by all the owners. In this case, the reference person must submit the request ;
  • The EC declaration of conformity for pleasure craft put into service or placed on the market from June 16, 1998 OR proof that the vessel was registered or marketed as a pleasure craft in the EEA before June 16 1998. ATTENTION: the declaration of conformity must be complete (imposed standards / ISO) ;
  • The declaration of conformity for jet-skis or for 4-stroke engines put into service or placed on the market from January 1, 2006 (from January 1, 2007 for 2-stroke engines) OR proof that the jet-ski or the 4-stroke engine was placed on the market or put into service in the EEA before 1 January 2006 (from 1 January 2007 for 2-stroke engines) ;
  • The radiation certificate if the vessel was purchased second-hand and has sailed under a foreign flag ;
  • A color photo of the ship (side view) ;
  • A color photo of the vessel’s CIN / HIN / hull number ;
  • A color photo of the ship’s CE plate (for ships from June 16, 1998).

BELGIAN PAVILION - EQUIPMENT

Regulatory safety equipment :

Rescue equipment :

a bra for each possible person on board
a luminous lifebuoy if the vessel is sailing during the night
effective distress signals: 3 hand flares, 2 red flares

Nautical instruments :

a magnetic compass
navigation lights
a foghorn if gas, a reserve bottle
a hand or electric probe

Weapons material :

an anchor
a gaffe
a pump or a scoop
a pair of oars
20 meters of line for common maneuvers
an electric lamp to give light signals
a fire extinguisher for motor yachts
a complete set of sails for sailboats

Sanitary equipment :

a waterproof box containing the necessary bandages and other common pharmaceutical products

Documents :

nautical charts corrected for the region sailed (date of last correction)*
tide directory*
international regulations for preventing collisions at sea (R.I.P.A.M.)*
radio patent and license to use radio devices
duplicate insurance policy
Polish registration document and national flag

*Nautical charts, tide tables and RIPAM are integrated into the Coastal Block or the Marine Block.
Available for sale on request

BELGIAN PAVILION - PRICES

Service*Price
1st Belgian registration
(TMC: 2478.00 € to be paid in Brussels Taxation after registration)		470.00 €
Change of ownership410.00 €
Renewal290.00 €
Radio license30.00 €
Cancellation70.00 €

Payment of fees :

– by check payable in France made out to VGD
– by transfer to the following account:
ING BANK
IBAN: BE40 3631 5419 3563 – BIC: BBRU-BE-BB-010
– by Credit Card by phone
Send all the documents as well as the forms to download, to:
VGD – Département immatriculations
636 Avenue de l’Océan
17400 Ternant
France

BELGIAN PAVILION - DOWNLOADS

Download here free of charge the documents useful for your administrative procedures :

Click on the PDF icon to download the documents corresponding to your needs.

APPLICATION FOR BELGIAN REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE

  • Application form :
PROXY
  • Mandate  :

PROCURATION (pour les résidents français uniquement)

 

  • Mandat  :

SHIP STATION LICENSE APPLICATION (for radio devices)

 

  • Radio equipment form :

REQUEST FOR INSURANCE QUOTATION (to be sent directly to insurers)

 

 

  • Quotation request form :
  • Deed of sale model :
  • Model deed of transfer of shares :

F.A.Q

NO, with a boat in leasing with option to buy, you are not the owner, but only the lessee. It will be possible to register it in your name once the leasing is over (for an advance purchase, please contact the leasing agency directly who will issue you an invoice after payment of the balance. You will also sign a deed of sale. ).
YES, provided you have previously declared it to the competent radio services, i.e. the country of registration of your registration You must send us the request for a ship station license (link for formalities) . You must hold a restricted radiotelephony certificate. We take care of this for a registration fee depending on the country of registration.
Your obligations under a foreign flag are: – Display the national flag of the country where the flag is registered (30cm x 45cm minimum) – Display the courtesy flag of the country visited (20cm x 30cm) – Also indicate the name of your boat, its port of attachment in full, on the transom or if you do not have room, on the 2 sides of the boat towards the rear. – Indicate the registration number (minimum height: 5 cm) on the two front sides. Local police rules remain applicable (speed limit, prohibited zone, etc.); finally you must be up to date with your taxes (see disadvantages chapter).
NO, by choosing another flag, your boat is legally registered in a maritime register. No authority can accuse you of flying a flag other than that of your country of origin if the registration documents are valid and specify the nationality of the boat.
If you are a French resident, you must pay the annual navigation fee (francization tax) which – contrary to what its name suggests – is a tax on the property of the boat. So if you are the owner or user of a boat and a French resident, you must pay this annual fee, regardless of where you are sailing! Your boat may never sail in France, you are nevertheless liable for this right. In the past, there was a so-called “distant sea” exemption for boats sailing on the borders of the seas and which never touched French territorial waters. This right has been completely questioned since 2008. Under a foreign flag, you will therefore be subject to this duty and will have to pay the “foreign ship’s passport fee”. This tax is calculated in the same way and on the same bases as the francization tax. You must pay it from the first day the boat is put into service, if you are a French resident (Note! The term “resident” means receiving income in France; it does not refer to domicile ….).
NO for all countries of registration that are part of the European Union: Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, France. You have to pay VAT in one of the EU member countries. This applies in the case of a new acquisition (invoice with VAT) or during an import (boat outside the EU); This does not apply to you in the following cases: – during a second-hand sale between individuals. – if you make a second-hand purchase in the Community market and this VAT has already been paid by the first user, – if you make an extra-Community acquisition and do not intend this good for use in the intra-Community zone (registration under the DELAWARE flag).
NO, all you have to do is indicate in your request the make, reference and serial number of these engines. If you have a generator on board to power these engines, this should not be specified. It is simply the propulsion engines that must be declared.
For registration under the European flag, you will have to prove that one of the co-owners is of European nationality. Please note that the number of shares held by your co-owner must be significant (at least 50%). You can opt for an extra-community pavilion: see Delaware pavilion. In this case, you will not have to pay VAT either. ATTN! if you live for more than 6 months in European waters, customs are entitled to ask you to pay VAT.
All vessels of non-Community origin must go through an import procedure and pay VAT in Europe, if they are intended to be put into circulation on the European market. This procedure is carried out by the Customs office where the goods are located during customs clearance. The amount is generally calculated on the market value determined by the act of purchase of the property. Customs can request an expertise if they consider that the declared amount is significantly underestimated compared to the real value of the good. Customs clearance can be completed in a European country where the VAT rate is more advantageous, without it being possible to claim the difference from you. E.g .: if you pay your VAT in Romania where the VAT rate is 19%, or in Malta where the rate is 18%, under no circumstances can the difference be claimed from you if you intend this property for a use in Italy (the rate of which is 22%). All VAT payments in Europe are recognized by other member states, even if their rates differ. If you do not intend your good for use in the European market, you will not have to clear it. Since the European directives put in place in 1998, all boats of non-Community origin and / or whose placing on the European market before this date cannot be formally proven, must be “CE” validated before being placed on the market in Europe. If the boat is equal to or greater than 12.00 meters in size, you will have no other choice than to call on a notified body (VERITAS, ICNN, Lloyd, etc.) to bring it up to CE standards. If your boat is fairly new and of size & lt; 12.00 meters, we can offer you a solution for its placing on the European market and registration under the European flag. Do not hesitate to contact us
YES and NO: some insurers do not know how to register boats flying a foreign flag, for others this is no problem especially if it is a European flag! You must in any case notify the change of flag nationality to your current insurer. If the latter refuses, we can direct you to our partners.

Do not hesitate to contact us !