You own the vessel. We handle the documents. Visio registers yachts and ships under the Malta flag, sets up the owning company and manages VAT, tonnage tax, mortgages, crew contracts and payroll, all through one local legal, accounting and HR team.
We don't own, operate or charter vessels. We prepare and file the legal, tax and employment documents for the owners, operators and financiers who do.
For owners who want an EU flag, a clean ownership structure and the right VAT position for time spent in and outside EU waters.
For owners whose yachts are chartered to guests and need the commercial registration, code paperwork, crew contracts and payroll behind it.
For shipping organisations and lenders using Malta's tonnage tax regime and its creditor-friendly ship mortgage law.
One coordinated marine desk covering registration, structuring, tax, finance and crew, so nothing falls between advisers.
Name reservation, provisional and permanent registry, deletion from a previous flag and renewals.
Maltese yacht-owning companies, international-owner approval and resident agent coordination.
VAT leasing reviews, import VAT deferment, VAT registration and annual tonnage tax returns.
Small Commercial Yacht Code and CYC 2025 readiness, surveys and seaworthiness rules.
Registered ship mortgages, finance charters, bills of sale and title checks.
Seafarer employment agreements, HR policies and crew payroll run by our HR team.
Local experience of Transport Malta's registration, code and tonnage tax requirements.
Legal, accounting and HR for the vessel and its owning company, coordinated under one roof.
We follow every code update and notice so your registration and filings stay current.
Annual renewals, tax returns, crew changes and sale paperwork after the flag is flying.
Straight answers to what owners, operators and financiers ask us most.
Maltese citizens and companies, and EU, EEA or Swiss citizens resident in Malta, can register directly. Other owners, including foreign companies, can register as an approved international owner with a resident agent appointed in Malta. Many owners choose a Maltese yacht-owning company, which Visio can set up as part of the same file.
Registration happens in two stages. The vessel is first registered provisionally once the application, proof of ownership and name reservation are in place, and the provisional certificate lasts six months, extendable. Once the remaining documents are filed, such as the survey and the deletion certificate from any previous register, Transport Malta issues the permanent certificate of registry.
Yes. Since 1 April 2024 the Small Commercial Yacht Code covers commercial yachts from 12 to 24 metres carrying no more than 12 passengers. Commercial yachts of 24 metres and over follow the Commercial Yacht Code 2025, in force since 1 July 2025.
Under Merchant Shipping Notice 127 Rev. 3, merchant ships over 20 years old are generally no longer accepted. Ships aged 15 or more must pass a flag state inspection before registration, and ships aged 10 to 14 must be inspected within one month of registration.
Licensed shipping organisations pay an annual tax based on the net tonnage of their ships instead of income tax on qualifying shipping activities, and file an annual return with Transport Malta. Whether it applies depends on the activity, the fleet and its flags, which we review before you commit.
Yes. Malta's Merchant Shipping Act provides for registered ship mortgages, including on vessels under construction, and since 2025 lessors can also register a finance charter instrument against the vessel. We prepare and register the security documents for owners and lenders.
No. Visio is an advisory firm. We prepare and file the legal, tax and employment paperwork for the owners, operators and financiers of vessels, and we stay on for renewals, filings and crew administration.
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Discover AccountingBook a free 20-minute consultation. Tell us the vessel, its length and how it is used, and we will map the register, tax position and every document you need.
