Assets

Yacht & aircraft registration

Registering the asset is the easy part. A provisional Maltese certificate can issue in two to three working days. The decisions that follow matter more: the ownership vehicle that holds the yacht or aircraft, and its VAT position on entering the EU, where a wrong assumption can turn a customs formality into a bill for a fifth of the asset's value. We arrange flagging and structuring through a vetted network of registry agents, maritime and aviation counsel and tax advisers, and we tell you plainly where the exposure sits.

Last verified July 2026

What this covers

We match the asset to a register. That means Cayman, Malta, Marshall Islands, BVI or Isle of Man for yachts, and Isle of Man (M-), Cayman, Aruba, San Marino or Bermuda for aircraft. The choice depends on your cruising or flight profile, your financing lender's preference, and whether commercial charter is on the table.
We set up the owning company, typically a Cayman or BVI exempted or business company, or a Maltese or EU company where an EU register requires one for a non-EU owner, and we coordinate registration of the vessel or aircraft in its name.
Work through the VAT and customs analysis with a tax adviser before the yacht enters the EU. The key question is temporary admission versus full importation. Settle this in advance, so the position is decided ahead of time rather than discovered at a port or FBO.
Assemble and check the registration file. This includes the bill of sale, builder's certificate or title chain, tonnage or measurement certificate, class and survey status, insurance, and evidence of the owner's residence, apostilled or sworn-translated as required.
Engage classification society, flag survey and code-compliance work through the network. This covers the REG Yacht Code / LY3, Malta's sCYC, and the RMI Yacht Code, for yachts at or above the survey and tonnage thresholds.
Instruct aircraft counsel on the certification basis (EASA, FAA or Transport Canada), on Cape Town Convention / IDERA filings for financed aircraft, and on the operating restriction that private registers impose. That means private and corporate use only, with no commercial air transport.
Handle beneficial-ownership disclosure to the registry and the economic-substance obligations of the owning company. We also keep renewals, MLC/ISM/ISPS obligations and audit dates on a calendar.
Route all pricing through a written quotation and consultation. That covers government fees, agent, class, survey, legal costs and our own. We do not publish figures we cannot stand behind.

Scope & conditions

Cayman Islands (yacht): Red Ensign Category 1 — registers yachts of any tonnage; commercial yachts over 24m under the REG Yacht Code / LY3. Beneficial ownership is disclosed to the registry but is not public. (as of 2026; confirm)
Malta (yacht): Largest EU flag (1st in Europe by tonnage) — an EU-flag vessel in every EU port and Paris MoU white-listed. Private yachts from 6m LOA; commercial 12–24m under the sCYC (in force 1 April 2024). Provisional certificate in about 2–3 working days. (confirm)
Marshall Islands (yacht): Third-largest flag by tonnage, run by IRI under the RMI Yacht Code (a new edition taking effect in 2026). Private yachts of 12m+ and under 20 years; unclassed private yachts of 24m+ need a pre-registration inspection. A non-EU flag — which matters for temporary admission. (confirm)
BVI / Isle of Man (yacht): Both Red Ensign. BVI is Category 1 up to 3,000 GT with a pre-registration survey (waived on transfer from another Red Ensign register); pleasure registration runs 1 year, renewable 1/3/5. (confirm)
Isle of Man (aircraft, M-): Private and corporate jets over 5,700 kg MTOW (2,730–5,700 kg considered on economic-benefit grounds); private/corporate use only, no commercial air transport; EASA, FAA or Transport Canada certification accepted. (as of 2026; confirm)
Aircraft register choice: Aruba, San Marino, Cayman and Bermuda are the common non-UK/EU alternatives. A non-EU register can matter for EU customs/VAT relief; the Isle of Man sits inside the UK VAT territory and does not itself deliver EU relief. (confirm)
EU VAT on entry: Temporary admission (non-EU flag, non-EU owner and users, private use): up to 18 months for yachts, 6 months for aircraft. Full importation triggers import VAT — broadly 15–25% of value, set by the member state — but gives free circulation with no time limit. (confirm)

How it works

Temporary admission comes with conditions. The owner and every user must be established outside the EU, and the asset itself must be non-EU-flagged and used purely for private purposes. It cannot be sold or offered for sale while under the regime. Sell it inside the EU, and you trigger full VAT and duty.
Full importation is paid once, in the member state of entry. It puts the asset into free circulation across the EU with no time limit. The rate follows that state's law and its own reading of the Union Customs Code. That reading is not uniform from one member state to the next.
Owning companies in Cayman and the BVI comes with economic-substance obligations, and beneficial ownership must be disclosed to the authorities. Expect the registry, and increasingly banks and insurers too, to want to see who really owns the asset.
Commercial or charter use changes everything. It affects the flag code (LY3 / sCYC), the survey, MLC/ISM/ISPS compliance and the VAT treatment. You cannot bolt this on later without re-papering the whole structure, so decide it at the outset.
Financed assets follow the lender. Aircraft need the certification basis and Cape Town / IDERA filings settled. Yachts need a statutory mortgage. Often it is the bank, not the owner, that chooses the register.
Registration is led by documents. You will need an apostilled or notarised title chain, a tonnage certificate, proof of class and survey status, and proof of residence, all in English or sworn-translated.

What can go wrong

The VAT position, not the flag, is where owners get caught. Aircraft- and yacht-leasing structures routed through the Isle of Man and Malta drew a challenge from the EU Commission and scrutiny in the Paradise Papers. Schemes that looked clever a decade ago are now audited and unwound. We will not build a structure whose only purpose is to disguise a VAT liability.
Temporary admission is unforgiving. Carrying an EU-resident guest as a user, overstaying the 18 months, or listing the boat for sale can void it. The whole VAT amount then becomes payable at once. Keep contemporaneous evidence of use and residence.
The idea that beneficial ownership stays private is narrowing. Registries already collect it, and the BVI and Cayman are moving toward wider access. Structure on the assumption that the real owner may become visible to authorities.
Every figure here can move. Fees, thresholds, code versions and VAT rates are set by regulators and change over time. Treat the numbers as current as of 2026, and reconfirm them for your asset and route before you commit.
We arrange and coordinate. We are not a flag registry, a law firm or a tax adviser, and we do not hold client assets. Binding advice comes from the maritime or aviation counsel and the tax adviser instructed on your file.

Frequently asked

Do I have to pay EU VAT on my yacht?

Not if it qualifies for temporary admission. That means the yacht is non-EU flagged, owned and used only by people established outside the EU, and used privately. Under those conditions, you get up to 18 months in EU waters, and that period can be extended if the boat is laid up and bonded. Bring an EU resident aboard as a user, overstay the limit, or offer the yacht for sale, and VAT becomes payable. If you or the users are EU-established, or you want unrestricted use, full importation and paying the VAT once is usually the honest answer. Confirm the current rules for your specific case.

Which flag is best for a superyacht?

There is no single best answer. Cayman and the Marshall Islands dominate large private and commercial yachts on reputation, code and lender familiarity. Malta is the leading EU flag and useful when EU status matters. The BVI and Isle of Man are also Red Ensign options. The right choice depends on where you cruise, whether you plan to charter, and your bank. We help you choose based on those facts, not a league table.

Why register the asset in a company rather than my own name?

An offshore owning company, commonly set up in Cayman or the BVI, ring-fences liability and simplifies sale and financing. You can sell the company itself rather than re-flag the asset. Some EU registers require this structure outright for non-EU owners. It does not by itself avoid VAT, and it now carries economic-substance and beneficial-ownership obligations.

How long does registration take?

The flag itself moves fast. A provisional Maltese certificate can issue in about 2–3 working days, and the BVI takes roughly 3 business days once documents and fees are in. The gating items are the title and bill-of-sale chain, tonnage and class or survey status, and for aircraft, the certification basis and any lender filings. The structuring and VAT decision should be settled before that clock starts.

Can I register a private jet in the Isle of Man and avoid EU VAT?

The Isle of Man M- register is a respected private and corporate register, covering jets over 5,700 kg MTOW. But it sits inside the UK VAT territory and does not, by itself, deliver EU VAT relief. The leasing schemes that once claimed it drew a Commission challenge. EU customs relief depends on a non-EU register plus a genuine temporary-admission or importation position, decided with a tax adviser. It does not depend on the choice of prefix.

What will this cost?

We do not publish figures. Government registry fees, agent costs, class and survey work, legal and tax advice, and our own fee all depend on the asset, the register and the structure. We would rather quote you accurately than anchor you to a number. We set it out in writing before you commit.

Need yacht & aircraft registration done properly?

One named person on your file, and an honest answer on scope, timeline and cost.