Authorised Registered Agents

Any person or company who is resident or established in Malta can act as an authorised resident agent, subject to approval by Transport Malta. This person needs to be ordinarily resident in Malta, so as to be the vessel’s link in Malta with the registry and other government authorities. Appointing a person who is competent and knowledgeable in maritime matters will guarantee approval by Transport Malta and ensure that the obligations in relation to the yacht registration are met. This is crucial to the smooth operation of the vessel - whether she is a merchant ship, a commercial yacht or a pleasure yacht. As authorised resident agent, Acumum provides these services:

1. Provisional, and then permanent, registration of the vessel
2. Management of renewal of registration
3. Management of yacht certification requirements (renewals, liaison with class society or approved surveyors, submission of documents)
4. Liaison between the yachts, the owner and Transport Malta for official and other correspondence and to communicate any correspondence or requirements by or to Transport Malta.

The powers vested by law on the authorised resident agent includes registrations, renewals and deletions of the yacht or ship from the Malta register. For all intents and purposes, the authorised resident agent represents the owner for all submissions in respect of the yacht and her registry.

Where a ship-owning or yacht-owning company is a Malta company with foreign directors, a Special Attorney is appointed as an officer of the company, having a similar role to that of the authorised resident agent. The Special Attorney is a special officer appointed for Shipping Companies, which are incorporated under the Merchant Shipping Act. These companies do not have the requirement for a company secretary. A special attorney may be appointed, however, to act instead of the directors in terms of carrying out registrations, renewals and deletions of a vessel from the shipping registry and generally to do anything that the Memorandum & Articles may vest them the power to do. Generally, the powers of the Special Attorney are very sinilar to those toat the authorised resident agent. In the event that a Special Attorney was not appointed at incorporation stage, a power of attorney may vest a person or company with the same powers as a special attorney would be given. Alternatively, fresh Memorandum & Articles may be drawn up to include the appointment of a special attorney at a later stage in the life of the company. The appointment of a Special Attorney vests this person with the power to deal with the yacht’s registry requirements instead of the directors. This makes it possible for the vessel-owning company to comply with its obligations at all times by providing a direct liaison between the vessel and the registry when the directors are not in Malta.