Ship certificate
The ship certificate is a document about the entry of a seagoing ship in the shipping register of a state , for example in the shipping register of the Federal Republic of Germany . The ship certificate then entitles you to fly the flag of the respective country. Shipowners and shippers thus enjoy the protection of this country under international law .
The shipping registers in Germany are kept by some local courts.
In the Federal Republic of Germany, all seagoing vessels with a hull length of more than 15 meters must be entered in the register of seagoing vessels. Registration is voluntary for shorter ships.
The shipping register number entered in the ship certificate is the official registration number for inland journeys. Alternatively, the distinguishing signal issued by the register can also be used as an official identifier for inland travel.
The inland counterpart to the ship certificate is the ship letter .