THE Republic of Moldova is a small country nestled in the south eastern corner of Europe. A former republic of the USSR, it is bordered by Romania to the west and the Ukraine to the east. In 1990, Moldova proclaimed its sovereignty and on August 27, 1991, its state independence. By 1992 it had also become a member of the United Nations. Today, the Republic of Moldova is governed by its president and is facing a period of transition to a market economy.

In the maritime field, Moldova is a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Danube Commission. The main legislative document governing maritime activities is the Merchant Maritime Code, which underwent amendment in July last year. As a result of the amendments, all vessels owned by legal entities or actual persons, whether resident or non-resident in Moldova, or which belong to them on the basis of bareboat charter agreements, can be registered with the Shipping Register of Moldova (permanent or parallel registration). One of the main advantages of the register is that all owners and charterers of vessels registered in Moldova are exempt of tax payments and customs duty.

The registration of vessels in Moldova is handled by the National Service of Safety of Navigation, part of the Ministry of Transport and Communication. There are no limits on registration and river and sea-river vessels of all ages and types are welcome.

Owners wishing to register a vessel in Moldova must nominate a domicile agent for the term of the registration. For permanent registration, the following documents are required:

• power of attorney;
• application;
• bill of sale;
• certificate of incorporation of the owner-company of the vessel;
• confirmation of the cancellation of the previous registration of the vessel (deletion certificate);
• questionnaire of the register of ships;
• photo of the general overview of the vessel or principle plan;
• copies of the tonnage certificate; class certificate; certificate of the validity of the vessels for navigation (or analogue);
• certificate of radio equipment (with the list of equipment).

Once the registration is complete, the following documents will be issued:

• certificate of ownership of the vessel;
• certificate of navigation under the flag of Moldova;
• certificate of minimum safe manning;
• ship radio station license;

Tariffs for the registration of vessels in Moldova are very favourable. The gross tonnage of the vessel forms the basis for the tariff but the type and age of the vessel are also taken into account.

The National Classification Society (Inspection of the Ship Register) forms part of the National Service of Safety of Navigation and is responsible for supervising of river vessels and vessels of mixed navigation. The Inspection works within the rules of the Russian Register of Navigation and offers low tariffs. All well-known classification societies are also recognised.

The National Service of Safety of Navigation also oversees the temporary registration of vessels under agreements of leasing and bareboat charter, temporary deletion of vessels from the register under agreements of leasing and bareboat charter, registration of mortgages and the issuing of endorsements for crew members.