Digital Ship Registry 1 year after start up

The Digital Shipregistration (DSRG) was launched on January 16^th 2023 and new legislation came into force. The new legislation holds changes to both the Maritime Shipping Act  and Order on the registration of ships, a similar order has been issued for ships with homeport in Greenland. 

This means that all orders regarding registration of vessels with homeport in Denmark respectively Greenland is now in one and not several orders. It also means that changes relating to digital ship registration in the Merchant Shipping Act having been adopted as early as 2006 and until 2021 have now entered into force.

All notifications, submitted from and including 16^th of January 2023, will be given “notification time” – this will be a date and time of notification and is given upon execution of the notification. All notifications executed before 16^th of January 2023 will keep the notification time given as a date upon reception in the register of shipping.

Here you can watch a short introductory video with a guided tour of the Digital Registry. 

The person starting a report logging into the solution with MitID on Shipregistration is called “Reporter”. The Reporter must enter all required information in the system. When the report is ready, all relevant parties must sign. That is done by the Reporter releasing an invitation to each of the persons, who must sign the report. Each invited, receives an invitation on e-mail, which they have to sign with MitID. The Reporter receives an e-mail notification, when all signatures have been given. The Reporter may then continue or execute the report for registration with the Ship Registry.

In general the system is built with a number of “flows”. That means, at that during a report different pieces of information must be given and depending on the information given, the Reporter is lead on through the flow.

The different flows mirror, what the Reporter wants to report. So the reporter has to choose the flow relevant for the report he or she wants to make. There are specific flows for mortgages, for negative pledges and one flow covering general registration information and identification of the vessel and owner rights.

There is no flow or box called “Registration information”. However, registration information still exists. This is the information that are shown in the top frame, at the top of the page when a vessel is opened in DSRG, Self-service. Likewise, the general registration information is stated at the top in the Ship Register, “Skibsbladet”.

When starting a new report please make sure that no earlier reports about the same subject matter, which you yourself have started, are still shown as open. The System will not function at all or not function as desired, depending on the content of the report. Therefore it is important always to completely cancel earlier reports, when you start a new regarding the same subject matter. If you find you need to make a report on the same subject matter as an open report, please contact The Register of Shipping for assistance.

For reasons of IT security it is not possible to go back to an earlier step in a flow. If you need to change or correct something at an earlier step you must cancel the report permanently. That is done by pressing “Cancel” and then “Cancel Completely”. You can now start a new report.

A report has been notified for registration, when the Reporter as the last has pressed the blue “button” “Request registration”.

After having pressed “Request registration” you can withdraw the report until registration has been performed. You withdraw as described above by pressing “Cancel” and then “Cancel permanently”.

When a report concerns change of owner, registration of a ship under Danish flag for the first time, re-entry of a vessel to the register of a vessel that has been deleted, but is now to be re-registered under Danish flag, or changes to: 1) the name of the vessel 2) the homeport 2) owner address 3) port registration number or 4) address or name changes for owner or charterer a (new) certificate of nationality must always be issued.

If a Reporter himself has performed the reporting in DSRG, the Reporter will receive an e-mail with a link, which gives access to issuing the certificate of nationality with the recently registered information. It is important to issue the new certificate of nationality immediately, because it at all times must be accessible on board the vessel.

Please note, When a vessel is first registered and the first certificate of nationality is to be issued you will be required in writing to inform, where on the inside of the vessels permanent construction, the vessels call sig or FTJ-number has been permanently been marked. Without that piece of information, issuance of the certificate of nationality is not possible.

If the register of Shipping has made the digital notification in DSRG of your report, we also issue the certificate and send it to the Reporter by e-mail. The Reporter must then relay the certificate to someone, who makes sure, the certificate gets to the vessel. The Certificate is also accessible in the Self-service solution “Ship owner” immediately after issuance.

Time of notification is the point in time, where a report has been notified for registration in DSRG. For all reports entered digitally in the system regarding mortgage rights and negative pledges, this is the time when the Reporter punches the button

Reports notified on paper, the time of notification is the date and time, when the Register of Shipping has entered the report into DSRG. 

The time of legal effect, is the point in time from which a registration has legal effect. That time is for rights of ownership, mortgage rights, pledges the time of reporting, but effective from the later point in time, when the individual right has been registered.

A different time of legal effect has been established in regards to Frequent register changes. There the report itself indicates a time and date of legal effect – which must be later than the actual reporting time – and again the date of legal effect is time of reporting stated, but after registration has taken place.

Registration of a vessel has legal effect, when registration has taken place.

If the Register of Shipping refuses a , the report loses the initially given time of notification. If on the other hand, the register receives a report and requires corrections before registration, the initial time of notification is maintained.

The time of legal effect is also decisive for the time as of when a mortgage right or a pledge may obtain a certain placement in the order of priorities. As a new thing, DSRG shows each registered rights actual position in the order of priorities. What is shown on “Skibsbladet” (the record in the Shipregister) is also dynamic - meaning the order of priorities is adjusted for each new registration of rights in the order of priorities – and this is shown on the register (with a delay to the real time registration of about 5 minutes). If a concrete, right is not shown with dynamic placement in the order of priorities, this is due to registrations made before digitalization and where the older registration for different reasons do not have the required information in order to digitally determine its concrete position in the order of priorities. Only mortgage rights and pledges, are part on the order of priorities.

The few following reports cannot be made digitally in DSRG:

1. Reports of frequent changes of register must as earlier be made on a form S 22. The form is still accessible and can be signed with MitID and digitally reported from The Danish Maritime authority’s homepage under forms. Such a report will be handled manually. Frequent register changes between DAS and DIS.
   
   
2. Reporting a vessel, which must be reported, ref. The Danish Merchant Shipping act § 10, sec. 3, but will be reported to a non-Danish flag ref. The Danish Merchant Shipping act § 17, sec. 5. The form can still be accessed, be signed with MitID and digitally reported from The Danish Maritime authority’s homepage under forms. Such a report will be handled manually. : Use form 22 (the form is temporary in danish).
   
   
3. Report of commercial vessel for Danish Register. You can find the form here: (indsæt link) https://www.soefartsstyrelsen.dk/syn-and-registrering/skibsregistrering-og-afgift/formularer-og-blanketter choose 23) Anmeldelse af erhvervsskib til dansk register Anmeldelsesskema erhvervsskibe til dansk flag (fælles anmeldelsesskema)
   
   
4. CSR (Continuous Synopsis Record) forms are available here:  

• Nybygning: CSR_Initial_ Input_ Form
• Indflagning og/eller ændring i skibets CSR: Form 2 CSR
• Index of amendments: Form 3 index of amendmends CSR
• Instructions for CSR

5. Reporting of a fusion or fission of companies. Please contact the Register of Shipping by phone or e-mail srg@dma.dk , so we can decide the procedure in the concrete situation.

The Register of Shipping does in the following situations and especially for those, who do not frequently report in DSRG offer the following:

1) Change of vessel name or home port on the basis of an e-mail from owner or advisor. The mail should be send to srg@dma.dk

2) Change Type of Use from “Fishing vessel” to “Former fishing vessel” or from any type of use to “pleasure yacht” on the basis of an e-mail from owner or advisor. The mail should be send to srg@dma.dk

3) Report that a commercial vessel with a GT of less than 20 no longer is used commercially on the basis of an e-mail from owner or advisor. The mail should be send to srg@dma.dk  The Register of Shipping will on that basis delete the vessel from registration, as it is no longer used for commercial purposes and provided no mortgages, pledges or other rights are registered or reported in the vessel.

• Powers of attorney (PoA) empowering signing reports with MitID in DSRG. Reporting of original PoAs on paper is always accepted. A digital or digitalized PoA may be withdrawn in DSRG or by e-mail or other. Depending on the manner a PoA is withdrawn the time the withdrawal comes into effect differs.

• Reporting of change of owner, when the change has been effected at least 30 days prior to the report in DSRG. In this situation it is not required, that the seller (even if the sellar has MitId) signs with MitID in DSRG provided The Register of Shipping receives the original bill of sale – or equivalent – signed by seller. In connection with buyer/new owners report of ownership in DSRG sellers signature on the document may in DSRG terms be considered a “PoA”. Therefore seller is not invited for signature and should in the flow be ticked off as having a PoA.

All situations where seller is Not-Danish have to be notified in the same manner and without requirements of 30 days ref. above.

It is currently only possible to sign with MitID in DSRG, as it is the only form of signature accepted by DSRG.

This information will be updated when other digital signatures are accepted.

For reasons of security The Registrar of Shipping has chosen not to allow automated registration yet. It is expected, that automated registration will be allowed, when The Registrar of Shipping on the basis of experience can consider automatic registration safe. Until then all digital reports will be made as manual registrations by the Register of Shipping.

However, reports about execution and arrest, reported by a Danish Court or Gældsstyrelsen are registered automatically upon reporting.

Digitalization does in some situations create a wide vulnerability, should one of a number of digital systems, which operate together, fail. In such situations and where your registration is urgent you can contact The Ship Register and we will try to help you using our emergency procedures.

Possibility for advisory statements to concrete documents in a specific situation and appointments about registration of a report at a specific time.

The Register of Shipping still offers for free to evaluate concrete documents to be used for registration purposes with the aim to evaluate if the document is suited for registration purposes in a concrete situation. The document may be a deed, a mortgage document, a power of attorney, the wording of a notary´s declaration, how the requirement of activity is fulfilled or other. You just need to send the document to us on an e-mail. We try to answer quickly, but if you have a definite deadline, we suggest that you call us on the phone and get a contact person at once. You can call us on +4572196000 or write to srg@dma.dk.

Please note, it is an advisory statement we give, not a pre-approval. As all required documentation will not be available before the registration takes place, we cannot give binding advance approvals.

In the same manner, you may after the circumstances and if you for commercial reasons need a firm time of registration, we can agree upon such a time, an agreement we always do our very best to keep.

When we make advisory statements and agreements about a specific time to perform the registration, we expect that the costumer makes sure to make all required co-ordination with all 3^rd parties, so we only communicate with one person.

In extraordinary situations and pending on the concrete circumstances, we may agree to make registrations outside the Danish Maritime Authority´s normal opening hours.

Since the entry into force of Digital Ship registration DSRG all registration of and changes to already registered mortgage rights is digital. Mortgage deeds reported for registration before 16^th of January 2023 will be dematerialized (digitalized), when they as of 16^th of January are reported for registration of changes or only for the purpose of dematerialization.

The Register of Shipping will upon receipt report changes into DSRG and perform the dematerialization by stamping  “DEMATERIALSIRET” to the paper document and attaching an endorsement, informing the document as of now only exists as a digital document.

The original, dematerialized document is returned to the reporter. Immediately after dematerialization, and new changes to the digital document may be reported immediately.

Please note, that when an owner´s mortgage is dematerialized, it is necessary to report a sub-mortgage, if other rights than the issuer of the owners mortgage must be secured. Before the dematerialization, the act required for the securing of rights was pledging of the document and possibly supplemented by an agreement about sub-mortgaging.  The transition to digital ship registration, means that pledging a digital mortgage is no longer possible. For digital owners mortgagees securing of third party rights consists in the registration of a sub-mortgage in the registered and digitally existing owner’s mortgage.

On “Skibsbladet”, the vessel´s page in the ship register (the ship record in the Danish Ship Register, ) it is stated if a mortgage document exists as a physical or a digital document.

Over time physical mortgage documents registered in DSRG will no longer exist.

New mortgage rights and changes to such registered rights, which are registered as digital documents, must be reported in DSRG and signed with digital signature, MitID. You report a mortgage in DSRG by opening the particular vessel in DSRG.

You can access DSRG here.

A number of guides have been made, which very detailed explain how to report new, change existing and delete registered mortgage rights.

The guides are accessible in DSRG and you may also read them here.

It is not a requirement to report and sign digitally, if the issuer of the document cannot get the required MitID digital signature.

Please note, that after the entry into force of Law about exemptions from mandatory requirements of use of digital self-service solutions, physical person, who have been exempted from the obligation to use Digital Post are also exempted from the mandatory requirement to make digital reports in DSRG. Reports can instead be made using physical documents.

It is possible by way of power of attorney to enable a person who has MitID to report in DSRG and/or to sign on behalf of the person whose signature is required on the concrete request for registration.

Should you at any time need a physical document, as proof of a digital mortgage deed and its content you may via DSRG pay and order a transcript of the mortgage deed as it stands at the time of download of the document. This transcript is also the only place where you can read the special terms and conditions if any valid for the particular document, these may for example be which loan agreements the mortgage secures, or changes to the Almindelige betingelser (general conditions) for the mortgage apply. The price for such a transcript is 150 DKK. The transcript is a digitally verifiable document, and it may be digitally sent for apostille with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs if so required.

The transition to digital documents means, that it is now possible to register sub-mortgages in digital owner´s mortgages in registered ships.

A sub-mortgage cannot be reported in DSRG before the owner´s mortgage, in which a sub-mortgage is to be established, has been registered and only exists digitally. Therefore it is not possible, to report an owner´s mortgage and a sub-mortgage at the same time. Reporting of a sub-mortgage must always await that the actual registration of the owner´s mortgage has been finalized. If it is absolutely paramount to establish security against other registrations, before the sub-mortgage has been registered, it may be considered, to report and have registered a negative pledge on the vessel in advance of the mortgage and sub-mortgage reports.

Reporting of sub-mortgages, changes to already registered sub-mortgages and deletion of sub-mortgages is performed in DSRG in the document, in which the report is to be registered in. Guide to reporting of sub-mortgages can be found here.

Unlike mortgages and indemnity mortgages original, physical owner´s mortgages registered before the transition to digital ship registration must be send to the Register of Shipping for dematerialization no later than 5 years after the transition to digital ship registration, namely before the 16^th of January 2028. If a sub-mortgage has not been received by the Register of Shipping for dematerialization - digitalization before that date, the Register of Shipping will on its own initiative perform the dematerialization without requiring the original to be send to us. After the dematerialization the document is a digital, registered owner´s mortgage and protective measures against third parties’ claims are those required for digital mortgages. This also applies if the dematerialization does not appear on the physical document. The physical document will no longer be the bearer of the rights following form the registration in the register of shipping, the digital document will form then on be the bearer of the rights.

Should banks or others, who today possess a larger number of physical owner´s mortgage documents or other mortgage documents, and who wish to be able to benefit from the advantages a digital document have  at once, it is possible to report the documents for dematerialization alone. If you report more than 10 documents at one time, we ask that you please make an agreement with us on your wishes for timing and inform the concrete number of documents, s our expeditions of the documents can be handled as one prioritized task. Please write us at srg@dma.dk for that purpose.

After the transition to DSRG in October 2021 all new fishing vessel are automatically given a Port registration number upon reporting the registration into DSRG.

If you prefer a different number than the given and that number matches the vessels current home port and is not in use, you may in the report write the number you would like in the message box in the report. You can yourself check if a particular number is not in use. You do that on Skibsbladet”, the vessel´s page in the ship register (the ship record in the Danish Ship Register) making a search on the basis of that particular number. If the search gives no matches, it means the number is available at that time. The message in the message box is not a guarantee, that the number is also available at the registration time. When you use the message box, has the effect that your report will always be handled as a manual registration and may therefore be expected to take more time than an automatic registration.

If you choose to sell a fishing vessel and at the same time acquires a new, you may make the registration of the sale depending on the registration of the new vessel and the transfer of the Port registration number from the old to the new ship. Again, the use of the message box, has the effect that your report will always be handled as a manual registration and may therefore be expected to take more time than an automata tic registration.