What is a Flaggenzertifikat for a German boat?

UPDATED 12 NOVEMBER 2026 · 1 SOURCE

The Flaggenzertifikat is issued by the BSH for seagoing yachts up to 15 m. How long it lasts, what it's for, and why it doesn't prove ownership.

DEFINITION

Flaggenzertifikat

A certificate from Germany's BSH for seagoing pleasure boats up to 15 m, valid for eight years, that isn't proof of ownership.

ALSO CALLED: GERMAN FLAG CERTIFICATE

The Flaggenzertifikat is issued by the BSH, Germany's maritime agency, for seagoing yachts up to 15 m. YACHT says it's valid for eight years and isn't proof of ownership. Boats over 15 m hull length must instead be entered in the Seeschiffsregister.

What a surveyor checks

The certificate's number and expiry. On inland waters its number, with F added, can serve as the boat's identification number. Ownership comes from the Internationaler Bootsschein, a register entry or the purchase contract.

In the report

"Flaggenzertifikat issued by the BSH, in date. Not proof of ownership; title rests on the purchase contracts provided."

Frequently asked

Does a Flaggenzertifikat prove ownership?

No. YACHT notes that the BSH's flag certificate isn't proof of ownership.

Related terms

Glossary

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Internationaler Bootsschein (IBS)

A German boat document issued by the DSV, the DMYV or the ADAC, renewed every two years and widely used as proof of ownership, though no authority issues it.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Brodica

The Croatian term for a boat over 2.5 m up to 15 m, registered and inspected by the harbourmaster; craft over 15 m are yachts surveyed by the Croatian Register of Shipping.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Certificado de navegabilidad

The Spanish certificate that a recreational boat meets the rules, recording each compulsory inspection and the date of the next one; it must be kept on board.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Certificat d'enregistrement

The single French registration document for pleasure craft that replaced the carte de circulation and the acte de francisation.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

DAFN

France's annual tax on pleasure craft, now called the taxe annuelle sur les engins maritimes à usage personnel, based on hull length and engine power.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Declaration of conformity

The builder's signed statement that a recreational boat meets the EU Recreational Craft Directive, which must accompany the craft.

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