Services Publics +

About Services Publics +

Services Publics + : 8 new commitments for closer, simpler and more efficient public services.

Since 2020, public services have been committed to the Services Publics + programme, a continuous improvement programme aimed at making public services closer, simpler and moreefficient for users.

The programme’s commitments have already been deployed by more than 50 major public service networks.
However, according to the Baromètre de la Complexité - Particuliers (BVA, 2022), the French express high expectations in terms of improving processing times (35%), access to a competent contact and a personalised relationship (32%), streamlining procedures (25%), simplifying communication and forms (20%) and improving
online services (12%).

The quality of services provided to the French by public administrations is a priority for the Government, and was reaffirmed at the Interministerial Committee for Public Transformation on 9 May 2023.

8 new commitments were drawn up with the public services. They reflect the Government’s vision and ambition to improve the service provided to the French people.

1. Mutual respect, a warm welcome and the right to make mistakes (within the conditions laid down by law)
2. You can easily get in touch with your public services
3. You benefit from support tailored to your personal situation
4. Your request is processed within the announced timeframe
5. Clear, simple and accessible information
6. You have access to our service quality results
7. Your opinion is taken into account to improve the service provided
8. Together with you, we are working to limit our impact on the environment.

The results of these commitments are measured and published regularly by public services in their reception areas and on the Services Publics + platform.

The adaptation of SP+ commitments by the RIF Office

1. RIF Office’s agents are comfortable expressing kindness and trust in the combined exercise of state authority and control activities.
In addition, they are trained in the right to make mistakes and the spirit of the law for a state serving a society based on trust (ESSOC). As part of the relationship of trust they establish with their interlocutors, they are benevolent towards those who have made mistakes and help them to rectify the error.

2. The RIF Office can be contacted:

• by telephone on 04 86 94 67 50 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm (no surcharge),
• by email at rif@mer.gouv.fr for requests relating to ships (registration, freezing, deregistration, maritime mortgages, etc.) or any general questions concerning the RIF,
• by email at rif.equipage@mer.gouv.fr for requests concerning crews (applications for recognition visas, requests for exemptions, any questions relating to social protection, maritime labour law or the conditions for practising the profession of seafarer),
• by post to the following address: Guichet unique du Registre international français - 5 place Sadi Carnot 13002 Marseille,
• on site, at the above address, by appointment (send a request by email to rif@mer.gouv.fr).
• For urgent matters, you can also contact us by telephone or email at rif.crise@mer.gouv.fr
• Many procedures are now paperless. They can be accessed either via the Shipowner’s Portal (application for a shipowner’s licence, application for ship registration, declaration of use of a private recruitment and placement service established abroad, etc.) or from our website (application for registration in the national SPRPGM register, etc.).

3. Our team is made up of versatile agents and experts in the fields of taxation, crew management (labour law, social protection, etc.), ship safety and maritime administration. Depending on your situation, we offer the best way to discuss your project or assist you with your procedures: a meeting at the RIF Office or at your premises, a video or audio conference, communication by email, etc. For people with reduced mobility who are unable to access our premises, we can come to you or offer you an appointment at a suitable government site.

The RIF Office’s team will support you throughout your journey. Meetings are organised throughout your journey in the case of long-term projects (e.g. entry of a vessel into the fleet).
We apply the ‘Tell us once!’ principle and work with numerous partner services to avoid users having to provide the same information multiple times. If a request received by the one-stop shop does not fall within its area of competence, it is forwarded to the relevant service and the user is informed.

4. At the RIF Office, we take into account your time constraints for the most sensitive operations (fleet entry, deregistration, etc.) and we undertake to deliver the required documents within the deadlines set together.
For requests relating to the issuance of recognition visas and the granting of a derogation, we undertake to process them within 48 working hours, except for the management of maritime mortgages (registration, renewal, modification, deregistration), for which this period is reduced to 24 working hours.

5. The RIF website is available in both French and English. It provides access to essential information about the RIF (labour law, social protection, ship safety, taxation, etc.), all the procedures handled by the RIF Office, and urgent information that is essential in times of crisis.

6. The quality of service provided by the RIF Office is measured in particular by the rate of compliance with the announced deadlines.
Here are our results for our ‘flagship’ procedures:

• Issuance of ship registration certificates: on average within 24 hours of the request
• Issuance of a recognition visa: on average within 48 hours of the request (if the file is complete and we have received a response from the authorities of the State that issued the title)
• Granting of an exemption: on average 1.59 days in 2025
• Registration of a maritime mortgage: once the file is complete, within 24 hours of the request

7. Your opinion is essential! Every year, we conduct a large survey of people who have had dealings with the RIF Office during the year.
Access the results of the survey conducted in 2024.

8. The agents at the RIF Office take action to limit our impact on the environment:

• we use recycled and eco-certified office paper;
• no single-use plastic is purchased;
• many procedures are paperless, which saves a lot of paper;
• each workstation is equipped with dual screens, which has drastically reduced printing;
• waste is sorted and, where possible, recycled (e.g. shredded paper is recovered and then recycled);
• staff travel in accordance with our administration’s travel policy: priority is given to public transport (bus, train), and air travel is limited;
• The department’s vehicle is a petrol-powered saloon car (SP95).
• The use of videoconferencing is widespread, which has significantly reduced travel.
• Staff are aware of and involved in developing economical and responsible behaviour, leading to a reduction in energy consumption.