Ship’s registration under the RIF

Application for registration of a RIF ship

Once the ship’s delivery date is known, the registration application form, duly completed and signed, should be sent to the RIF office:

Send your request to the following email : rif@mer.gouv.fr.

Which port of registry for your RIF ship?

The port of registration is chosen by the shipowner (for RIF ships only) according to article 1 of decree no. 2006-142 of February 10, 2006 on the creation of the RIF office provided for by law no. 2005-412 of May 3, 2005 on the creation of the French international register.

The name of this port will appear on the ship stern.

Asbestos diagnostic
For ships not covered by II. of Article 1 of the decree n°2017-1442 on the prevention of asbestos-related risks on board ships, the asbestos detection must be done by an organization accredited by the COFRAC or by any other accreditation body which is a signatory to the Multilateral Recognition Agreement established under the European Coordination of Accreditation Bodies

Dematerialized registration certificate

As of April 1, 2023, registration certificates issued by French maritime authorities will be dematerialized. A notification to this effect has been sent to the IMO.

The authenticity and validity of these digital documents can be verified online.

Any questions concerning the authenticity and validity of a registration certificate can also be addressed to the RIF office by e-mail at rif@mer.gouv.fr or by telephone on +33 (0) 4 86 94 67 50.