Anchor Corporate Services

Anchor Corporate Services, known as ACS, is a small specialist firm in Valletta that deals with one thing very well: putting yachts and other vessels on the Maltese register and keeping their owners in good standing with the island's maritime authorities. It was founded in 2009 and works from an office on St Mark Street in the capital.

For British owners and charter operators looking at the Malta flag, ACS is a practical first contact. You will find it in our corporate services directory, and the firm sits within the wider picture of Malta's financial services sector, which also includes fiduciary and maritime advisers.

Who ACS works with

The firm acts for local and foreign yacht management companies, charter businesses and other service providers, and it also looks after a large share of private individuals. Its approach is efficient, cost-conscious and without frills, and it lists professional integrity, timely results and keeping costs down as its guiding values.

If you own a yacht and are weighing up a change of flag, or you are buying a boat that will be based in the Mediterranean, the team can explain what documents are needed before any paperwork starts. A UK reader unfamiliar with flag state rules will find that useful, since each registry has its own requirements.

Yacht registration under the Malta flag

ACS registers yachts, ships and other vessels under the Maltese flag. Pleasure yachts and commercial yachts, such as boats used for charter, can both be registered, and commercial yachts are generally registered under the commercial yacht code. Anyone can own a yacht under the Maltese flag. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals may hold a yacht personally, while owners from elsewhere need to hold it through a Maltese or foreign company. Where the owner lives is irrelevant, and an owner may appoint a fiduciary to keep ownership confidential.

There are no age restrictions on pleasure yachts or commercial yachts, though older ships face inspections: vessels of 15 years or more need an inspection by an authorised flag state inspector, and those of 25 years or more need express permission. For a commercial yacht over 15 metres, ACS usually sends a Maltese surveyor first so you can see the cost of meeting the code before committing. Pleasure yachts normally go straight to provisional registration, which lasts six months and can be extended by another six, with permanent registration following once documents such as proof of ownership and cancellation of the previous registry are complete.

Resident agent services

Under Maltese law, an international owner of a Maltese ship must always have a validly appointed Malta resident agent. ACS fills that role. It acts as the channel of communication with Maltese government departments, signs and files declarations and forms on the owner's behalf, and can act as the owner's judicial representative in proceedings in Malta. It can also pay the relevant fees and taxes, apply to register or close a ship's registration, and authenticate documents.

The firm points out that this is a real advantage over many EU registries that insist on a locally resident owner. Other services include engaging surveyors, registry searches, deletion certificates, endorsing certificates and transfers of vessels.

Fees, location and visiting Valletta

ACS quotes professional fees for registration of between 900 and 3000 euros, depending on the yacht and the services required. Government registry fees are separate and vary with tonnage, length, type and age. A quote needs the vessel's length, tonnage, age and intended use.

The office is in Valletta, so a meeting can be paired with a walk through the city. Our Valletta guide covers the sights, including St John's Co-Cathedral and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. Owners planning a longer stay may want our relocation guide and Malta tax guide for UK nationals, and for company and tax support our featured partner is CLA Malta. A nearby adviser, AE Business Advisors, is also listed in our directory.

To ask about registering a vessel or appointing a resident agent, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the firm.