Shipping Agent Requirements
List of Documents for the appointment of a Shipping Agent In Belize
As per our Merchant Ships (Registration) Act, Chapter 236 of 2020, all registered vessels with IMMARBE must appoint a shipping agent domiciled in Belize. Below is an extract of the Act, Section 38, (1-5) with the criteria to become a shipping agent.
38. (1) Every vessel registered in IMMARBE shall have at all times a shipping agent in Belize appointed by the shipowner.
(2) Only:-
(i) an attorney-at-law who holds a current practising certificate issued in accordance with section 11 of the Legal Profession Act;
(ii) an accountant who possesses a current practising certificate in accordance with section 9 of the Accountancy Profession Act;
(iii) a company registered under the Companies Act which is a licensed bank or a financial institution within the meaning of the Banks and Financial Institutions Act; or
(iv) a person designated for the purpose by the Minister,
may act as a shipping agent.
(3) The Minister shall, after consultation with such persons and interest groups as he may consider appropriate, prescribe qualifications for persons who may be designated as shipping agents under paragraph (iv) of subsection (2) above.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) above, the Minister may, after consultation with such persons and interest groups as he may consider appropriate, disqualify any person or company from acting or continuing to act as a shipping agent if he is satisfied that such person or company is engaged in undesirable or unscrupulous activities or is otherwise not a fit and proper person or company to act as a shipping agent.
(5) Every formal application submitted to IMMARBE shall be signed by the shipping agent of the vessel as well as by the owner or his duly authorised representative.
For your guidance, the shipping Agents in Belize act as an “assured communication link with owners” in accordance with the requirements of the above-mentioned Act as well as the provisions of Act. 10(2) of the U.N. Convention of Conditions for Registration of Ships, 1986 which states that “the Flag State” should ensure that there is a representative of the owner of the Ship flying its flag domiciled therein.
The following is the list of documents that need to be submitted for an appointment of Shipping Agent in Belize:
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae of the individual to be appointed as Shipping Agent with a recent picture
- Educational Certificates, Training Certificates (listed on the CV)
- Brief company profile
- Documentary evidence of any professional affiliations, such as Belize Offshore Practitioners Association (BOPA), or any other document.
Any interested party meeting the above criteria can apply directly to the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE) and submit the documents via email to Registration Department at registrationservices@immarbe.com.
