Management Update and Authority of the Office of the Maritime Administrator
| CIRCULAR | Circular No. 001 (Amended) |
| SUBJECT | Management Update and Authority of the Office of the Maritime Administrator |
| FROM | Office of the Maritime Administrator, Vanuatu International Shipping Registry |
| TO | All shipowners, managers, operators, masters, Special Agents, Recognized Organizations, Flag State Inspectors, seafarer-service users and stakeholders |
| AMENDMENT DATE | 20 August 2026 |
| EFFECTIVE DATE | Upon publication |
| STATUS | Version 2.0 – Supersedes the prior version of Circular No. 001 |
Authority and legal status. This Circular is issued by the Maritime Administrator under the functions and powers conferred by the Maritime Act [CAP 131], as amended by the Maritime (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 2025, including section 10C where applicable, and any additional written authority lawfully applicable to the subject. It shall be read with applicable mandatory IMO instruments and controlled VISR policies. It does not convert a direct statutory power into a delegated power, transfer a function assigned by law to another State entity, or amend any valid appointment, concession or other governing instrument.
Related controlled policies: VISR-QMS-POL-GOV-001 – Governance, Statutory Authority, Responsibility and Strategic Performance Policy; VISR-QMS-POL-REG-003 – Regulatory Monitoring, Legislative Change and Administrative Decisions Policy; VISR-QMS-POL-REC-005 – Document and Records Control, Retention and IMSAS Evidence Management Policy; VISR-QMS-POL-REP-006 – Statutory Reporting, Performance Review, Audit and Government Access Policy.
1. Purpose and current legal position
This Circular restates the management transition effective 1 November 2024 and updates the public record to reflect the Maritime (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 2025. Vanuatu Logistics and Administrative Services Limited remains the company appointed by the Government to perform the office and functions of Maritime Administrator for the Vanuatu International Shipping Registry.
The Office of the Maritime Administrator is a competent statutory component of Vanuatu's maritime administration. Core functions and powers are vested directly in the Maritime Administrator under section 10C of the Maritime Act. Additional delegated functions, if any, must be evidenced by a separate valid written instrument.
2. Official operational structure
• Registration, ownership, mortgage, deletion and Registry-status matters are administered under the authority of the Maritime Administrator through the Registry and Legal Departments.
• Technical, safety, PSC, casualty-notification, Flag State Inspector and Recognized Organization matters are administered through the Technical and Compliance Departments.
• Seafarer certification, endorsements and verification are administered through the Seafarers Department and the centralized certification system.
• Finance, invoices, statutory fees and receipts are administered only through official VISR invoices and approved accounts.
• Government, VMSA and other competent State entities remain responsible for public functions assigned to them by law. Nothing in the management transition transfers domestic port-State or coastal-State functions to VLAS.
3. Direct communications and authentication
• Matters concerning VISR and the statutory functions of the Maritime Administrator must be addressed directly to the Office of the Maritime Administrator; other competent State entities may be copied as appropriate.
• Stakeholders must rely only on communications from an official register-vu.com address, an authenticated Registry portal, or a signed instrument independently verified with the Office.
• Former VMSL letterheads, domains, forms, signatures, seals and payment instructions are not valid for current VISR business unless expressly revalidated in writing.
• No person may represent that he or she speaks for VISR, the Government or the Maritime Administrator without current written authority.
4. Continuity of registrations and documents
The management transition did not, by itself, cancel a vessel registration, mortgage, seafarer document or statutory certificate that was otherwise valid. Every instrument remains subject to its own validity, verification, survey, fee, sanctions, fraud and continuing-compliance requirements. Where a document has been replaced electronically, only the current verifiable version is valid.
Compliance records and communications
All applications, approvals, notices, reports, evidence, decisions, acknowledgements and corrective-action records required by this Circular must be transmitted through an official VISR channel and retained in the controlled Registry file in accordance with the VISR records policy. Communications from unverified domains or persons without written authority must not be relied upon.
Official contact: info@register-vu.com. Urgent safety, casualty, sanctions or fraud matters must also be copied to info@register-vu.com and reported without delay.
Enforcement, reasons and reconsideration
Non-compliance may result in enhanced inspection, corrective-action requirements, service restrictions, suspension, administrative penalties, withdrawal or revocation of documents, or deletion from the Registry, to the extent authorized by law and the applicable written authority. Except where immediate protective action is necessary for safety, security, sanctions compliance, documentary integrity or preservation of evidence, an affected person will be notified of the material grounds and given a reasonable opportunity to respond. A request for reconsideration must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Maritime Administrator with supporting evidence within ten business days of the written decision, unless a shorter period is stated because of an urgent risk.
Supersession and effective application
This amended Circular supersedes the prior version of Circular No. 001 from the effective date stated above. Existing obligations, liabilities, investigations, fees and corrective actions arising under the prior version remain enforceable to the extent lawfully incurred and are to be administered under the clearer procedures stated in this amended version. If this Circular conflicts with a later Act, regulation or controlled VISR policy, the higher or later instrument prevails and the Circular shall be updated through document control.
| Saade Makhlouf Maritime Administrator of the Republic of Vanuatu Vanuatu International Shipping Registry |
Issued in Port Vila and New York 20 August 2026 |
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