MIN 738 (M+F) Direction issued under Section 8(4) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995
Direction issued under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 on registrations previously granted under the EU/EEA free movement eligibility category.
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Notice to:
- shipowners
- operators
- brokers
- insurers
- users of the UK Ship Register (UKSR)
This notice should be read with the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations 1993.
This MIN provides information about a Direction issued by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport under section 8(4) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 relating to the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations 1993 (1993 Regulations).
The Direction addresses an issue arising from provisions from an eligibility category within the 1993 Regulations which continued to refer to EU free movement rights in the United Kingdom following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. The relevant eligibility category is called “non-United Kingdom nationals exercising their right of freedom of movement of workers or right of establishment” and was made non-operational by other Acts of Parliament relating to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (the EU/EEA Eligibility Category).
The issued Direction makes it clear that there is no adverse impact to registrations previously granted under the EU/EEA Eligibility Category and that renewals of existing registrations made under that category can still be granted.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is progressing amendments to the 1993 Regulations to provide a permanent legislative replacement eligibility category for EU citizens.
Published: September 2026
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