Cayman Islands Shipping Registry tops global rankings

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry has reaffirmed its position as a world-leading vessel flag administration, securing the number one position on the Paris Memorandum of Understanding White List (the White List). In this brief update, we consider the advantages of Cayman Islands vessel registration.

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry (CISR) has recently achieved the highest ranking of all vessel flag administrations globally on the White List, with its fleet recording zero detentions during 299 safety inspections at European ports between 2023 and 2025.

Earlier this year the Cayman Islands also excelled (for the 16th year in a row) in the Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table published by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). In the ICS report, which covers 2025 and 2026, 116 flag states were evaluated and the Cayman Islands was one of only 23 flags to perform positively against all criteria.

Advantage of CISR registration

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry currently has more than 2,700 vessels on its books and is permitted to register vessels of all sizes and classes (from personal sailing yachts to mega-yachts).

Key advantages of a Cayman Islands vessel registration are:

• a commercial and responsive registry (with a global network of offices to ensure continuity across time zones);
• a stable, modern and trusted legal jurisdiction in the Cayman Islands; and
• an efficient, tax-neutral operating environment, as the Cayman Islands does not charge any corporation or other taxes of any kind (whether on any Cayman holding entity or on the vessel itself, assuming such vessel is situated outside the Cayman Islands).

How can we help

The Mourant team regularly assists on the acquisition, financing and registration of vessels in the Cayman Islands. Our services include:

• incorporating Cayman vessel-owning entities,
• advising on any yacht acquisition or marine financing; and
• registering vessels with the CISR.

Mourant can also act as a local ‘representative person’ for a vessel flagged in the Cayman Islands.

For more information, please reach out to your usual Mourant contact or one of the contacts listed on this page.