Recreational craft and personal watercraft can be registered without visiting an Estonian Transport Administration service centre. You must submit an application to register a recreational craft or personal watercraft and add the necessary documents and information:
- proof of ownership;
- a declaration of conformity if the watercraft is new and a valid registration certificate issued in the country of origin if the watercraft is used;
- customs documents if the watercraft is from a country outside of the European Union;
- clear colour photos of the watercraft’s manufacturer's plate, CE marking, HIN/CIN/WIN code, instructions/safety information in Estonian and photos of the rear of the watercraft from the right side and the front of the watercraft from the left side.
The application with the documents and photos must be digitally signed and sent in a digital container to info@transpordiamet.ee.
A state fee of 100 euros must be paid as a prerequisite for registering a watercraft and the transaction must include the correct reference number: reference number for natural persons 10601008006990, for legal persons 10602008005990.
The certificate of registration will be mailed to the Estonian postal address in the application or issued at a suitable service centre. If the Estonian Transport Administration has any questions about the data of the watercraft then you will be contacted.
Who can register the watercraft?
The application to register a watercraft can be submitted by its owner who is a resident of Estonia or is a natural person with a residence permit or a legal entity registered in Estonia. The application can also be submitted by an authorised representative – in that case, the application must include a letter of attorney. A watercraft does not have to be registered if it is registered in another country.
Pre-registration inspection of vessels
Before registration, the watercraft must be submitted to the Estonian Transport Administration for a pre-registration inspection. Vessels with an overall length below 12 metres will be subject to a technical evaluation.
If the watercraft is new or is being registered for the first time then the pre-registration inspection can also be done by an official importer of the watercraft which is contractually permitted to do so by the Estonian Transport Administration. Conformity assessment bodies for recreational craft in the EU can be found HERE. The importer can also submit the pre-registration inspection act with all necessary documents for registering a watercraft to the Estonian Transport Administration by e-mail.
After registration, the certificate of registration will be mailed to an Estonian postal address of your choice or issued at a service centre.
A watercraft must be physically submitted to the Transport Administration for the pre-registration inspection if:
- the recreational craft is self-built or re-modelled;
- it is not possible to identify necessary information for some reason;
- the watercraft is a vessel with an overall length less than 12 metres.
The following documentation must be submitted when registering a watercraft at a service centre:
- an application by the owner of the watercraft or their representative;
- proof of ownership;
- a valid registration certificate issued in the country of origin if the watercraft is used;
- customs documents if the watercraft is from a country outside of the European Union;
- the inspection report (issued during the pre-registration inspection or survey of the watercraft);
- a letter of attorney if the applicant is a representative of the owner of the watercraft;
- the applicant’s identity document.
Registering a watercraft incurs a state fee.
Registration number of a watercraft
Upon registration, watercraft are given a registration number which must be marked on the watercraft. Recreational craft and vessels with an overall length below 12 metres have a seven digit registration number consisting of three Latin capital letters, a dash the length of a letter space and three Arabic numerals (e.g. VLA-001).
Personal watercraft have a four digit registration number consisting of one Latin capital letter and three Arabic numerals (e.g. J-001). The letter or letters must be in the first position in the registration number and umlauts are not used.
The height of the registration number marked on watercraft is 80–200 mm and the line thickness of letters is 1/7 of the height of the registration number. The registration number on recreational craft and vessels with an overall length under 12 metres is marked on both boards of the vessel or is marked on the superstructure parallel to the board and on personal watercraft is marked on both sides of the front end. The registration number is marked on a visible spot on the watercraft with dark markings on light surfaces and light markings on dark surfaces. The registration number must be clearly written and easily readable.
Change of ownership, amendment of registration data
When amending the registration data of the watercraft (such as change of ownership), the following documents must be submitted:
- an application by the owner of the watercraft or their representative;
- a sales contract or other proof of ownership and origin;
- a letter of attorney if the applicant is a representative of the owner of the watercraft;
- the applicant’s identity document;
- other certifications and documents established in legislation.
Changing the registration data of a watercraft incurs a state fee.
The Estonian Transport Administration refuses registration if:
- the recreational craft or personal watercraft has not passed the pre-registration inspection;
- a vessel with an overall length below 12 metres or a vessel being re-registered as a recreational craft has not been subject to a survey at the Estonian Transport Administration;
- the recreational craft or personal watercraft does not have an identification number or it has been defaced or is fake, unreadable or unidentifiable;
- the recreational craft or personal watercraft does not have a CE conformity mark;
- the recreational craft does not have a declaration of conformity;
- the recreational craft, vessel with an overall length below 12 metres or personal watercraft is wanted by the police;
- the owner does not have proof of ownership and origin of the recreational craft, vessel with an overall length below 12 metres or personal watercraft or the documents are incomplete or show signs of forgery;
- the recreational craft built for personal use does not have an inspection report issued by the Estonian Transport Administration;
- a recreational craft taken into use before 1 May 2004 is missing the necessary documentation and the manufacturer’s plate or it does not have an inspection report issued by the Estonian Transportation Administration;
- a recreational craft manufactured in Estonia or in another country before 1 January 2000 does not have an identification number or it has been defaced or it is fake, unreadable or unidentifiable;
- the watercraft has been declared wanted;
- the watercraft has been removed from the register due to destruction;
- a recreational craft built for personal use that will not be put up for sale within five years or a recreational craft taken into use before 1 May 2004 that is missing the necessary documentation and manufacturer’s plate does not have an inspection report issued by the Estonian Transport Administration.
What is what?
A recreational craft is a watercraft with an overall length between 2.5–24 metres (e.g. boats, sailing yachts, launches) that is used for recreational purposes regardless of registration. Recreational craft do not include watercraft used for competitive sports and training that are marked correspondingly by a sports federation (such as a jetboats, sailboards, sailing yachts, competition yachts) and primitive watercraft (such as dugouts, dories, small flat-bottomed boats, kayaks, canoes, pedal boats) and specially constructed watercraft.
Craft with an overall length under 12 metres are those that are used for work or commercial purposes such as fishing boats and inspection patrol boats.
A personal watercraft is a watercraft with no cockpit, a stationary engine and a water jet pump that has an overall length of up to 4 metres and is operated from a seated, kneeling or standing position.
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Last updated: 04.09.2024
