For Yacht, Aircraft and Marine Asset Owners
Flag, registry, banking and crew, planned as one transaction.
Yacht and aircraft registration, ownership structuring, VAT treatment, crew payroll and the holding architecture that institutional owners actually use.
Our view
A yacht or aircraft purchase is a corporate transaction.
Cayman, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Marshall Islands all flag major yachts and aircraft, but each carries different VAT, crew, lender and insurance consequences. The right flag is jurisdiction-dependent, owner-residency-dependent, and use-case-dependent. We map all three before recommending one.
What we solve for marine and aircraft owners
Four decisions we work through with owners.
- 01
Which flag and registry?
Red Ensign group (Cayman, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Isle of Man) for tier-one credibility and consular protection. Malta or Marshall Islands where the VAT treatment of EU use is the deciding factor. We model all options against the use case.
- 02
How is ownership structured?
SPV in the right jurisdiction, with banking considered up front for the chartering, mooring and crew-payroll flow. The structure is built around the operating reality, not the broker's preferred jurisdiction.
- 03
How is VAT handled?
EU lease-purchase, commercial-yacht-code, charter-recovery structures. Each has its own audit risk, and we document how the structure meets the conditions of the scheme.
- 04
What about crew?
Crew employment company, payroll, social security, training certification, MLC compliance. Outsourced or in-structure, depending on owner preference.
Services
The services these clients use most
Each can be engaged on its own, or combined with others as one matter.
- Yacht and aircraft registrationFlag, register and structure ownership of yachts and private aircraft.Typically 4 to 10+ weeksTypically 4 to 10+ weeks
- Company formationOnshore and offshore companies in the BVI, Cayman, the UAE, Singapore, the UK, Delaware and other jurisdictions, with substance documented and banking considered before formation.Typically 2 to 6+ weeksTypically 2 to 6+ weeks
- Real estate structuringReal estate held through vehicles that lenders, registries and tax authorities accept.Typically 4 to 8+ weeksTypically 4 to 8+ weeks
- International bankingIntroductions to 45+ private and corporate banks across the UK, EU, GCC, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean and the US.Typically 3 to 10+ weeksTypically 3 to 10+ weeks
- Fiduciary and compliance coordinationIndependent directors, AML programme design, economic substance and middle-office coordination for offshore structures, delivered through licensed counterparties.Live within 2 weeksLive within 2 weeks
Where we work
Jurisdictions these clients use most often
We work with formation agents, banks and local counsel in each. We can look at others too.
Questions
Common questions
Cayman or Malta: which flag is right for our yacht?
Do you handle aircraft as well?
Can you place crew payroll and the MLC compliance?
Who we work with
Other clients we advise
Founders
Family offices
Fintech and payments
Professional advisers
Crypto and Web3
iGaming
Real estateNot listed here?Tell us about your matterWe do not give legal or tax advice in jurisdictions where we are not qualified to do so; where needed, we coordinate local counsel and tax advisers.
Fees agreed in writing before work begins. Where a bank or provider pays us for an introduction, we tell you before the introduction is made.
See also what we will not do and prohibited and restricted matters.
Next step
Tell us about your matter.
A short application tells us what you need. We aim to reply within 48 hours. The first step is a diagnosis of where you stand today.