Contents
- Reasons for Licensing
- Licence Fees
- Amendment and Duplicate Licence Fees
- Payment Methods
- Delivery of Licence Documents
- Rules for ESIM on Seagoing Vessels
- Application Form and Guide to Applicants
REASONS FOR LICENSING
Sections 9(2)(c), 23(2) and 82 of the Information and Communications Technology Act require that the operator of a radio station for communication to or on any vessel registered in the Cayman Islands must at all times have a current licence from OfReg (or ‘the Office’). This is true whether the equipment is in constant use or is for emergency purposes only.
Furthermore, the Radio Regulations issued by the International Telecommunications Union (‘ITU’), which apply to the Cayman Islands via United Kingdom legislation, state at Article S18:
S18.1 § 1 1) No transmitting station may be established or operated by a private person or by any enterprise without a licence issued in an appropriate form and in conformity with the provisions of these Regulations by or on behalf of the government of the country to which the station in question is subject.
Owners should also note that vessels without a licence are excluded from the ITU’s Maritime mobile Access and Retrieval System (‘MARS’) database that is used by search and rescue organisations and that Maritime Mobile Service Identity (‘MMSI’) numbers are withdrawn from vessels and reallocated to new ones after a period if the vessel licence is not renewed. For the continued safety of all those on board, it therefore is vitally important that radio licence is kept current.
No later than 30 days prior to the licence expiry date each year you should forward to the Office a completed Ship Radio Application Form which can be found here along with the appropriate licence fee. The Office has produced a comprehensive Guide to Applicants for a Maritime ICT (Ship Radio Station) Licence. All owners and their agents are strongly encouraged to read the Guide in full before submitting applications. The instructions for the correct coding of EPIRBs are particularly important as the Cayman MMSI number MUST NOT be used.
LICENCE FEES
Licence fees for vessels are based upon gross tonnage as shown in the following table, which also shows other maritime-related licences and their associated fees:
| Lic # | Vessel Characteristics | Fee (US$) | Fee (CI$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| L2 | Vessel less than 300 tons | US$91.50 | CI$75.00 |
| L3 | Vessel greater than 300 tons and less than 1,600 tons | US$183.00 | CI$150.00 |
| L4 | Vessel greater than 1,600 tons | US$274.50 | CI$225.00 |
| L5 | Local (Coastal) Vessel with no MMSI (5 year licence) | - | CI$75.00 |
| O | Marine (Coastal) Radio Licence (for Shore-to-Ship communication) | - | CI$75.00 |
| U | Radio Dealer Licence (for those importing maritime equipment for subsequent re-sale) | - | CI$150.00 |
The above fees came into effect on 1 September 2023. These changes were the first in over 15 years, and were necessary to ensure that the Office’s licensing department is self-funding, as is required by the Office’s agreement with the Cayman Islands Government.
AMENDMENT AND DUPLICATE LICENCE FEES
Any change to the particulars referenced in the Licence or the Licence Application should be notified immediately to the Office. There is a US$20 (CI$16.40) Fee for issuing an amended or duplicate Licence.
PAYMENT METHODS
Payment may be made as follows:
- By cash, if hand delivered to OfReg’s office;
- A cheque drawn on a Cayman Islands’ bank and payable to ‘OfReg’. (Money orders and personal or company cheques drawn on a non-Cayman Islands’ bank are NOT accepted);
- By bank transfer or Wire (please ask for an invoice to be sent); or
- By credit card (Visa/MasterCard only).
The Office's address and other contact information may be found on our Contact page.
DELIVERY OF LICENCE DOCUMENTS
New Licence documents are sent by email to the address provided on the application form as a PDF attachment. Please ensure that the correct e-mail address for receipt of the licence is entered on the form as incorrect addresses can lead to delays in the licence being received.
RULES FOR ESIM ON SEAGOING VESSELS
OfReg has approved the use of Earth Stations In Motion (ESIM) on certain seagoing vessels. The full rules associated with the use of ESIM can be found here
APPLICATION FORM AND GUIDE TO APPLICANTS
The Ship Radio Application Form is available on our Application Forms page which can be found here, the Guide to Applicants is available here, or may be requested by e-mail from licensing@ofreg.ky, or by telephone from +1-345-946-4282.