Malta Commercial Yacht Code 2025: Transition Checklist

Malta’s Commercial Yacht Code 2025 entered into effect on 1 July 2025 and superseded the 2020 edition. Applicable yachts certified to the earlier standard need a managed transition aligned with survey timing.

For owners, family offices, captains and management companies, the objective is practical control. The process should be understandable to the crew, visible to authorised shore based managers and supported by records that can be retrieved when a question, review or inspection arises.

What yacht managers should review

1. Confirm the yacht’s current certification basis.

The responsible team should document the current position, identify missing evidence and assign ownership of the next action.

2. Identify the first renewal survey after 31 December 2025.

This should be checked against signed agreements, the vessel’s real operation and the instructions of the relevant authority or adviser.

3. Coordinate technical and operational actions.

Crew communication is part of the control: affected people should understand the rule, timing and route for questions.

4. Connect crew records with the wider compliance review.

The conclusion should be recorded so that another authorised manager can understand it without relying on verbal history.

A practical action plan

• Create a transition register.
• Agree responsibilities with survey stakeholders.
• Plan work around yard periods.
• Retain evidence of decisions.

A simple tracker with a responsible person, target date and evidence column is usually sufficient to maintain visibility.

What good management looks like

The Code review should not sit in a technical silo. Crew familiarisation, responsibilities and records may be part of demonstrating effective implementation.

Chess & M supports internationally operating yachts with crew employment, payroll, HR administration, social security coordination and compliance follow up. To discuss a tailored solution for your vessel or fleet, contact the Chess & M team.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal, tax, medical or flag State advice. Requirements should be confirmed for the relevant vessel, employer, seafarer and jurisdiction.

Reference: Transport Malta, Commercial Yacht Code 2025 launch.