Applying for approval for maritime surveillance

You must always apply for approval from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) if you wish to offer armed services with the aim of pirate defense on seagoing vessels flying the German flag or if your company is based in Germany.

Before BAFA issues the license, it checks together with the Federal Police whether your company meets the licensing criteria. You must then ensure yourself that the guards deployed meet the requirements in terms of reliability, suitability and expertise.

• Documentation of the operational organization
• Process manual for the procedures
• Service instructions
• List of the equipment used by the security company
• Documents proving the reliability, suitability and expertise of the person responsible in the company, including the certificate of good conduct or an equivalent foreign document in German or, if applicable, in a certified translation
• Proof of liability insurance
• Company profile with a description of the market position of the security company in the maritime security sector
• Extract from the commercial register or a comparable foreign document
• If applicable, export, import or transit licenses for weapons and equipment requiring authorization

With the exception of the certificate of good conduct, all documents can also be submitted in English. However, the Federal Office reserves the right to request translations for individual documents.

• Online procedure possible: yes
• Written form required: yes
• Personal appearance required: no

Your security company must meet certain requirements in order to be approved. The following are checked:

• the operational organization and procedures,
• the equipment
• the professional and personal suitability and reliability of the persons employed and the management, and
• the public liability insurance.

You can apply for approval to guard seagoing vessels at the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control.

• The form is available online
• then print out the application form and upload it with the signature of the person responsible using the upload form
• please attach the necessary application documents to the application form in pdf format
• You can speed up the processing of your application by uploading the completed self-assessment form in pdf format
• BAFA and the Federal Police will check the operational organization and procedures in the company, the equipment, the requirements for the senior employee appointed as the responsible person, the business liability insurance
• BAFA may request additional documents

BAFA will then inform you in writing whether your application has been approved.

• You should submit the application about 6 months before the planned start of a security activity.
• Validity of the license: 2 years

approx. 3 to 6 months, depending on the completeness of the application documents

• Initial application: EUR 10,297 - 19,400
• Fee for subsequent application: EUR 2,949 - 10,632
• Fee for the recognition of a foreign license: EUR 2,949 - 17,960

In addition to the license, you require a weapons permit in accordance with Section 28a of the Weapons Act for the armed guarding of seagoing vessels flying the German flag. This is issued by the Ministry of the Interior and Sport - Weapons Authority - of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

If your guarding company is based in Germany and you wish to carry out guarding duties with weapons on seagoing vessels under other flags, a weapons permit may be required from your local weapons authority.

If you wish to export weapons and equipment subject to licensing from Germany in order to carry out guarding activities, you must apply for an export license from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control.

Please refer to the information and further links on the website of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control.