The issue of changing jurisdiction for vessel registration has become increasingly relevant for owners of superyachts. Familiarizing yourself with the list of countries where the world’s largest superyachts are registered can assist in making the right choice.
Seek assistance from our experts in vessel and yacht registration in offshore jurisdictions that best suit your needs. They can also assist in changing tax residency and opening accounts in foreign banks. To schedule a consultation, please refer to the Contacts section of our website.
Important note: In the maritime industry, a superyacht is typically defined as a passenger vessel measuring 79 feet (24 meters) or longer, requiring a professional crew for its operation.
We invite you to explore information regarding the largest registries and popular destinations for superyachts.
Top 10 countries in the world with the highest number of superyachts
In 2019, Bloomberg published a list of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest number of superyachts registered in their marinas:
- United States – 216
- Italy – 197
- France – 155
- Greece – 145
- Spain – 84
- Croatia – 64
- Turkey – 63
- Bahamas – 20
- Australia – 19
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) – 17.
The updated ranking for the year 2023 has not been published yet. However, there might be potential for a significant change due to the introduction of sanction restrictions against Russian oligarchs who own a large fleet of superyachts.
Explore the best countries for boat registration and popular marinas in Europe in 2023.
Malta operates the largest superyacht registry in the world
At the end of 2020, Ian Borg, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Capital Projects of Malta, announced during a press conference that his country operates the largest superyacht registry in the world. This conclusion was drawn based on the fact that in 2020, the Malta Ship Registry included 850 vessels measuring over 24 meters in length. According to Ian Borg, every thirteenth superyacht worldwide sails under the flag of Malta.
In 2022, the succeeding Minister of Transport, Aaron Farrugia, confirmed that Malta retains its status as the jurisdiction with the largest superyacht registry in the world. He stated that over 1,030 large yachts are sailing under the Maltese flag. World-known media outlets often publish photographs of global celebrities, such as Beyoncé, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and Rihanna, aboard superyachts registered under the Maltese flag.
To ensure comfortable travel to various countries around the world on your own yacht, it is advisable to open multiple foreign bank accounts. Take advantage of a free consultation with a professional to assist you in selecting the appropriate accounts:
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Around 50% of superyacht registrations are accounted for by the Cayman Islands
In 2019, the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry (CISR) released information on vessel registrations, explicitly focusing on superyachts. At that time, CISR documented a total of 2,215 boats and ships, of which 1,897 were private yachts.
The data also revealed that approximately 50% of yachts worldwide measuring over 30 meters in length and 80% of the global fleet of superyachts sized 80 meters or larger, were registered under the Cayman Islands flag.
This popularity of CISR among megayacht owners can likely be attributed to the opportunity to obtain a Yacht Engaged in Trade (YET) Certificate. This certificate has been issued in the Cayman Islands since December 2017. It allows the utilization of superyachts for chartering in the waters of France and Monaco for up to 84 days per year.
Read more about the benefits of registering a yacht in the Cayman Islands.
Countries of registration for the world’s top 30 largest superyachts
The table below presents the top 30 largest superyachts in the world and the countries where they are registered.
| Ranking | Superyacht name | Length (meters) | Year built | Owner | Country of registration |
| 1 | Azzam | 181 | 2013 | Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan | UAE |
| 2 | Eclipse | 163 | 2010 | Billionaire Roman Abramovich | Bermuda |
| 3 | Dubai | 162 | 2006 | Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum | UAE |
| 4 | Project Blue | 161 | 2022 | Unknown | Cayman Islands |
| 5 | Dilbar | 156 | 2016 | Billionaire Alisher Usmanov | Cayman Islands |
| 6 | Al Said | 155 | 2008 | Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said | Oman |
| 7 | El Mahrousa | 151 | 1865 | Egyptian presidential yacht | Egypt |
| 8 | A+ (Topaz) | 148 | 2012 | Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan | Cayman Islands |
| 9 | Prince Abdulaziz | 147 | 1984 | Saudi Royal Family | Marshall Islands |
| 10 | OK | 146 | 1982 | Unknown | Liberia |
| 11 | Sailing Yacht A | 143 | 2017 | Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko | UK |
| 12 | Nord | 142 | 2021 | Billionaire Alexey Mordashov | Russia |
| 13 | Yas | 141 | 2012 | Emir Hamdan ibn Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan | Cayman Islands |
| 14 | Ocean Victory | 140 | 2014 | Billionaire Viktor Rashnikov | Cayman Islands |
| 15 | Scheherazade | 140 | 2020 | Unknown | Cayman Islands |
| 16 | Solaris | 140 | 2021 | Billionaire Roman Abramovich | Cayman Islands |
| 17 | Al Salamah | 140 | 1999 | Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | Saudi Arabia |
| 18 | Rising Sun | 138 | 2004 | Media mogul David Geffen | Cayman Islands |
| 19 | Flying Fox | 136 | 2019 | Dmitry Kamenshchik | Cayman Islands |
| 20 | Savarona | 136 | 1931 | Turkish presidential yacht | Turkey |
| 21 | Crescent | 136 | 2018 | Igor Sechin | Cayman Islands |
| 22 | Serene | 134 | 2011 | Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud | Cayman Islands |
| 23 | Al Mirqab | 133 | 2008 | Former Prime Minister of Qatar Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani | Cayman Islands |
| 24 | Y721 | 127 | 2003 | Billionaire Jeff Bezos | Cayman Islands |
| 25 | Octopus | 127 | 2003 | Billionaire Paul Allen | Cayman Islands |
| 26 | Katara | 125 | 2010 | Emir of Qatar | Qatar |
| 27 | A | 119 | 2008 | Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko | Bermuda |
| 28 | Luna | 115 | 2010 | Roman Abramovich and Farhad Akhmedov | Marshall Islands |
| 29 | Pelorus | 115 | 2002 | Media mogul David Geffen | Cayman Islands |
| 30 | Le Grand Bleu | 113 | 2000 | Billionaire Eugene Shvidler | Palau |
Based on the data in the table, we can determine the countries where the largest superyachts in the world are most commonly registered:
- Cayman Islands – 14
- Bermuda – 3
- United Arab Emirates – 2
- Marshall Islands – 2
- Oman – 1
- Egypt – 1
- Liberia – 1
- United Kingdom – 1
- Russia – 1
- Saudi Arabia – 1
- Turkey – 1
- Qatar – 1.
Nearly half of the world’s top 30 largest superyachts (14 units) are registered in the Cayman Islands. This is confirmed by the statistics from the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, published in 2019.
Other popular jurisdictions for superyacht registration include Bermuda, the United Arab Emirates, and the Marshall Islands.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the top 10 best superyacht manufacturers.
Receive expert consultation on yacht registration abroad by reaching out to our specialists. To do so, please send an email to info@offshore-pro.info.
