Watercraft Registration Certificate
06.10.2023
Registration certificate of a yacht or other watercraft
of less than 24 m in length
obverse
reverse
General information
This document certifies the Polish nationality of the watercraft and provides proof of ownership.
Legal basis
The registration authority (either the governor/starosta or the sports association) issues a registration certificate pursuant to Article 4, Section 1 of the Act of 12 April 2018 on registration of yachts and other watercrafts of less than 24 m in length.
Specimen certificate
The specimen certificate is set out in the Regulation of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation of 17 April 2020 on registration of yachts and other watercrafts of less than 24 m in length (Journal of Laws, item 763).
Security features and how they are verified.
The watercraft registration certificate is a category one document within the meaning of the Act of 22 November 2018 on public documents. A number of safeguards are provided to ensure that the certificate meets the anti-counterfeiting requirements.
Security feature 1:
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Name: |
Printed using iridescent ink |
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Location: |
Obverse of the certificate, right-hand side |
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Characteristics: |
Graphic element with steering wheel motif |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight from different angles (including turned by 90°) |
Security feature 2:
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Name: |
Printed using OVI® optically variable ink |
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Location: |
Obverse of the certificate, lower right-hand side |
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Characteristics: |
Graphic element in the form of Reja24 rectangular logotype, printed using OVI® optically variable ink with colour variation from green to blue |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight from different angles |
Security feature 3:
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Name: |
Raster background |
obverse – raster background
reverse – raster background
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Location: |
Background at the bottom on both sides of the certificate |
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Characteristics: |
Background made using raster graphics showing a collection of sailor-themed elements |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight using a magnifying glass |
Security feature 4:
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Name: |
Embossing on the card surface |
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Location: |
Obverse of the certificate |
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Characteristics: |
Convex graphic element in the form of a compass rose |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight from different angles using a magnifying glass, and by touching |
Security feature 5:
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Name: |
UV luminescent print |
obverse UV365
reverse UV365
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Location: |
On both sides of the certificate |
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Characteristics: |
Obverse: graphic element showing two yachts, visible in the VIS light and exhibiting luminescence under UV radiation of 365 nm (blue colour). Reverse: Graphic elements showing the Świnoujście lighthouse and a chart of the lighthouses on the Polish coast, invisible in the VIS light, exhibiting luminescence under UV radiation of 365 nm (blue colour). |
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Verification method: |
Observation under UV radiation of 365 nm |
Security feature 6:
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Name: |
Guilloche lines |
obverse – guilloche
Reverse – guilloche
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Location: |
On both sides of the certificate |
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Characteristics: |
Drawing in the form of a grid of multicoloured guilloche lines applied by offset printing on both sides of the certificate |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight and using a magnifying glass |
Security feature 7:
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Name: |
Relief printing |
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Location: |
On the certificate obverse in the upper part of the guilloche background |
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Characteristics: |
3D REJA24 lettering integrated into guilloche background |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight |
Security feature 8:
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Name: |
Micro-printing visible in daylight |
obverse – micro-printing 1
obverse – micro-printing 2
reverse – micro-printing
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Location: |
On the obverse of the certificate above the title and on the lower left-hand side of it, on the reverse of the certificate – on the lower left-hand side of it |
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Characteristics: |
Obverse: graphical element in the form of a red line, containing a negative micro-printing with the inscription RZECZPOSPOLITAPOLSKA and a positive micro-printing with the inscription RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA DOKUMENT REJESTRACYJNY JEDNOSTKI PŁYWAJĄCEJ. Obverse and reverse: positive micro-printing with the wording DOKUMENT REJESTRACYJNY JEDNOSTKI PŁYWAJĄCEJ incorporated into the raster background elements on the obverse and reverse side of the certificate. |
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Verification method: |
Observation in daylight using a magnifying glass |
Contents of individual fields and abbreviations used.
Below is detailed information on the content of the various fields on the specimen watercraft registration certificate.
a1. Registration number
Field a1 contains information on the watercraft registration number.
The watercraft registration number is composed of:
1) an abbreviation POL – for a seagoing watercraft, or the abbreviation PL – for an inland watercraft;
2) a sequential number in the register made up of a combination of six letters and digits.
There may also be registration numbers where the abbreviation POL or PL is followed by a shorter than six-digit sequence of letters or digits, if the craft was registered under the regulations in force before the entry into force of the Act of 12 April 2018 on registration of yachts and other watercrafts of less than 24 m in length and the owner has exercised the right to retain the number.
a2. Watercraft Identification Number
Field a2 contains information on the Watercraft Identification Number. The Watercraft Identification Number is the number assigned to the craft by the manufacturer and placed on the hull pursuant to the EU regulations (Regulation of the Minister of Development of 2 June 2016 on requirements for recreational craft and personal watercraft (Journal of Laws, item 807) implementing the so-called RCD Directive) – WIN (Watercraft Identification Number) and, for older craft, either HIN (Hull Identification Number) or CIN (Craft Identification Number)).
Where a watercraft has not been assigned an identification number or where it cannot be sufficiently confirmed, the registration authority shall assign an individual identification number (INI) to the watercraft, which shall not be changed during the watercraft's lifetime. The INI number shall not be placed on the hull.
a3. Name
Field a3 contains information on the watercraft's name, if given by the owner. Seagoing yachts must be given a name pursuant to the provisions of Article 12 of the Act of 18 September 2001 – Maritime Code (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 2175), while inland yachts do not need to be named or, if not named, must only be marked with the name or mark of the owner pursuant to the provisions of the Act of 21 December 2000 on inland navigation (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 1568, as amended). In this case, three dashes will appear in field a3.
The name of a watercraft:
1) must consist of letters and characters used in the Polish language and Arabic or Roman numbers;
2) must not be longer than 33 characters;
3) must not be identical in spelling or pronunciation to the spelling or pronunciation of words used to designate the emergency services and their activities;
4) must not contain words or phrases commonly known to be vulgar or insulting.
Names of watercraft of less than 24 m in length can be repeated.
a4. Home port
Field a4 contains information on the watercraft's home port. For a seagoing yacht, this must be one of the Polish sea ports. For watercrafts operated exclusively on inland waters, the owner may indicate as the home port any locality in Poland.
a5. Inland or sea-going registration
Field a5 indicates whether the watercraft is registered as inland – in which case the letter "Ś" will appear, or as sea-going – in which case the letter "M" will appear.
If in the application for registration the owner will declare that he/she will operate the craft on inland waters and on sea waters, the yacht will be registered as a sea-going yacht.
a6. Purpose
Field a6 contains information on the purpose of the watercraft. One of the below abbreviations will appear here:
JR – a recreational yacht,
JK – a commercial yacht,
AR – a watercraft used for amateur fishing pursuant to the provisions of the Act of 18 April 1985 on inland fisheries,
JR/R – a recreational yacht used for amateur fishing within the meaning of Article 7, Section 1 of the Act of 18 April 1985 on inland fisheries or for recreational fishing within the meaning of Article 2, Section 1, Item 22 of the Act of 19 December 2014 on marine fisheries,
JK/R – a commercial yacht used for amateur fishing within the meaning of Article 7, Section 1 of the Act of 18 April 1985 on inland fisheries or for recreational fishing within the meaning of Article 2, Section 1, Item 22 of the Act of 19 December 2014 on marine fisheries,
RYB – a watercraft used for fishing.
a7. Main propulsion
Field a7 contains information on the watercraft's main propulsion. One of the below abbreviations will appear here:
Ż – sail propulsion,
M – mechanical propulsion,
BN – craft without propulsion, driven by human muscle power,
IN – other.
a8. Main or auxiliary engine power
In the case of motor craft, field a8 will indicate the power of the main propulsion (expressed in kW). In the case of sailing craft, if the craft is equipped with an auxiliary propulsion system – the abbreviation "PNM" will appear. Any replacement of the engine with a model with different parameters will not result in the owner of the sailing yacht being obliged to exchange the registration certificate. If the owner has provided engine information in the application for registration, it will be in the register and will be available to those accessing the REJA24 system, although it will not be reflected on the certificate. However, if necessary, they will be able to be used, for example, to identify stolen equipment or to prevent re-legalisation.
a9. Length of hull
Field a9 contains information on the watercraft's hull length, expressed in metres.
a10. Max. beam
Field a10 contains information on the beam of the watercraft's hull, expressed in metres.
a11. Max. draft
Field a11 contains information on the watercraft's maximum draft.
a12. Number of hulls
Field a12 contains information on the number of hulls of the watercraft.
a13. Max. number of persons
Field a13 contains information on the maximum number of persons allowed on board the craft, determined taking into account her stability parameters. In the absence of documentation, if there is no CE Declaration of Conformity or other documentation issued by an authorised body for the watercraft which makes it possible to determine the data on the maximum number of persons on board the watercraft, three dashes shall appear in field a13.
a14. Design category. Max. wind force & wave heights
Field a14 contains information on the design category and the maximum wind force and maximum wave height for which the craft has been designed under the requirements of the RCD Directive (2013/53/EU) implemented into Polish law by the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Development of 2 June 2016 on requirements for recreational craft and personal watercraft (Journal of Laws, item 807). The provisions define 4 design categories of watercraft denoted by letter symbols, respectively: A, B, C or D. The watercraft of each category must be designed and built to meet the requirements of operation, stability and buoyancy depending on wind strength and wave height.
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Design category |
Wind force (Beaufort scale) |
Significant wave height (H 1/3, meter) |
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A |
exceeding 8, excluding abnormal conditions such as storm, violent storm, hurricane, tornado and extreme sea or dangerous wave conditions |
exceeding 4 |
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B |
up to, and including, 8 |
up to, and including, 4 |
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C |
up to, and including 6 |
up to, and including 2 |
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D |
up to, and including 4 |
up to and including 0.3, with occasional waves of 0,5 m maximum height |
If the watercraft has not been assigned a design category, three dashes will appear in field a14.
b1. Date of registration
Field b1 contains information on the registration date of the watercraft.
c1. Owner (W), Operator (A)
In field c1, the letter "W" may appear to indicate the owner or co-owner, or the letter "A" to indicate the operator.
c2. and c3. First name or name and surname
Fields c2 and c3 contain details on the owner, co-owner or operator.
c4. Number of owners
Field c4 contains information on the number of owners. The data of only two co-owners may appear on the certificate. If there are more than two co-owners, their data will be available in the REJA24 system and field c4 will show the number of co-owners.