Register a Ship or Boat Online in Pakistan: MMD Portal Is Live, Fee Payment Expected in 15 Days
Pakistan's Mercantile Marine Department now takes ship and boat registration online, the minister said on 6 November. Online fee payment is due in 15 days.
یہ صفحہ اردو میں پڑھیں
Boat and ship owners in Pakistan can now apply for registration online through the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), the Maritime Affairs Minister said on 6 November 2026. The boat portal is at eportal.mercantilemarine.gov.pk. Online fee payment is not ready yet: the minister expects it within 15 days.
The paper route is simple to describe and slow to do: download the forms, fill them in and hand them over at an MMD office. The federal government says that step is now gone for filing an application. The money part still has to follow.
We read the Press Information Department release (No. 73) and the MMD site on 7 November 2026, and we opened the portal's sign-in page. We did not create an account or file an application.
The minister says applications no longer need an office visit
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Friday 6 November that the online Ship and Boat Registration System is operational. Owners can submit an application electronically without visiting a government office. He said both the ship and boat modules are open.
The government's stated goals are less paperwork, lower cost and time for applicants, more transparency, and an updated national record of vessels.
| Item | What we found on 7 November |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Mercantile Marine Department, Ministry of Maritime Affairs |
| Vessels covered | Merchant ships, fishing boats, sailing vessels and harbour craft |
| Filing | Online, the minister says |
| Fee payment | Not online yet, expected within 15 days |
| Fee amount | Not stated in the release |
| Portal seen by us | eportal.mercantilemarine.gov.pk/login |
Fee payment is the missing piece for the next 15 days
The release says MMD and the State Bank of Pakistan have a meeting scheduled on an electronic payment method. The minister expects online payment to work within 15 days, which would be about 21 November 2026. Applicants would then pay through a single payment link.
That date is a minister's expectation, not a launch notice. Until it happens, plan on finishing the fee step the way MMD tells you to. The MMD site lists fee challans for registration, and a challan is a bank payment slip. Ask MMD which challan applies before you pay anything.
We are not quoting a fee. The release gives no amount, and we could not open a fee schedule page on the MMD site.
The portal we opened is the Boat Registration Portal
The page at eportal.mercantilemarine.gov.pk/login is titled Boat Registration Portal. It asks for an email address and password, and it has a sign-up link for new users. The MMD home page says boat owners can register online through this e-portal.
The ship side is less clear from the public pages. MMD's Ship Registration page, as we read it on 7 November, still tells owners to download the guidelines and forms and submit documents to the MMD office. It does not yet link to an online ship module. So a ship owner should confirm the route with MMD before starting.
How a boat owner can start the online application
We can take you only as far as we went ourselves, which is the sign-in page. The steps below use what MMD's public pages show. Have your documents scanned first, because the portal is built around online submission.
- Open the MMD Boat Registration Portal.
- Choose Sign up and create an account with an email address you check often.
- Read the MMD registration page for its required documents list and guidelines.
- Fill in the application and upload your documents.
- Ask MMD how to pay the fee until the online payment link is live, and keep your receipt.
Beware of anyone who offers to "get your boat registered online" for a fee and asks for your login. You do not need to share your password with an agent.
Registration with MMD is separate from a provincial fishing licence
A registered boat is not the same as a licence to fish. Registration records the vessel under federal shipping law, while fishing licences come from provincial fisheries departments. Sindh, for example, has its own rules, covered in our guide to the Sindh fishing licence.
So a fisherman may still need both. Check with your provincial fisheries office about what it wants to see from MMD.
Port records are different again. If you want to know when a ship is due, see how to check expected ship arrivals at Karachi Port, or how to check whether a ship is blacklisted there.
The government wants the boat record for cyclone warnings
The minister linked the system to climate safety. A central record of fishing vessels and their owners could help with climate risk maps, cyclone warnings and fisheries management. He said it could help identify vulnerable fishing communities and support timely evacuations.
That is the reason to keep your owner details and phone number correct in the record. It is a stated aim, and the release does not say that a warning service has started.
| Contact | Details listed by MMD |
|---|---|
| Head office | Plot 58, 5th Floor, KDLB Building, West Wharf Road, Karachi |
| Telephone | 021-99214652 |
| Public queries email | po@mercantilemarine.gov.pk |
| General email | info@mercantilemarine.gov.pk |
Common questions
Where do I register a boat online in Pakistan?
On the Mercantile Marine Department's Boat Registration Portal at eportal.mercantilemarine.gov.pk. You sign up with an email address and password.
What is the fee for boat registration?
The government release gives no amount, and we could not open MMD's fee schedule. Ask MMD on 021-99214652 before you pay.
Can I pay the registration fee online?
Not yet, as of 7 November. The minister expects online payment within 15 days, after a meeting between MMD and the State Bank.
Which vessels does MMD register?
Merchant ships, fishing boats, sailing vessels and harbour craft, under the Merchant Ship Ordinance and related laws, the release says.
Do I still need to visit the MMD office?
The minister says no for submitting an application. MMD's ship page still mentions submitting to the office, so ship owners should confirm first.
Does registration replace my fishing licence?
No. Fishing licences come from provincial fisheries departments. Registration with MMD records the vessel.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 7 November 2026. We read the Press Information Department release No. 73, the Mercantile Marine Department site and its contact page. We opened the portal's sign-in page but did not use it. If you complete an application, we would like to hear what it asks for.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
