Marine Management Organisation
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UK fishing vessel licensing in EU waters 2025
If your vessel had an External Waters fishing licence allowing access to the European Union (EU) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or EU 0-6NM, 6-12NM in 2024, you should now have received your 2025 licence. Please check that your vessel appears in the list of authorised vessels https://www.gov.uk/guidance/united-kingdom-single-issuing-authority-uksia#UK-vessellist please note that the new licence does not become valid until 31 December 2024 AT 23:01.
If you have not received a licence and wish to fish in EU waters please complete the application form at this link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/united-kingdom-single-issuing-authority-uksia and send it to the UKSIA at UKSIA@marinemanagement.org.uk. We will issue your licence as soon as practicable, this may be early January 2025.
You must not undertake activity in EU waters until you are in receipt of a valid external waters licence issued by the UKSIA and your vessel appears in the list of authorised vessels https://www.gov.uk/guidance/united-kingdom-single-issuing-authority-uksia#UK-vessellist.
If you have any queries please contact the UKSIA at UKSIA@marinemanagement.org.uk or call 02080265062 or visit the UKSIA website United Kingdom Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
UK fishing vessel licensing in external waters 2025
External waters fishing vessel licences allowing vessels to fish outside of UK waters in 2024 will expire at the end of this year. In the update below you can find the latest information on preparations by the UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA) for 2025 and actions you may need to take now or in future.
Third Country
Access to third country waters including Norway and Faroes is subject to negotiations and annual consultations. These are ongoing and the UKSIA will issue further updates about how you can apply for a licence to access these waters once the discussions have concluded.
If your contact or vessel details have changed, you must notify your vessels licensing administration office.
UK fishing vessel licensing in RFMO waters 2025
Third Country and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs)
If your vessel has access to fishing opportunities in NEAFC waters you can now apply to the UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA) for an external waters licence to fish in 2025.
Please complete the application form at this link Application for UK external waters licence to access RFMO and send it to the UKSIA at UKSIA@marinemanagement.org.uk by midday on 13/12/2024 . If your application is received after the 13/12/2024 we will issue your licence as soon as practicable, this may be early January 2025.
You can apply at any time but you cannot undertake activity in NEAFC waters until you are in receipt of a valid external waters licence issued by the UKSIA and your vessel appears in the list of authorised vessels https://www.gov.uk/guidance/united-kingdom-single-issuing-authority-uksia#UK-vessellist.
If you have any queries, please contact the UKSIA at UKSIA@marinemanagement.org.uk or call 02080265062
Access to third country waters including Norway and Faroes are subject to negotiations and annual consultations. These are ongoing and the UKSIA will issue further updates about how you can apply for a licence to access these waters once the discussions have concluded.
If your contact or vessel details have changed, you must notify your vessels licensing administration office.
Overview
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is acting as the UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA) to issue fishing vessel licences on behalf of the UK sea fish licensing authorities of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to manage UK fishing vessel access to non-UK waters, and foreign vessel access to UK waters.
The UK is an independent coastal state and vessels from the EU and other coastal states wishing to access UK waters will require a fishing vessel licence issued by the UKSIA.
In addition to their UK licence, UK vessels require external waters licences to fish in waters outside of British Fishery Limits, including waters of the European Union and other coastal states such as Norway and the Faroe Islands, and in the waters of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) to which the UK is a contracting party.
The UK fisheries authorities (Marine Scotland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, Welsh Government and the Marine Management Organisation) remain responsible for the administration and management of UK vessel licensing within the UK EEZ.
UK Vessels
From 1 January 2021 vessels have been required to hold an external waters licence to fish outside of British Fishery Limits (UK EEZ). Before applying for an external waters licence, please check that the area you intend to operate is outside of British Fishery Limits. View the map. Access for UK vessels to Crown Dependencies (CDs) territorial seas is through the relevant CDs who issue these fishing licences.
General Provisions for UK vessels
Applications for external waters licences must include a valid email address to which the licence will be issued and, for vessels 12m and over in length, an International Maritime Organization (IMO) number. Vessels will not be licensed without this information. If you have not notified your Sea Fish Licensing Authority or the SIA of a valid email address, or your email address has changed, you must send this to your administration portalong with your vessel name, RSS number and PLN and we will update our records.
Vessels 12 metres and over in length must have an International Maritime Organization (IMO) number and permanently mark this in a visible place either on the ships hull or superstructure. If you do not already have an IMO number, you can apply for free at http://imonumbers.ihs.com. You must notify the UK SIA of your IMO number by emailing it to your administration port along with your vessel name, RSS number and PLN and we will update our records accordingly.
EU waters
Fishing by UK vessels in EU waters is subject to authorisation by the European Commission and requires a valid external licence issued by the UKSIA. The list of UK vessels has been published below with a copy of the licence conditions.
If your vessel is on the list but you have not received a licence please contact the UKSIA via the email address in the Contact the SIA section on this page.
If you intend to operate outside of British Fishery Limits and wish to apply for an external waters licence, please complete the application form and submit to the SIA via the email address in the Contact the SIA section on this page.