Corporations that are used as registered owners of vessels generally are required to have an IMO Company Number. IMO Company numbers are issued by IHS Maritime on behalf of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Clients can check if their corporations already have a company number here:
http://www.imonumbers.lrfairplay.com/
Current shipowning corporations should have a company number assigned by IHS Maritime already. The website allows corporations to search to see if they already have been assigned a number and also lets corporations apply for company numbers if they do not already have one assigned.
IMO Company Numbers are not required for Registering a Foreign Maritime Entity (FME). They are required as part of the vessel Registration process. Details on the IMO Unique Company and Registered Owner Identification Number Scheme are contained in Marine Notice ADM-008 6/08, which is posted on the Registry’s website www.LISCR.com. (PDF Link to Marine Notice ADM-008 6/08)