2.4 The international ship register (NIS)
At the time of the shipping crisis in the 1980s, the Norwegian rules on registration obligations were strict: registration required the vessel to be owned by either a Norwegian citizen or a Norwegian company (with detailed rules on shareholding etc.), and if these requirements were met, there was an obligation to register the vessel in the Norwegian register. De-registration and transfer to a foreign register was dependent upon official permission, which initially was not easily obtainable. The crisis prompted demands for a more flexible system – for reasons similar to those indicated below in favour of bare boat registration: minimizing costs, increasing revenue. The outcome was a new register: the International Ship Register (NIS). The rules applying to vessels registered in the NIS are – from the owner’s point of view – better, see for the details Falkanger, Bull & Brautaset op.cit. pp. 69‑71. However, there are some trading restrictions – first of all, trading between Norwegian ports is not allowed for vessels registered in the NIS, nor is regular passenger transport to and from Norway.