A boat that carries paying guests in Panama must be registered by the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) in commercial service, not as a pleasure craft. That means a patente de navegación, a radio licence and a certificate of fitness after inspection from the Marina Mercante, and an operating licence for the passenger service from the AMP's ports directorate.
Two AMP directorates, two kinds of paper
The AMP is one authority with several directorates, and a charter boat deals with at least two of them at Diablo Heights:
- Dirección General de Marina Mercante registers the vessel in the Panamanian Merchant Marine and issues the patente de navegación (the navigation document), the radio licence, the paz y salvo and, after inspection, the certificado de aptitud confirming the boat meets the safety rules for its service.
- Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares (DGPIMA) issues the licencia de operación that lets your company provide the service, such as transporte de pasajeros.
Title and mortgages are recorded separately in the Registro Público de Propiedad de Naves. Crew licences come from Gente de Mar; see captain and crew requirements.
Interior service versus pleasure registration
Under Ley 57 of 2008, the General Merchant Marine Law, the Merchant Marine is made up of vessels in international service and vessels in interior service. A day-charter boat working Panama's own waters is normally an interior-service vessel. Interior-service registration can be filed by the owner without a lawyer.
Pleasure craft (naves de recreo) can also be registered, but the owner files a sworn declaration of non-commercial use, and their patente and radio licence last two years. That declaration is the reason a pleasure-registered boat cannot take paying guests. The law lets an owner request a change of service; it does not cancel the registration, but the boat must meet the requirements of the new service.
The AMP issues provisional navigation documents for up to six months and regular ones for up to five years, and every registered vessel must pass an annual safety inspection. Owners and captains must cooperate with inspections; refusal can be sanctioned. What the inspector checks is in charter boat safety inspections.
The operating licence for passenger transport
The DGPIMA's requirements sheet for transporte de pasajeros covers recreation or tourism on boats for fewer than 30 passengers or for 30 or more. A company files through a lawyer at the Departamento de Concesiones. The sheet asks for:
- A notarised special power of attorney and a memorial describing the service and the waters you will use.
- A current Registro Público certificate, the aviso de operación and a Caja de Seguro Social employer certificate.
- For each boat: photos showing the name, the patente, the paz y salvo, the radio licence and the certificado de aptitud.
- Staff list, IDs and qualifications; photos of safety equipment; a contingency and emergency plan.
- The charter contract if the boat is not yours, and proof of an ACP application if you operate in Canal waters.
On top of that: a performance bond and a civil liability policy under Resolution J.D. 011-2019, a signed physical office that is not a family home, a one-time inspection fee, a site visit by port safety staff and monthly activity statistics. The AMP lists the fee as B/.200 a year per boat under 30 passengers and B/.300 for 30 or more, and says operating licences run for up to 10 years.
One more point to raise early: the AMP's August 2026 FAQ on operating licences says the cabotage law can require at least 75% Panamanian shareholders for some services provided with floating equipment, and that it can apply even to a 12-passenger launch. Ask Concesiones and your lawyer before you set up the company.
Capacity, and the extra rules for larger passenger boats
The AMP states that the passenger limit is a mandatory technical condition written into the vessel's safety certificate and Marina Mercante documents. See passenger limits.
For Panamanian-flag passenger vessels with an international-service patente that operate only in Panamanian waters and carry 12 or more passengers, Resolution 106-77-DGMM (reported in late 2024) brings a five-year national safety certificate, two dry-dock surveys in each 60 months and a per-person insurance policy of at least $20,000 for death and $10,000 for medical costs. Check whether your boat falls in that group.
Renewals at a glance
| Document | Term |
|---|---|
| Provisional patente | Up to 6 months |
| Regular patente | Up to 5 years |
| Pleasure patente and radio licence | 2 years |
| Safety inspection | Annual |
| DGPIMA operating licence | Up to 10 years, annual fee |
AMP inspection tours regularly find expired licences, so diarise each date. The US comparison is the Coast Guard certificate of inspection.
Your practical starting checklist
- Decide the service first: passenger transport or yacht leasing.
- Register the boat in interior commercial service at the AMP, not as pleasure.
- Pass the inspection and collect the patente, radio licence, paz y salvo and certificado de aptitud.
- File the operating licence with Concesiones through a lawyer.
- Post the performance bond and the civil liability policy once approved.
- Diarise the inspection, patente and licence renewals.
Frequently asked questions
Can I charter a boat registered for pleasure in Panama?
No. A pleasure registration rests on a sworn declaration of non-commercial use. Request a change of service and meet the commercial requirements first.
How long is an AMP patente valid?
Regular navigation documents run for up to five years under Ley 57 of 2008, with an annual safety inspection. Provisional documents last up to six months.
Is the AMP operating licence the same as the boat's patente?
No. The patente is the vessel's navigation document from the Marina Mercante; the operating licence authorises your company's service and comes from the ports directorate.
Where do I apply for the AMP operating licence?
At the Departamento de Concesiones of the Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares, in the AMP headquarters building at Diablo Heights, Calle Demetrio Porras. A company files through a Panamanian lawyer; an individual can file in person.
¿Qué necesita una lancha para tener licencia comercial de la AMP?
Inscripción en servicio interior, patente de navegación, licencia de radio, paz y salvo y certificado de aptitud tras la inspección, más la licencia de operación de transporte de pasajeros de la Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares.
The next question to answer
Where the AMP fits in the full checklist. Read Every licence and permit a Panama charter needs.
What the AMP inspector checks aboard. Read Charter boat safety inspections.
Flag, registration class and inspection. Read Which boats can charter in Panama.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Understanding a Vessel Certificate of Inspection.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- Ley 57 de 2008, Marina Mercante (Justia copy) ↗
- AMP: Requisitos licencia de operación, transporte de pasajeros ↗
- AMP: Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares, services, fees and licence term ↗
- AMP: Preguntas frecuentes, licencia de operación (agosto 2026) ↗
- La Estrella de Panamá: AMP aprueba nuevas inspecciones para naves de pasajeros (secondary, press) ↗
- AMP: registro e inspección de seguridad en Bocas del Toro (press release) ↗