Every AMP licence needs a current medical certificate. Some grades also need a negative drug test, and the higher grades need sea time you can prove. Sea time is proved with letters on company letterhead and with entries in the libreta de embarque (often called libreta de embarco), the AMP seafarer's book. Collect the paperwork as you go.
The medical certificate
There are two standards, depending on the licence:
- National-waters licences (marinero, operador de lanchas, patrón de nave de placer, patrón de cabotaje): a certificado de buena salud issued by a licensed Panamanian doctor, with the doctor's stamp and the clinic, hospital or health centre's stamp. It is valid for three months from the date of issue, so time it close to your application.
- Yacht titles and STCW titles (oficial de yate, capitán de yate, ship officers): a medical fitness certificate under STCW Regulation I/9 and the MLC 2006, in the original.
For STCW-standard medicals in Panama, the AMP publishes a list of authorised physicians; the June 2026 list ran to about twenty names, mostly in the Panama City area. Since 1 November 2022, recognised doctors in Panama must issue seafarer medical certificates through the AMP's online medical database, under Circular DGGM-030. Ask the doctor whether they are on the list for the certificate you need. Abroad, Panamanian consulates work from the local maritime authority's list of approved doctors.
Drug test and alcohol checks
The AMP sheets require an original drug test with negative results for operador de lanchas (2da. and 1ra. clase) and patrón de cabotaje. The sheets say the test must be done at least five working days before you apply; ask the office how it reads that rule before you book the lab. The AMP will not process a licence for someone who presents a positive test or arrives under the influence. Every holder of a national-waters licence is also subject to random alcohol and drug testing by the authorities in national ports.
The libreta de embarque
The libreta de embarque is the AMP's seafarer's book: an identity document and a record of service, with each period aboard signed by the captain and stamped by the vessel. The AMP's F-84 fee chart lists separate libretas for national-waters personnel, for ratings on pleasure craft, and for STCW, fishing and offshore ratings, each at B/.10 for Panamanians and B/.160 (B/.175 for the STCW book) for foreigners. Confirm current fees with the Departamento de Titulación.
Many day-boat marineros work on the national-waters licence alone. The libreta matters when you need to prove service for the next grade, or to work on yachts and Panama-flagged ships, where it is the normal record. The licence rules for charter crew are in captain and crew requirements for paid trips.
Sea time: what the AMP accepts as proof
The national-waters entry grades list no sea time. Where sea time is required, the AMP asks for it in writing:
- Patrón de cabotaje hasta 100 TAB: a carta debidamente membretada showing 12 months as marinero or operador de 2da. (with the course), 36 months in those roles (without it), or 24 months as operador de 1ra.
- Capitán de yate hasta 200 TAB: one route is an oficial de yate or patrón de yate licence plus 12 months' experience.
- STCW promotions: libretas signed and stamped by the AMP or another STCW party not restricted by the AMP, plus company letters on letterhead giving the vessel's details (engine power, call sign, gross tonnage, IMO number, type) and the dates aboard.
A good service letter names you, your role, the vessel and its registration, length or tonnage, the dates, and the area worked, and it is signed by the captain or the company. Keep a copy of each one with your libreta.
Lost, stolen or full: duplicates
For a duplicate licence or libreta, the AMP asks for a letter explaining why. If it was lost or stolen, add the police report (denuncia) or a letter from the company handling the application. If it is worn out or the pages are full, attach a copy of the old document. The F-84 chart lists duplicate documentation at B/.40 for Panamanians and B/.70 for foreigners.
If you are used to the USCG system
The USCG counts sea service in days, on its own form, signed by the owner or master, and checks a physical exam on its medical form. Panama's national-waters licences are lighter: no sea time for the entry grades and a short-validity local medical. The higher yacht and STCW titles follow STCW rules much as the USCG does. The US side is in captain licence sea service. The full Panamanian path is in how to become a boat captain in Panama.
Your practical starting checklist
- Book the medical with a doctor who can issue the certificate your grade needs.
- For operador de lanchas or patrón de cabotaje, take the drug test with enough working days before you apply.
- Apply for a libreta de embarque if you will need to prove sea time.
- Get every period aboard signed and stamped in the libreta.
- Collect a letterhead service letter from each employer when you leave.
- Apply while the medical is still inside its three-month validity.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Panamanian medical certificate valid for an AMP licence?
For national-waters licences the AMP sheets say three months from issue, from a licensed Panamanian doctor.
Do I need sea time for my first AMP licence?
Not for the entry grades. The sheets for marinero, operador de lanchas and patrón de nave de placer list no minimum sea time.
Can I use sea time from a foreign boat?
For STCW promotions the AMP accepts libretas from STCW parties it has not restricted, plus company letters. For national-waters grades, ask Gente de Mar whether a foreign letter counts.
Does the medical need to be in Spanish?
For national-waters licences the certificate comes from a Panamanian doctor, so the language takes care of itself. For an STCW-standard medical issued abroad, ask the consulate or Gente de Mar whether they need a translation.
¿Qué es la libreta de embarco y dónde se saca?
Es la libreta de embarque de la AMP, documento de identidad y registro de servicio del marino. Se tramita en el Departamento de Titulación de la Dirección General de Gente de Mar.
En español: libreta de embarco, tiempo de mar y certificado médico
La libreta de embarque (muchos la llaman libreta de embarco) la expide la Dirección General de Gente de Mar de la AMP y registra cada periodo a bordo, firmado por el capitán y sellado por la nave. Para las licencias de aguas nacionales se pide un certificado de buena salud de un médico idóneo panameño, con sello del médico y de la clínica, válido por tres meses. Para operador de lanchas y patrón de cabotaje se pide además una prueba de estupefacientes negativa. La experiencia se acredita con cartas membretadas de la empresa. Confirme tarifas y requisitos con el Departamento de Titulación.
The next question to answer
The full licence ladder. Read Become a boat captain in Panama.
Where to take the courses. Read Captain courses and schools.
The captains sub-hub. Read Captains and AMP licences.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Medical Certificates and Captain Applications.
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.
- AMP: requisitos marinero (TIT-AN1) ↗
- AMP: requisitos patrón de cabotaje hasta 100 TAB (TIT-AN4) ↗
- AMP: requisitos para ascenso, TIT-F-20 (Res. J.D. 076-2020) ↗
- AMP: F-84 tarifas del Departamento de Titulación ↗
- AMP: médicos autorizados en la República de Panamá (June 2026) ↗
- AMP: Circular DGGM-030, online medical certificate database ↗