A legal Panama charter holds paper from at least four places: an aviso de operación from the MICI, registration with the ATP as marine tourist transport, AMP vessel documents and an AMP operating licence for the service, and AMP licences for the captain and crew. Fishing adds the ARAP, parks and whales add MiAmbiente, San Blas adds the Guna authorities.
The full list, in one table
This is the checklist for a day-charter or boat-tour business based in Panama City. Not every line applies to every boat; the right-hand column says when it does. Where an agency publishes a fee or term we give it; where it does not, confirm at the window.
| Licence or permit | Issuer | Who needs it | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviso de operación | MICI, via Panamá Emprende | Every business | Annual aviso tax paid to the DGI |
| Registro Nacional de Turismo, marine tourist transport | ATP | Anyone selling boat tours or charters to tourists | Confirm with the ATP |
| Vessel registration and patente de navegación (commercial service) | AMP, Registro Público de Naves and Marina Mercante | Every boat that carries paying guests | Regular patente up to 5 years; annual safety inspection |
| Radio licence, paz y salvo, certificado de aptitud | AMP, Marina Mercante | Every commercial boat | With the patente and inspection |
| Licencia de operación: transporte de pasajeros, or arrendamiento de yates | AMP, Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares | The operating company | Valid up to 10 years; annual fee |
| Captain and crew licences | AMP, Gente de Mar | Everyone working aboard in a licensed role | Confirm term with the AMP |
| Civil liability policy and performance bond | An insurer authorised by the Superintendencia de Seguros | Required by the ATP and the AMP licence | Annual policy |
| Municipal taxpayer registration | Tesorería Municipal of the district | Every business with premises | Annual municipal tax |
| Sport fishing licence | ARAP | Trips where guests fish | Confirm with the ARAP |
| Protected-area permits and whale rules | MiAmbiente | Coiba, other parks, whale watching | Per visit or per season |
| Guna Yala entry and fees | Guna General Congress and local communities | San Blas trips | Per trip |
| Commercial small-craft registration (notice N-11) | ACP | Routes in Canal waters | Annual |
| Charter navigation permit for foreign or leased yachts | AMP, under Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 2025 and Resolution J.D. 089-2020 | Foreign-flagged yachts made available to a local charter company | Up to 12 months |
Add ITBMS registration with the DGI (7% on your invoices) and a SENAN passenger manifest before every departure.
The company layer: aviso de operación and the ATP
The aviso de operación comes first because every other agency asks for it. You get it online on Panamá Emprende, the MICI platform, after forming your S.A. It does not replace the tourism or maritime paperwork.
The Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá (ATP) registers marine tourist transport under Decreto Ejecutivo 82 of 2008. Its published minimum requirements are an AMP registration, the aviso de operación, a civil liability policy, sound boats and engines, compass, radio and chart, a life jacket for every passenger, an awning, qualified staff and an office open to the public for ticket sales. The step-by-step is in ATP tourism operator registration.
The AMP layer: vessel, operating licence, crew
The Autoridad Marítima de Panamá licenses three different things, and new operators often get only the first.
- The boat. Registration in the Merchant Marine in the interior service, a patente de navegación, a radio licence and a certificate of fitness (certificado de aptitud) after inspection. Under Ley 57 of 2008 a pleasure boat is registered on a sworn statement that it will not be used commercially, so a pleasure patente cannot carry paying guests. See AMP commercial vessel licensing and what inspectors check.
- The business. An operating licence from the AMP's ports and auxiliary industries directorate. Its published services include transporte de pasajeros for recreation or tourism (B/.200 a year per boat under 30 passengers, B/.300 for 30 or more) and arrendamiento de yates (B/.1,500 a year per company). Ask the Departamento de Concesiones which one fits your product.
- The people. Captain and crew licences from Gente de Mar, matched to the boat. See captain and crew requirements.
The certificate also fixes how many people you may carry; see passenger limits.
Activity and place permits
These depend on what you sell and where you go.
- Fishing. The ARAP regulates sport fishing and issues licences. Confirm the current licence type and fee with the ARAP; see running a fishing charter.
- Whales and parks. MiAmbiente's resolution DM-0144-2022 sets 250 m, 4 knots and 30 minutes around whales. Coiba and other protected areas charge entry fees; confirm them with MiAmbiente. See whale-watching tours.
- San Blas. Guna Yala is a comarca with its own authorities and fees, reported by cruisers rather than published officially. See San Blas charter operations.
- Canal waters. Routes that touch ACP operational areas need registration under ACP notice N-11.
Foreign-flagged yachts and Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 2025
A foreign yacht cannot simply start taking paying guests. Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 11 February 2025 on nautical tourism lets the AMP grant a special free navigation permit to a recreational yacht made available to a local charter operator, but only if that operator holds a current operating licence for the auxiliary maritime service of yacht leasing and there is a temporary charter contract. The AMP's Resolution J.D. 089-2020 sets the charter navigation permit at up to 12 months, with a fee of B/.1,000 for a foreign-registered yacht. Read foreign-flagged boat charter before you commit.
Where operators go wrong
- Buying a boat on a pleasure patente and assuming it can be switched later at no cost. A change of service has to meet the new service's requirements.
- Holding the ATP registration but no AMP operating licence, or the other way round.
- Letting one document lapse. AMP inspections regularly find expired licences.
- Picking up at a dock with no agreement; see pickup locations.
- Under-insuring; see insurance and liability.
What happens when it goes wrong is covered in illegal charters and enforcement. The Florida version of this list is charter business licences and permits.
Your practical starting checklist
- Form the S.A. and get the aviso de operación on Panamá Emprende.
- Register the boat for commercial interior service with the AMP and pass the inspection.
- Apply to the AMP's Departamento de Concesiones for the operating licence that matches your product.
- Confirm the captain's and crew's AMP licences before the first paid trip.
- Buy the civil liability policy and bond, then file with the ATP.
- Add ARAP, MiAmbiente, Guna or ACP permits for the trips that need them.
- Diarise every expiry date and keep copies of all documents aboard.
Frequently asked questions
What licences does a boat tour need in Panama?
An aviso de operación, ATP registration as marine tourist transport, AMP commercial vessel papers, an AMP operating licence for the service, licensed crew and liability insurance. Fishing, parks and San Blas add their own permits.
Is ATP registration enough to run charters?
No. The ATP registers the tourism business; the AMP licenses the boat, the operating service and the crew. You need both.
Can a foreign yacht charter in Panama?
Only through a local company holding an AMP yacht-leasing operating licence, with a charter navigation permit under Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 2025 and Resolution J.D. 089-2020.
¿Qué licencia necesito para operar una lancha de turismo en Panamá?
Aviso de operación del MICI, inscripción en la ATP como transporte turístico marítimo, patente y certificados de la AMP para servicio comercial, licencia de operación de la AMP, capitán con licencia y póliza de responsabilidad civil.
En español: licencia para operar lancha de turismo en Panamá
Para operar una lancha de turismo en Panamá necesita varias autorizaciones, no una sola. La AMP inscribe la nave en servicio interior comercial, la inspecciona y emite la patente, la licencia de radio y el certificado de aptitud; además, la Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares otorga la licencia de operación para transporte de pasajeros o arrendamiento de yates. La ATP inscribe la empresa como transporte turístico marítimo y exige aviso de operación y póliza de responsabilidad civil. Si hay pesca, parques nacionales o Guna Yala, se suman la ARAP, MiAmbiente y las autoridades gunas.
The next question to answer
The licensing collection for Panama charters. Read Licences, permits and inspections.
The full setup chain from company to manifest. Read Starting a charter business in Panama City.
Where each agency sits and how to reach it. Read Marine offices and contacts in Panama City.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare One moment, please....
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.
- ATP: Reglas de procedimientos (requisitos mínimos, transporte turístico marítimo, D.E. 82 de 2008) ↗
- AMP: Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares, services and fees ↗
- AMP: Requisitos licencia de operación, transporte de pasajeros ↗
- AMP: Resolución J.D. 089-2020, arrendamiento de yates ↗
- Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo 4 de 11 de febrero de 2025 (turismo náutico) ↗
- Ley 57 de 2008, Marina Mercante (Justia copy) ↗