In Panama a boat can carry paying guests on one of two licensed routes. Either it is registered and inspected by the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) for commercial passenger service and run by an ATP-registered operator, or it is a yacht placed with an AMP-licensed charter company and given a charter navigation permit. A boat on a plain pleasure registration or a visitor's cruising permit cannot charge guests on its own.
The two legal routes for a paying trip
Panama splits paid boating into two regimes, and the boat's paperwork follows the regime.
- Marine tourist transport. You sell trips or seats: a Taboga run, a sunset cruise, a fishing day. The boat is registered with the AMP for commercial service, inspected for passenger carriage, and the certificate states how many passengers you may take. The company is registered with the Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá (ATP) as a marine tourist transport service under Decreto Ejecutivo 82 of 2008.
- Yacht chartering (servicio marítimo auxiliar). A client hires the whole yacht for themselves and their guests, crewed or bareboat. AMP Board Resolution J.D. 089-2020 created this service. The yacht is managed by an operating company holding an AMP operating licence, and it gets a charter-type navigation permit. The resolution says it does not apply to vessels engaged in the transport of passengers or cargo.
The difference matters. A boat selling seats to the public is a passenger vessel; a yacht hired whole by one client sits in the charter regime. Ask the AMP which one your business model falls under before you apply for either. The company and tourism side of the chain is in starting a charter business in Panama City.
Route one: AMP commercial registration and inspection
For tourist transport, the boat needs a Panamanian registration for commercial service at the AMP's Registro Público de Naves, and an AMP inspection for passenger carriage. The inspection certificate fixes the passenger capacity you may sell. That number, not the builder's plate or the seat count, is your legal limit. See passenger limits in Panama and the safety inspection guide.
The ATP's minimum requirements for marine tourist transport add the operating side: boats and engines in good mechanical condition, a compass, radio and chart, a life jacket for every passenger, an awning, AMP registration, the aviso de operación, qualified personnel, civil liability insurance and an office open to the public. The ATP asks for the AMP registration, so the boat's paperwork comes before the tourism file. The AMP side is in the AMP commercial vessel licence.
Route two: the yacht chartering service under J.D. 089-2020
Resolution J.D. 089-2020 (published in Gaceta Oficial 29193, 8 January 2021) sets up the charter regime. Its main points:
- Operating company. A company constituted and registered under Panamanian law holds an AMP operating licence. It acts as local operator, registers each yacht, keeps a daily log, keeps a 24-hour radio watch with daily contact, handles emergencies and requests departures.
- Charter-type navigation permit. Issued by the AMP's merchant marine directorate for yachts managed under a notarised charter contract with the operating company. Valid up to 12 months. It is open to yachts on the Panamanian or a foreign registry, including Panamanian yachts on an internal-service patent or a pleasure-vessel navigation permit.
- Technical standard. The Red Ensign Group Yacht Code (January 2019, Parts A and B), and Decree 18 of 1984 for yachts of 6 to 24 m carrying fewer than 12 passengers for recreation. A foreign-flag yacht meets its flag's rules; if those are lower than Panama's, it needs an inspection and a Statement of Compliance.
- Insurance. A policy covering a list of 13 risks, from hull and third-party liability to wreck removal, pollution, guests, medical expenses and air ambulance.
The 2020 resolution lists fees for the operating licence and each permit. Confirm the current amounts with the AMP before you budget, since the 2025 nautical tourism decree allows the AMP Board to grant a free charter permit.
Pleasure registrations and foreign flags
A boat registered for pleasure is a private boat. On that registration alone it cannot take money for trips, whether you call it a rental, a tour or a shared-cost day. The only charter door the rules open for it is the J.D. 089-2020 route: placed with a licensed operating company, under contract, with a charter permit.
A foreign-flagged yacht on a cruising permit is in transit. Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 11 February 2025 defines a vessel in transit as one staying up to 24 months, and its Article 16 lets the AMP Board grant a special charter navigation permit to foreign-registered yachts, or Panamanian yachts with an international-service patent, made available to a local company that holds a valid operating licence for vessel rental. It needs a temporary special charter contract and compliance with safety rules. Details are in foreign-flagged boat charter in Panama and temporary vs full import.
Scenarios at a glance
| Your boat | Can it take paying guests? | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Panamanian flag, commercial registration, AMP passenger inspection | Yes, up to the certified capacity | ATP registration, aviso de operación, licensed captain, insurance, marina agreement |
| Panamanian flag, pleasure registration only | No, not on its own | Either re-register and inspect for commercial service, or place it with a licensed charter company under J.D. 089-2020 |
| Foreign flag, visitor on a cruising permit | No, not as it stands | A charter permit through a licensed local operating company, or a definitive import and Panamanian registration |
| Foreign or Panamanian yacht placed with a licensed charter company | Yes, whole-boat charter to a client and guests | Notarised charter contract, charter navigation permit, Yacht Code or flag standard, insurance |
| Any boat, guests "chipping in for fuel" | Treat it as a paid trip | One of the two routes above |
How this differs from Florida
In Florida the vessel questions are the coastwise endorsement and whether the boat is inspected or uninspected (the six-pack limit). In Panama they are flag, AMP registration class, inspection certificate and, for yachts, whether a licensed operating company manages the boat. If you are coming from the US, compare commercial vessel eligibility in Florida and inspected vs uninspected vessels.
Your practical starting checklist
- Decide whether you sell trips (tourist transport) or hire out a whole yacht (yacht chartering).
- Pull the boat's current registration and confirm its class with the AMP Registro Público de Naves.
- For tourist transport, book the AMP passenger inspection and note the certified capacity.
- For yacht chartering, sign a notarised charter contract with an AMP-licensed operating company.
- Check the boat against the Yacht Code or Decree 18 of 1984 and fix gaps before inspection.
- Buy insurance that matches your route's requirements and file it with the ATP or AMP.
- Ask the AMP in writing for the current fees and keep the answer on file.
Frequently asked questions
Can a pleasure-registered boat do paid trips in Panama?
Not on its own registration. It needs a commercial registration and AMP passenger inspection, or to be placed with a licensed charter operating company under Resolution J.D. 089-2020 with a charter navigation permit.
Who decides how many passengers my boat can carry?
The AMP. For a commercial passenger boat, the inspection certificate states the capacity, and that is the number you may sell.
Can a foreign-flagged yacht charter in Panama?
Only through a local company holding an AMP operating licence for yacht chartering, under a charter contract and permit, as Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 2025 and Resolution J.D. 089-2020 provide. A visitor on a cruising permit cannot charter on its own.
Is the ATP registration enough without the AMP paperwork?
No. The ATP's minimum requirements list AMP registration, so the vessel side comes first.
¿Qué requisitos debe cumplir una lancha para hacer turismo en Panamá?
Registro en la AMP para servicio comercial, inspección para pasajeros con capacidad certificada, registro en la ATP, aviso de operación, capitán con licencia y seguro de responsabilidad civil.
En español: qué embarcaciones pueden hacer chárter
En Panamá hay dos vías. El transporte turístico marítimo exige registro comercial e inspección de la AMP, con capacidad de pasajeros certificada, y registro en la ATP. El alquiler de yates o chárter, creado por la Resolución J.D. 089-2020, exige que el yate lo administre una empresa con licencia de operación de la AMP y tenga permiso de navegación tipo chárter. Una embarcación de recreo, por sí sola, no puede cobrar a pasajeros.
The next question to answer
The sub-hub for vessel and crew rules in Panama. Read Eligible boats and crew.
The 2025 decree route, reflagging and import. Read Can a foreign-flagged boat charter in Panama?.
Registration and inspection for passenger service. Read AMP commercial vessel licence.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Checking a Vessel's Eligibility for Intended Charter Use.
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: Resolución J.D. 089-2020, yacht chartering auxiliary maritime service ↗
- Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 11 February 2025 (nautical tourism) ↗
- AMP: Registro Público de Naves, tipos de inscripción ↗
- ATP: Requisitos mínimos para transporte turístico marítimo ↗