A foreign captain's licence, whether USCG, RYA, MCA or another, does not on its own let you run a boat for work in Panama's national waters. The AMP recognises foreign STCW certificates by endorsement for Panama-flagged ships, may accept some foreign qualifications towards its yacht titles, and lets foreign papers stand in a few special cases.
What a foreign licence does and does not do here
The AMP's Dirección General de Gente de Mar licenses everyone who operates a boat for work in Panamanian waters. A foreign licence:
- Does not replace the AMP national-waters licence for a Panamanian-registered charter, tour or work boat.
- Does not give you the right to be employed. A foreigner also needs a MITRADEL work permit; see foreign crew work permits.
- Can be recognised by endorsement if it is an STCW certificate of competency, for service on Panama-flagged ships.
- Can help towards an AMP yacht title, depending on what it is.
- Does count in the special cases below, and with insurers and employers as proof of experience.
STCW certificates: the I/10 endorsement
Under STCW Regulation I/10 the AMP issues a refrendo de reconocimiento, an endorsement recognising a certificate of competency issued by another STCW party that the AMP has not restricted. It covers master, chief mate, officer of the watch, GMDSS operator and engine-room officer titles. The AMP sheet asks for:
- Form F-76 and a photo.
- Your passport and a medical under STCW Regulation I/9 or the MLC 2006.
- A security proficiency certificate endorsed by the AMP.
- The foreign certificate of competency itself.
- US$8 in fiscal stamps, plus US$20 handling if filed through a consulate.
The AMP's F-84 chart lists B/.275 for a foreigner's master or chief engineer endorsement and B/.270 for officers. This is the route for professional mariners on Panama-flagged ships and large yachts, not for a 40 ft charter boat.
Foreign qualifications and the AMP yacht titles
The AMP's capitán de yate hasta 200 TAB sheet lists several qualifying routes. Two can involve foreign papers:
- a certificado de idoneidad, defined as a document issued by a maritime administration accrediting you for the position; or
- a yacht captain course from a training centre authorised by a maritime administration on the IMO White List and not restricted by the AMP.
You still need the AMP medical standard and the four basic safety courses, and you get an AMP title, not a stamp on your foreign licence. The sheet does not say whether a particular USCG or RYA certificate counts. Send a copy to Gente de Mar and ask for a written answer.
USCG OUPV, USCG Master and RYA Yachtmaster
Readers from Florida often hold an OUPV (six-pack) or a USCG Master licence; sailors from Europe often hold an RYA Yachtmaster. In Panama:
- None of them is a Panamanian licence. For work in national waters you sit the AMP process for the grade you need.
- The I/10 route needs an STCW certificate. The OUPV and many small-vessel Master licences are US national credentials, so check whether yours carries an STCW endorsement before you plan on I/10.
- For a yacht title, ask the AMP whether your licence or your Yachtmaster course qualifies under the routes above.
The USCG ladder is explained in OUPV vs Master licence. Keep your home licence renewed; a lapsed one is worth far less as proof of experience. See renewing and upgrading a captain licence.
Where foreign papers do stand in
- Your own foreign-flag yacht in transit. The yacht runs on its flag state's rules. If it needs a new captain while in Panama, Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 2025 sends the change through the AMP's Oficina de Turismo Náutico, and Gente de Mar issues the replacement a temporary permit; the office has 48 hours once requirements are met, and the yacht may not sail until then.
- Crew on a foreign-flag charter yacht. Resolución J.D. 089-2020 asks for valid certificates from an STCW state party for each position.
- Bareboat renters. They need certification from their country of residence plus a one-month, daytime-only AMP permit letter; see bareboat charter in Panama.
- Exceptional letters for Panama-flagged ships. Through form F-89, a crew manager can ask for a carta de autorización for a home-country licence, for example for a single delivery voyage. The AMP says it is for exceptional cases.
How to get a written answer from the AMP
Send one email with everything the office needs to decide. Attach a clear scan of your licence (both sides), your passport page, and any STCW certificates and course records. Say what you want to do, on which boat, with its flag, length and tonnage, and whether it carries paying guests. The national-waters sheets give [email protected]; the I/10 sheet gives [email protected]. Keep the reply. An operator, insurer or SENAN officer will take a written AMP answer more seriously than your own reading of the rules.
Your practical starting checklist
- Write down exactly what you hold: issuing country, title, tonnage and any STCW endorsement.
- Decide what you want to do in Panama: drive your own foreign yacht, work on Panama-flagged boats or deliver a boat.
- For work in national waters, plan the AMP national-waters licence for your grade.
- For a yacht title, send your foreign certificate to Gente de Mar and ask which route it meets.
- For an STCW certificate, prepare the I/10 endorsement file.
- Before you accept paid work, confirm the MITRADEL work permit route with an immigration lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Is my USCG captain's licence valid in Panama?
It is valid proof of your training and experience, but it does not let you work in Panamanian national waters. That needs an AMP licence, and for foreigners a work permit.
Can I drive my own US-flagged boat in Panama on my US licence?
A foreign yacht in transit sails under its flag state's rules. Ask the capitanía when you clear in whether they need anything more.
Does the AMP endorse RYA Yachtmaster certificates?
The AMP's I/10 endorsement is for STCW certificates of competency. Whether a Yachtmaster qualifies towards a yacht title is a question to put to Gente de Mar in writing.
Can I deliver a Panama-flagged boat on my foreign licence?
Only in exceptional cases, through an AMP carta de autorización requested by the crew manager on form F-89. Otherwise you need the appropriate AMP title.
The next question to answer
The AMP licence ladder. Read Become a boat captain in Panama.
AMP path or foreign licence: which fits you. Read Captain licence planner.
Licences for passages to and from Panama. Read Hiring a delivery captain.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Renewing or Upgrading a Captain Credential.
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: refrendo de reconocimiento de títulos, regla I/10 ↗
- AMP: requisitos capitán de yate hasta 200 TAB (TIT-F-21) ↗
- AMP: F-84 tarifas del Departamento de Titulación ↗
- AMP: Resolución J.D. 089-2020, yacht chartering service ↗
- Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 11 February 2025 (nautical tourism) ↗
- AMP: Dirección General de Gente de Mar (licence lists and requirement sheets) ↗