Panama's cruising permit, the permiso de navegación, is the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) document that lets a foreign-flagged yacht move around Panamanian waters after clearing in. You get it from an AMP port captain at a port of entry. A yacht that only transits the Canal does not need one. Cruisers have long reported a one-year permit; a 2025 decree adds a free permit for the first three months. Confirm the current fee and term with the port captain.
What the cruising permit is
The cruising permit is the vessel's licence to navigate in Panama. It is separate from your crew's immigration status and separate from the boat's customs status. Think of three files: Migración holds the people, Aduanas holds the boat as an import, and the AMP holds the boat as a vessel on the water. The permit is the AMP file.
Panama's rules for foreign pleasure boats changed in July 2010, when the AMP replaced a 90-day permit with a licence valid for one year, renewable. In February 2025 the government issued Decreto Ejecutivo 4 on nautical tourism. It grants a permiso especial de navegación gratuita (a free special navigation permit) for the first three months of a visiting yacht's stay, and keeps foreign yachts and mega-yachts exempt from arrival and anchoring taxes and fees for stays of up to one year.
Who needs one
- Canal transit only: no cruising permit, according to noonsite's Colón page (February 2025). You deal with the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) for the transit itself; see Panama Canal transit for yachts.
- Staying and cruising: yes. Noonsite's Shelter Bay information says the permit is needed for stays over 14 days.
- Charter: foreign yachts chartering in Panama fall under a separate free special permit in the 2025 decree, tied to a charter contract with a locally licensed operator. Do not charter on a private cruising permit.
Panamanian-flagged boats do not use this permit; they hold Panamanian registration with the AMP.
What it costs
The AMP does not publish a current yacht permit tariff on a page we could open. What we can say:
- 2010 regulation (historical): noonsite's summary of the July 2010 rules lists a US$5 sailing licence plus an annual temporary registration fee of US$45 up to 6 m, US$90 up to 10 m and US$180 for larger boats.
- Cruiser-reported, 2013–2019: one-year permits most often between US$185 and US$205, with a few small office fees on top. Bocas del Toro's noonsite page (December 2022) gives an example of US$95 for a 10 m yacht.
- 2025 decree: the first three months are free under the special navigation permit.
Weekend and after-hours work attracts overtime. Pay in cash, in US dollars, and ask for a receipt. Confirm the amount with the AMP (+507 501-5000, [email protected]) before you budget.
Where to get it and how long it takes
Apply at an AMP port captain at a port of entry: Cristóbal (through Shelter Bay Marina's office, which sends the application to the port authority in Colón), Puerto Lindo at Linton Bay, Balboa in Panama City, Bocas del Toro, or the Chiriquí port captain at Pedregal. Porvenir in San Blas currently has no port captain, per noonsite (March 2025), so arrivals there finish the permit later at Puerto Lindo or Colón.
Bring the registration certificate, crew list, passport copies, Migración entry stamps and your last zarpe. A yacht services guide puts processing at two to four days, longer in the December to April high season. Collect the original and keep it aboard. List of ports: ports of entry by sea.
Validity, renewals and inspections
Cruisers have reported a one-year permit since the 2010 change, with some reports of renewals for further years. Two cautions from the reports: some permits were dated to expire with the boat's home registration, and one report says the permit lapses if the boat leaves Panamanian waters. Check the expiry printed on yours and diary it, along with your registration expiry.
To renew, go to a port captain before the expiry date with the current permit and papers. Do not let it lapse while the boat sits in a marina: an expired permit is the first thing a boarding officer notices.
SENAN boards yachts at sea and in anchorages. Keep the original permit, registration and crew list in one waterproof folder near the companionway, with copies to hand over.
Permit vs zarpe
People mix these up. The cruising permit is your standing licence for the whole stay. A zarpe is a one-trip clearance: the port captain's authorisation to leave a port for a named destination. You hold one permit but may collect several zarpes, domestic ones between Panamanian jurisdictions where the port captain asks for them, and one international zarpe when you leave the country. See zarpe explained.
Your practical starting checklist
- Clear in with Migración at a port of entry first.
- Take registration, crew list, passport copies, entry stamps and last zarpe to the AMP port captain.
- Ask what the permit costs today, its term and whether the free three-month permit applies.
- Pay in US dollar cash, get a receipt and collect the original permit.
- Diary the expiry and renew in person before it lapses.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Panama cruising permit?
There is no current official tariff we could open. Cruisers reported US$185 to US$205 for a year between 2013 and 2019, and a 2025 decree makes the first three months free. Confirm with the AMP port captain.
How long is the cruising permit valid?
Cruisers report one year, renewable. Some permits have been dated to the boat's registration expiry, so read the date on yours.
Can I get the permit in San Blas?
Noonsite reports no port captain at Porvenir as of March 2025. Clear in with Migración there and get the permit at Puerto Lindo or Colón.
¿Qué es el permiso de navegación para yates extranjeros?
Es la autorización de la Autoridad Marítima de Panamá para que un yate de bandera extranjera navegue en aguas panameñas. Lo emite la Capitanía de Puerto en un puerto de entrada; no hace falta si solo transita el Canal.
En español: permiso de navegación para yates extranjeros
El permiso de navegación lo emite la Capitanía de Puerto de la Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) a los yates de bandera extranjera que permanecen y navegan en Panamá. El Decreto Ejecutivo 4 de 2025 otorga un permiso especial de navegación gratuito por los primeros tres meses. Los navegantes reportan permisos de un año, renovables. Lleve el registro, la lista de tripulantes, copias de pasaportes y el último zarpe, y confirme la tarifa vigente con la AMP.
The next question to answer
The full clear-in sequence: Migración, AMP, Aduanas, health. Read Arriving in Panama by boat.
Domestic and international clearance documents. Read Zarpe explained.
Where you can clear in on each coast, and who is there. Read Panama ports of entry by sea.
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.
- Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo No. 4 de 11 de febrero de 2025, reglamentación del turismo náutico (arts. 2, 3, 12–14, 16) ↗
- Noonsite: Panama cruising permit regulations effective 1 July 2010 — secondary, historical ↗
- Noonsite: Clearing into Panama, cruiser reports 2012–2019 — secondary, dated ↗
- Noonsite: Cristóbal/Colón clearance (updated Feb 2025) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Noonsite: Porvenir (San Blas) clearance (updated Mar 2025) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Superyacht Services Guide: Panama formalities overview — secondary ↗