On the Caribbean side, yachts clear into Panama at Cristóbal/Colón (with officials at Shelter Bay Marina), Puerto Lindo at Linton Bay with immigration in Portobelo, Porvenir in San Blas, Puerto Obaldía near Colombia, and Bocas del Toro. On the Pacific side, the main port of entry is Balboa in Panama City, with Chiriquí served from Pedregal. Not every port has every office, so where you arrive decides how many trips ashore you make.
How to read this list
A port of entry is a place where Panama's officials can clear a foreign vessel in or out. For a yacht that means two things at minimum: Migración to stamp passports and an AMP port captain to clear the vessel and issue the cruising permit. Some ports have both; some have one and send you to the other later. Customs (Aduanas) and health officers are present at some ports and not others.
Panama does not publish a yacht-specific list of ports of entry that we could open, so the table below is built from noonsite's port pages (cruiser-reported, with their update dates) and the AMP's own published contacts. Treat it as a planning guide and call ahead.
Caribbean ports of entry
| Port | Offices reported present | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cristóbal / Colón (Shelter Bay Marina) | Migración and port captain on site at Shelter Bay, Mon–Fri; AMP Cristóbal office in Colón | Call Cristóbal Signal VHF 12/16. Weekday clearance reported free, US$75 weekend surcharge (noonsite, Feb 2025). See Shelter Bay Marina. |
| Puerto Lindo / Linton Bay | Port captain, Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00 (noonsite, Mar 2025) | No immigration at Puerto Lindo; go to Portobelo by bus or taxi. See Linton Bay Marina. |
| Portobelo | Migración | Used with Puerto Lindo's port captain. Older reports say the branch could not issue every visa type. |
| Porvenir (San Blas / Guna Yala) | Migración and the Guna Congress, in one building behind the pier | No port captain at present (noonsite, Mar 2025): get the permit or international zarpe at Puerto Lindo or Colón. Guna fees apply. |
| Puerto Obaldía | Police checkpoint, Migración, port captain | First stop from Colombia; the port captain issues a manual permit there (noonsite, Mar 2025). |
| Bocas del Toro | Port captain, Aduanas and Migración in Bocas Town | Port captain closes 3 pm Mon–Fri; overtime after. Bocas port captain WhatsApp +507 6558-0587 (noonsite, Dec 2022). See Bocas Marina. |
Pacific ports of entry
| Port | Offices reported present | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Balboa / Panama City | AMP port captain (Balboa); Migración | Yachts anchor or berth at Flamenco or La Playita. Offices are spread across the city; see marine offices and contacts. |
| Pedregal (David), Chiriquí | Port captain, Aduanas, Migración and health based in Pedregal | Officials can be brought to Boca Chica, which is not itself a port of entry (noonsite, Mar 2020). See Boca Chica and Pedregal marinas. |
| Puerto Armuelles | Port captain at the base of the pier | Status unclear: noonsite recorded it closed for clearance in February 2020 alongside later undated reports of clearances. Email the port captain before relying on it. |
Vacamonte, west of Panama City, is a fishing port and SENAN base; we found no source confirming it as a yacht port of entry, so it is not listed.
Which one to choose
- Arriving from Florida, the Bahamas or Jamaica and transiting the Canal: Colón and Shelter Bay. Everything is on site and the marina is set up for transits.
- Arriving from Colombia or the eastern Caribbean and heading for San Blas: Porvenir for immigration, then the permit at Puerto Lindo when you reach the mainland. Or clear in at Puerto Lindo and Portobelo first and sail back to San Blas.
- Arriving from Costa Rica on the Caribbean side: Bocas del Toro.
- Arriving from Costa Rica on the Pacific side: Chiriquí through Pedregal, or carry on to Balboa if you want the city.
- Arriving from the Galápagos, Ecuador or after a long Pacific passage: Balboa.
Whichever you pick, arrive on a weekday, early. Full procedure: arriving in Panama by boat.
What each office handles at a port
- Migración: entry and exit stamps, crew list record.
- AMP port captain: vessel clearance in and out, cruising permit, domestic and international zarpes.
- Aduanas: customs declaration and the boat's temporary admission; see temporary import of a foreign yacht.
- Health (MINSA): vessel health clearance where an officer is posted.
- Guna Congress (Porvenir and Guna Yala only): the comarca's own entry and anchoring fees.
Your practical starting checklist
- Pick a port of entry that has both Migración and an AMP port captain if you can.
- Message or phone the port captain or marina ahead to confirm officials are present.
- Time arrival for a weekday morning to avoid overtime charges.
- If you clear in at Porvenir, plan your route to Puerto Lindo or Colón for the cruising permit.
- Keep your arrival zarpe and every stamped paper together aboard.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to clear in again at every Panamanian port?
No. Once Migración has stamped you in and you hold a cruising permit, you move around on that permit. Some port captains ask for a domestic zarpe between regions, so ask before you sail; see the zarpe guide.
What is the easiest port of entry for a yacht in Panama?
Shelter Bay Marina at Colón, because Migración and the port captain attend on site on weekdays. On the Pacific side, Balboa has all agencies but they are spread across Panama City.
Is Boca Chica a port of entry?
Noonsite says no: officials can be brought from Pedregal to clear you at Boca Chica, at extra cost. Pedregal near David is the Chiriquí port of entry.
Can I clear in completely at Porvenir in San Blas?
Not fully, according to noonsite in March 2025: Porvenir has Migración and the Guna Congress but no port captain. You complete the cruising permit at Puerto Lindo or Colón.
¿Cuáles son los puertos de entrada para yates en Panamá?
En el Caribe: Cristóbal/Colón, Puerto Lindo con Migración en Portobelo, Porvenir, Puerto Obaldía y Bocas del Toro. En el Pacífico: Balboa y, en Chiriquí, Pedregal. Confirme qué oficinas atienden antes de llegar.
The next question to answer
The full clear-in sequence: Migración, AMP, Aduanas, health. Read Arriving in Panama by boat.
The permiso de navegación: who needs it, cost, validity. Read Panama cruising permit.
Caribbean canal base with officials on site on weekdays. Read Shelter Bay Marina.
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.
- Noonsite: Cristóbal/Colón clearance (updated Feb 2025) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Noonsite: Porvenir (San Blas) clearance (updated Mar 2025) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Noonsite: Bocas del Toro clearance (updated Dec 2022) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Noonsite: Boca Chica clearance (updated Mar 2020) — secondary ↗
- Noonsite: Puerto Armuelles clearance (updated Nov 2021) — secondary ↗
- Noonsite: Puerto Lindo / Linton Bay general info (reports 2016–2020) — secondary ↗