Skippers and crew arriving in Panama aboard a private yacht are stamped in by the Servicio Nacional de Migración at the port of entry, usually as visitors on the same terms as air arrivals of their nationality. US and Canadian citizens can stay up to 180 days; other nationalities should check the stamp and Migración's rules for their passport. Crew flying in to join a boat need a captain's letter to answer the onward-ticket question.
The basics at entry
When you clear into Panama, the skipper takes everyone's passports to Migración with the crew list. Officials record the crew against the vessel. A commercial yacht services guide says passports should generally be valid for at least three months and that, depending on nationality, Migración may ask for proof of funds (it cites B/.500, about US$500) and evidence of onward travel. Nationals of countries that need a Panamanian visa must have it before arrival.
Private yacht crew do not use the visa de marino (seafarer's visa). Migración's own requirements describe that visa for seafarers joining a vessel with an international navigation licence, with an embarkation letter, seaman's book and licence. That is the merchant shipping route, not the cruising one.
How long you can stay
Panama's tourist stay rules have moved several times, so read your stamp:
- In 2021 Migración's Resolución 22068 capped tourist stays at three months for most visitors.
- Resolución 22706, also of 2021, exempted US and Canadian citizens, who may stay up to 180 days.
- In August 2024 Resolución 41029 revoked Resolución 22068.
Since 2017, nationals of Colombia, Nicaragua and Venezuela have had a 90-day maximum under Decreto Ejecutivo 269. A yacht services guide summarises current practice as up to 90 days for many visa-exempt visitors, varying by nationality. Confirm the period for your passport with Migración (+507 504-3580) and look at what the officer writes in it.
The vessel's time limit is separate from yours. A boat can stay longer than its crew; see temporary import of a foreign yacht.
Older cruiser reports describe a special yacht visa for people arriving by sea, at about US$100 to US$105 per person, applied inconsistently from port to port. A law-firm summary still lists a US$100 visa for passengers and crew of recreational vessels tied to the boat's navigation permit. Ask at entry whether it applies to you.
Flying in to join a boat
The common problem: an airline will not board you to Panama on a one-way ticket, because you will leave by boat. Carry a letter from the captain, on paper with the vessel's details, stating:
- The vessel's name, flag, registration number and where it lies (marina or anchorage).
- That you are joining as crew, and the planned departure date and next country.
- The captain's name, passport number and phone, and a copy of the current crew list and cruising permit.
Some airlines still insist on a return or onward ticket; a refundable one is the fallback. At the airport, tell Migración you are joining a yacht, then report to Migración and the port captain with the skipper so your name goes on the crew list.
Crew changes and signing crew off
When someone leaves the boat to fly home, the skipper should take them off the crew list with the port captain and Migración before they go. If they stay on the list and fly out, the boat's records still show them aboard, and the zarpe at departure will not match.
Changing the captain of a foreign yacht has its own rule. The 2025 nautical tourism decree says crew changes on foreign vessels go through the AMP's Oficina de Turismo Náutico, which accredits a new captain within 48 hours, and the captain needs a temporary permit from the AMP's Dirección de la Gente de Mar. A licensed shipping agent may handle it.
Visitor status is not a work permit. Crew paid to work on a private yacht in Panama, or anyone hiring local crew, should take advice; see hiring yacht crew in Panama City.
Extensions and overstays
If your plans run past your permitted stay, go to Migración before the date, not after. Overstays carry fines and can complicate both your exit and future entries; we could not open an official schedule of overstay fines, so ask Migración. Leaving the country briefly and coming back to restart the clock has been restricted in the past; do not plan around it. When you leave by boat, everyone on the zarpe must be stamped out: see leaving Panama by boat.
Your practical starting checklist
- Check each crew member's passport validity and whether their nationality needs a visa.
- Give crew who are flying in a signed captain's letter, crew list and permit copy.
- Register every crew member with Migración and the port captain on arrival or joining.
- Diary each person's stay limit from the stamp, not from a general rule.
- Sign departing crew off the crew list before they fly.
- Apply to Migración before any stay limit, never after.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a US citizen stay in Panama after arriving by yacht?
Up to 180 days under Migración's Resolution 22706 of 2021, the same as by air. Check the stamp the officer gives you.
Do yacht crew need a seafarer's visa (visa de marino)?
No. Migración's visa de marino is for seafarers joining vessels with an international navigation licence, such as merchant ships. Private yacht crew enter as visitors.
Can I fly to Panama one-way to join a sailboat?
Possibly, but airlines may refuse without an onward ticket. Carry a captain's letter with the vessel details and crew list, and consider a refundable onward ticket.
¿Cuánto tiempo puede quedarse la tripulación de un yate en Panamá?
Depende de la nacionalidad y del sello de Migración. Los ciudadanos de Estados Unidos y Canadá pueden permanecer hasta 180 días; confirme el plazo para otras nacionalidades con el Servicio Nacional de Migración.
The next question to answer
The full clear-in sequence: Migración, AMP, Aduanas, health. Read Arriving in Panama by boat.
Exit stamps, the international zarpe and timing. Read Leaving Panama by boat.
How long the boat can stay and what triggers duty. Read Temporary import of a foreign yacht.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Returning to Florida by Boat: Entry Procedures.
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.
- Servicio Nacional de Migración: Resolución 41029 de 19 de agosto de 2024 (deja sin efecto la Res. 22068 de 2021) ↗
- Servicio Nacional de Migración: requisitos para la visa de marino (DE 320 de 2008, art. 27) ↗
- Kraemer & Kraemer: Resolution 22706 of 2021, 180 days for US and Canadian tourists — secondary ↗
- Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo No. 4 de 11 de febrero de 2025, reglamentación del turismo náutico (arts. 2, 3, 12–14, 16) ↗
- Relocation firm summary: visa for passengers and crew of recreational vessels — secondary ↗
- Superyacht Services Guide: Panama formalities overview — secondary ↗