A zarpe is the clearance document a port captain issues when a vessel leaves port for a named destination. In Panama the AMP Capitanía de Puerto issues it. You always need an international zarpe to leave the country, and the next country will ask for it. Between Panamanian ports, a cruising permit usually covers you, but some port captains ask for a domestic zarpe, especially when you move between regions such as Colón, San Blas and Bocas del Toro.
What a zarpe is
Zarpe comes from zarpar, to weigh anchor. The document names the vessel, the captain, the crew aboard, the port of departure and the destination. It is proof that you left the last port legally with the people listed. It is the Spanish-speaking world's equivalent of a port clearance, and every Latin American port captain will ask for the one you arrived with.
A zarpe is not the same as the cruising permit. The permit covers your whole stay; a zarpe covers one passage.
The international zarpe
Before leaving Panama for another country you need:
- Exit stamps from Migración for everyone aboard.
- The international zarpe from an AMP port captain, naming your next country and port.
The crew on the zarpe must match the people stamped out. If someone flies home instead, take them off the crew list first. Where to do it, and in what order, is in leaving Panama by boat.
You also arrive with one: the zarpe from your last foreign port is one of the documents Migración and the port captain ask for when you clear into Panama. Keep it.
The domestic zarpe: when you need one
Once you hold a cruising permit, you normally do not have to clear in and out of each Panamanian port. Port captains may still ask for notice of movement or a domestic zarpe. Cruiser reports point to the usual cases:
- Moving between port captain jurisdictions, for example from Colón or Puerto Lindo to San Blas, from San Blas back to the mainland, or from the Canal area to Bocas del Toro.
- Arriving at a port with a port captain from another jurisdiction. One 2013 report describes a US$25 fine at Shelter Bay for arriving from San Blas without a zarpe.
- Moving along the Pacific coast from Balboa to Chiriquí; one 2012 report lists a Balboa to Pedregal zarpe at US$12.20.
Short hops within one area, such as Panama City to Las Perlas and back, are where practice varies most. Ask the Balboa port captain before you go.
Who issues it and what to bring
The AMP Capitanía de Puerto issues zarpes. Ports with a port captain include Cristóbal/Colón, Puerto Lindo (Linton Bay), Balboa, Bocas del Toro and Pedregal in Chiriquí. Porvenir in San Blas had no port captain as of March 2025, per noonsite; noonsite lists a small departure charge there (US$4.20 plus US$1.50) but says the international zarpe must come from Puerto Lindo, Colón or elsewhere.
Bring:
- Cruising permit and vessel registration.
- Crew list, several copies, and passports or copies.
- The zarpe you arrived with.
- For an international zarpe, the Migración exit stamps.
A 2015 Balboa report says at least three copies were needed. Fees are small but not published; cruiser reports range from about US$1.50 to US$25, mostly 2012–2016. Confirm the current amount.
Timing and office hours
Port captains keep weekday office hours. Noonsite notes the Bocas del Toro office closes at 3 pm Monday to Friday, with overtime for later or weekend work; in San Blas a US$20 weekend or holiday consent-to-depart fee is reported. Get the zarpe on the last working day before you sail, ask how long it is good for, and leave within that window. If weather holds you, go back and ask; do not sail days late on an old date.
Your practical starting checklist
- Ask the port captain before each move whether a domestic zarpe is needed for your destination.
- Bring the cruising permit, registration, crew list copies and your arrival zarpe.
- For an international zarpe, get Migración exit stamps first.
- Check that names and destination on the zarpe are correct before you leave the counter.
- Sail within the window the port captain gives you, and keep the zarpe to show at the next port.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I arrive at a Panamanian port without a zarpe?
At best, questions and a delay while the port captain checks your permit. Cruiser reports include a fine at Shelter Bay for a boat arriving from San Blas without one. Arriving from abroad without your last country's zarpe is a bigger problem; keep it safe.
¿Qué es el zarpe?
Es el documento que emite la Capitanía de Puerto de la Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) para autorizar la salida de una embarcación hacia un puerto determinado, con la lista de tripulantes. Hay zarpe internacional, para salir del país, y zarpe nacional, entre puertos panameños cuando la Capitanía lo exige.
Do I need a domestic zarpe to go to San Blas?
Cruisers report it is expected when moving between Colón or Puerto Lindo and San Blas, and arriving back on the mainland without one has led to fines. Ask the port captain before you sail.
Can I get an international zarpe in Porvenir?
Noonsite reports no port captain at Porvenir as of March 2025. Clear out with Migración there and arrange the international zarpe at Puerto Lindo or Colón; plan the order with both offices.
How much does a zarpe cost?
Small amounts, usually a few dollars to about US$25 in cruiser reports, plus overtime on weekends. There is no published tariff we could confirm.
En español: zarpe nacional e internacional
El zarpe es la autorización de salida que emite la Capitanía de Puerto de la AMP. Para salir de Panamá necesita el zarpe internacional, después de sellar la salida en Migración. Entre puertos panameños, el permiso de navegación suele bastar, pero algunas Capitanías exigen un zarpe nacional, sobre todo entre Colón, Guna Yala y Bocas del Toro. Pregunte antes de zarpar.
The next question to answer
Exit stamps, the international zarpe and timing. Read Leaving Panama by boat.
The permiso de navegación: who needs it, cost, validity. Read Panama cruising permit.
The full clear-in sequence: Migración, AMP, Aduanas, health. Read Arriving in Panama by boat.
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.
- Noonsite: Porvenir (San Blas) clearance (updated Mar 2025) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Noonsite: Bocas del Toro clearance (updated Dec 2022) — secondary, cruiser-reported ↗
- Noonsite: Clearing into Panama, cruiser reports 2012–2019 — secondary, dated ↗
- Superyacht Services Guide: Panama formalities overview — secondary ↗
- AMP: nota de prensa, AMP y marinas de Bocas del Toro (contact [email protected], +507 501-5000) ↗