You register a boat in Panama with the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP). Its Dirección General de Marina Mercante flags the boat and issues the patente de navegación and radio licence; the Registro Público de Naves records the title. A boat that stays in Panamanian waters goes in interior service, and you can file it yourself, without a lawyer.
Who registers boats in Panama
There is no state title office and no separate Coast Guard documentation desk. One authority, the AMP, does both jobs, through two directorates at its Diablo Heights headquarters:
- Dirección General de Marina Mercante (DGMM). Admits the boat to the Panamanian Merchant Marine (the abanderamiento), issues the registration certificate, the patente de navegación and the radio licence, and runs safety inspections.
- Dirección General de Registro Público de Propiedad de Naves. Records who owns the boat, plus mortgages, liens and court orders. This is the record a buyer searches.
Ley 57 of 2008, the General Merchant Marine Law, sets the framework. Article 3 lets any person or company register a boat with no nationality or residence requirement, so expats and foreign companies can register. Article 1 makes Panama City the port of registry for every vessel in the Merchant Marine, whether it lives in Bocas or Boca Chica.
Servicio interior or servicio internacional
The law splits the fleet in two (Article 2). The choice is about where the boat goes, not how big it is.
| Servicio interior | Servicio internacional | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it navigates | Only Panamanian jurisdictional waters | Regularly outside Panamanian waters |
| Who files | The owner or a representative, no lawyer needed (Art. 17) | A Panamanian lawyer, or the owner through a Panamanian consulate abroad (Art. 13) |
| Resident agent | Not required when the owner files directly (Art. 27) | A Panamanian lawyer or firm as resident agent |
| Typical boats | Centre consoles, local sportfishers, day boats, launches | Cruising yachts flagged in Panama |
Article 6 lets a boat switch services later without cancelling its registration, provided it meets the new service's requirements. Pleasure craft (naves de recreo) can sit in either service. For international yachts, read Panama-flag yacht registration.
Patente, licencia de navegación and radio licence
The patente de navegación is the navigation document that SENAN and AMP inspectors ask to see. Under Ley 57:
- A provisional patente and radio licence last up to six months (Art. 23), with one further term of up to six months if the regular documents are not ready (Art. 24).
- The regular (reglamentaria) patente lasts up to five years (Art. 26), but for pleasure craft it lasts two years (Art. 98).
You will also hear licencia de navegación. In its December 2024 Bocas del Toro registration tour, the AMP listed licencias de navegación and interior-service patentes as separate documents it issued, alongside radio station licences and navigation permits for pleasure craft. In practice, small domestic craft are often documented with a licencia de navegación, while larger interior-service vessels receive a patente. Ask the DGMM window which document your boat will get. The radio licence is covered in VHF licensing and call signs.
Documents for an interior-service registration
The AMP's interior-service page and Article 20 of Ley 57 ask for:
- Diligencia de arqueo y avalúo: tonnage measurement and valuation of the boat.
- Prima facie proof of ownership, or of your intention to acquire the boat.
- The builder's certificate, or proof that a previous registration was cancelled. Foreign documents must be authenticated (apostilled).
- Proof that import duty was paid, the customs bond, or the exemption. See importing a boat into Panama.
- For non-commercial use, an original Declaración Jurada de Uso Privado stating the boat will not be used commercially.
- Anything else the DGMM requests; the ship registry department may ask for more based on the boat's age, condition, service or area.
A 2024 Panamá América report on AMP dock inspections listed the practical file for small boats: a copy of the owner's ID, four photos of the boat from all sides, the purchase invoice for the hull and the engine (or a notarised sale contract), and the notarial registration of boat and motor. Title itself goes to the Registro Público: a preliminary entry, valid six months, then a definitive entry once the title is executed as a public deed (escritura pública).
Where to file
AMP headquarters is at Diablo Heights, Calle Demetrio Porras, Balboa Ancón; the AMP lists +507 501-5000 and [email protected]. The AMP also runs registration and inspection tours in the provinces, and Bocas del Toro was one in late 2024. Check whether your nearest regional office takes registrations before you drive to the city. Addresses and hours are on marine offices and contacts in Panama City. Fees are charged per document and are not published on the pages we opened, so confirm them at the window.
After you register
Registration starts a cycle, and each step has its own guide:
- Pleasure vs commercial registration, if paying guests are ever in the plan.
- Owning through a corporation or foundation.
- Renewing the patente and annual AMP fees.
- Boat name, port of registry and markings.
- Transferring ownership at the registry.
- Replacing lost or damaged documents.
Coming from Florida? There, a state title and registration or a federal USCG document sit with two agencies; compare Florida title and registration.
Your practical starting checklist
- Decide the service (interior or international) and the use (private or commercial) before you file.
- Clear customs first: get proof of import duty paid, a bond, or an exemption.
- Book the arqueo y avalúo and gather the builder's certificate or prior cancellation, apostilled if foreign.
- Sign the sworn private-use declaration if the boat will not carry paying guests.
- File at the DGMM or an authorised AMP office, pay the fees and collect the provisional documents.
- Record the title at the Registro Público and complete the file for the regular patente before the provisional expires.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner register a boat in Panama?
Yes. Article 3 of Ley 57 lets any natural or legal person register a boat, with no nationality or domicile requirement.
Do I need a lawyer to register a small boat?
Not for interior service. The owner or a representative can file directly at the DGMM. International-service registrations go through a Panamanian lawyer or a consulate.
How long is a Panamanian patente valid?
A provisional patente lasts up to six months. A regular patente lasts up to five years, or two years for pleasure craft.
¿Dónde se registra una lancha en Panamá?
En la Dirección General de Marina Mercante de la AMP, en Diablo Heights, o en una oficina regional autorizada. El título se inscribe en el Registro Público de Naves.
Is a US-documented boat registered in Panama?
No. A foreign-flagged boat visiting Panama keeps its own registration and uses a cruising permit. It is registered here only if you import it and flag it Panamanian.
En español: registro de embarcación en Panamá
El registro de una embarcación en Panamá se hace ante la Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP). La Dirección General de Marina Mercante abandera la nave y expide la patente de navegación (o la licencia de navegación, en embarcaciones menores) y la licencia de radio. El Registro Público de Propiedad de Naves inscribe el título y las hipotecas.
Para el servicio interior, el propietario puede presentar la solicitud sin abogado. Debe aportar la diligencia de arqueo y avalúo, prueba de propiedad, el certificado de construcción o de cancelación del registro anterior, la prueba de pago de impuestos de importación y, si la nave no tendrá uso comercial, la declaración jurada de uso privado. La patente provisional dura hasta seis meses; la reglamentaria, hasta cinco años, y dos años para naves de recreo. Confirme las tasas vigentes con la AMP.
The next question to answer
The registration sub-hub: every guide on flagging, documents and renewals. Read Registration and the AMP.
International-service registration for yachts owned by foreigners. Read Panama-flag yacht registration.
Why the registration class decides whether you can charter. Read Pleasure vs commercial registration.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Florida Boat Titles and Registration.
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: Naves de servicio interior, requisitos de registro ↗
- Ley 57 de 2008, General de Marina Mercante (Justia copy) ↗
- AMP: Registro Público de Naves, tipos de inscripción ↗
- AMP: registro e inspección de seguridad en Bocas del Toro (press release, Dec 2024) ↗
- Panamá América: AMP inspecciona documentación de lanchas y operadores (Aug 2024, secondary) ↗