Panama runs the largest ship registry in the world, and the same Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) registers a 24-ft centre console in Amador. Registration goes through the Registro Público de Naves (ownership, mortgages, transfers) and the Marina Mercante side (the navigation documents the boat carries). The AMP describes a preliminary registration, valid six months and available through consulates abroad, followed by a definitive registration once the title is notarised as a public deed. Owners talk about the patente de navegación, the navigation licence that is renewed and shown at boardings.
The questions people ask: can a foreigner register a boat in Panama, should I own it personally or through a corporation, and does registration decide whether I can charter. There is no nationality requirement in the AMP's registration pages, so yes. Many owners use a Panamanian S.A. or private-interest foundation for liability and resale reasons, with trade-offs in cost and compliance. And yes: a pleasure registration cannot be used commercially, so if charter is in your plans the class you register in matters from day one.
This collection will cover registering with the AMP, Panama-flag yacht registration for foreigners, owning through a corporation or foundation, pleasure versus commercial registration, transferring ownership, renewing registration and annual AMP fees, boat name, port of registry and markings, replacing lost documents, and VHF licensing and call signs. Where the offices are is on the Panama City marine offices page.
If you are coming from the US, the Florida registration sub-hub explains state registration versus USCG documentation, the system a US-flagged boat in Panama still lives under.