PANAMA CITY ROOTS. TWO OCEANS.   A guide by Fernando Yemail & Feeling Yachty
Yachty Guide Panama by Feeling Yachty
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Panama cruising permit, visa and zarpe planner

Plan your Panama dates by boat: clearance, cruising permit, your 180-day visitor stay (US/Canada), the yacht's 24-month transit limit and your zarpe.

Enter your arrival date and plans to get a dated checklist of the deadlines that matter: your own visitor stay, the boat's cruising permit and its 24-month transit limit. It is a plan, not legal advice.

Your result

Fill in the fields, then calculate.

How the dates are worked out

Three clocks start when you clear in, and they run separately: Migración holds the people, Aduanas the boat as an import, and the AMP port captain the boat as a vessel. The planner counts from your arrival date:

  • Your visitor stay. US and Canadian citizens may stay up to 180 days under Migración Resolución 22706 of 2021, so the planner adds 180 days. For other nationalities it gives no date: confirm your period with Migración and read your passport stamp.
  • The cruising permit. Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 11 February 2025 grants a free special navigation permit for the first three months. Cruisers report a one-year permit, renewable; the planner reminds you to renew if your plan runs past 12 months. Use the expiry printed on your own permit.
  • The yacht's transit status. The same decree treats a yacht in Panamanian waters for up to 24 months as in transit, so the planner adds 24 months. Beyond that, plan a definitive import or a departure.

Month arithmetic lands on the same day of the month, or the last day of a shorter month. The planner does not cover visas you must get before travel, work permits, charter permits or fees. Rules change, so check the current position with Migración, the AMP and Aduanas, or a Panamanian lawyer. Background is in the cruising permit guide and visa rules for boat crew.

Connected guides

Panama

Arriving in Panama by boat: how to clear in

Clear into Panama at a port of entry: fly the Q flag, see Migración, then the AMP port captain for your cruising permit; Aduanas and health where posted.

Panama

Panama cruising permit (permiso de navegación)

Panama's cruising permit is issued by the AMP port captain to foreign yachts that stay and cruise: who needs it, what it costs, validity, renewal.

Panama

Panama visa rules for yacht skippers and crew

Yacht crew arriving in Panama are stamped in by Migración as visitors. Stay limits by nationality, crew changes, flying in to join a boat, overstays.

Panama

Foreign yacht in Panama: temporary vs full import

A foreign-flag yacht stays in Panama on temporary admission tied to its cruising permit. Selling or chartering locally means full import via Aduanas.

Panama

Leaving Panama by boat: exit zarpe and stamps

Leave Panama by yacht: stamp everyone out at Migración, then get the international zarpe from the AMP port captain. Where, when, and San Blas exits.

Template

Panama cruising permit and zarpe document list

Printable list of what to bring for Panama's AMP cruising permit (permiso de navegación) and for domestic and international zarpes, with a log for each.

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.

Fernando Yemail is the owner of Feeling Yachty and is not a lawyer. Yachty Guide provides general educational information and practical recommendations, not legal, tax, insurance or individualized professional advice. Panamanian rules depend on the vessel, flag, activity and location and can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority (AMP, ACP, SENAN, ATP, ARAP, MiAmbiente, Migración or Aduanas) and consult a qualified professional in Panama about your situation. Full disclaimer.