Those who wish to enjoy navigation in the waters of Panama have to consider the regulatory framework and complete the required procedures. Here comes the legal concept of registering ships and yachts, which must be carried out before the Maritime Authority of Panama (AMP), so that compliance with safety standards in this type of media is guaranteed. To do this, it is necessary to complete the application and present some documents that you need to know. It is advisable to approach a law firm in Panama so that the entire registration process is completed correctly.

Application and documentation to register ships and yachts in Panama

The first step is to apply for registration. Here it is important to be very careful as the application has to be completed without errors, otherwise the process can be greatly delayed. Fortunately, there are signatures of lawyers in panama who specialize in Maritime Law and who can guide you at each stage so that the registration is agile and does not cause despair.

In addition to the application, interested parties must provide a special document that the law firm will provide so that it can represent them before the AMP, also so that it has the power to act on their behalf and ensure compliance with each requirement. requested by the authority.

After making the request, a series of documents must be submitted that we will mention below and whose proper ordering will be the work of the representatives of the ships and yachts to be registered:

• Purchase and sale contract. This serves to show the authority the legal acquisition of the registered vessel. If it has been built recently, the construction certificate must be provided.
• Technical certificates. They serve as evidence that the medium to be registered complies with safety standards and technical requirements.
• Purchase and sale acceptance. It is provided by the law firm in Panama and corroborates the purchase and sale transaction.
• Previous registration cancellation document. Confirms the cancellation of the previous registration of the vessel. If it is recently built, the document is not applicable.
• Tonnage certificate. It shows the measurements of the vessel and is issued by a classification society recognized by the maritime authority.
• Confirmation of the classification society. Allows validation of the issuing company of the previous certificate.
• Pollution insurance policy. It is used for tankers to confirm that they are insured against pollution.
• Confirmation from radio authority. In this case, it shows that the radio authority is the responsibility of the classification society.
• Certified for boats more than two decades old. This is important to confirm that the ship or yacht is in good condition to be used in Panamanian waters.

Other important points to complete the registration

In addition to these points, it is important to consider other legal aspects to properly conclude the registration process, among which the Radio License and the Navigation License stand out. Through them, the capacity of ships and yachts to be embarked is confirmed. Its particularities and differences are the following:

• Navigation license. This is the identity license for yachts and ships and the one that corroborates that the vessel is in order for its use. After its issuance, it must be renewed every four years, which is the period in which it is valid.
• Radio license. Safety on the high seas is essential, for this reason, this license is important as it guarantees communication if any mishap occurs. To obtain it, it is necessary to complete an application provided by the law firm in Panama.

Now, all the documents that we described above have to go through two processes, known as apostillation and authentication. They can be considered essential steps for registration and validate that the documents are legitimate for use internationally. Its omission can lead to port stagnation of ships and yachts:

• Authentication. It is applied to confirm that the documents provided are authentic. It must be carried out by a notary public of the country in which the documents were issued.
• The documents must bear a signature of the notary public. It is the apostille process that validates that said signature is authentic. It is carried out in accordance with the Hague Apostille Convention, for this reason, the documents in which they are applied will have legal recognition in the member countries of said convention. In the event that the issuing country is not part of the agreement, the authentication of the documents is carried out by the Consul of Panama of the country in which they were issued.

As you will notice, the process is somewhat complicated, so it is important to be assisted by experts at each stage so that the registration of ships and yachts is carried out without obstructions and in a fluid and fast manner. At PANAMA LEGAL BUSINESS we have specialists in Maritime Law and in the different aspects related to activities at sea.

We have other services within this area, for example, obtaining a radio license, changing dimensions and owner, canceling Panamanian registration, among others. Likewise, we have Panama immigration lawyers and from various areas, such as intellectual property, labor law, among others. Request more information or a quote by dialing 507 6430 7051 or fill out the form included on our site so we can contact you.