Overland Panama Travel

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Visiting Panama

Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.

Entering Panama with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: November 2014

Required Paperwork

  • Passport of registered owner (original and 2 copies).
  • Drivers license of registered owner (original and 1 copy).
  • Vehicle registration (original and 1 copy).
  • Copy of Vehicle insurance (required for both Immigration & Customs)

Process at border

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Panama, application instructions and fees see: Panama Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)

  • The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (migración), including a stamp in their Passport.
  • Insurance for the vehicle must be purchased. (see below)
  • The owner must show the new passport stamp, the original vehicle registration and vehicle insurance to customs (aduana).
  • The owner is issued a temporary import permit for the vehicle.


A detailed border process has been written up which includes the Costa Rica exit, Panama Entry, GPS coordinates and an overview map etc http://myoverlandadventure.com/costa-rica-panama-border-cossing-paso-canoas-quebrada-grande/


VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you plan to ship your vehicle out of Panama, make absolutely certain that everything written on your temporary import permit is correct. A single digit wrong in your VIN number or date of vehicle manufacture will be a problem later when you try to ship the vehicle. DO NOT let the customs people convince you it will be OK. It won't.


NOTE: You may encounter locals offering to help you with paperwork to get across the border. See Border Crossing Helpers for advice.

Cost of entry

Free.

Permitted length of stay

90 days for people, the vehicle only receives 30 days, though.

Extension of stay

Renew Vehicle Papers in Panama City

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

Vehicles can be stored in a government bonded facility while the owner leaves the country. The import papers are suspended while the vehicle is stored for as long as you like. When you return, the import papers simply resume. Options include

  • Panama City at the Panama Central Terminal. Ave. Ascanio Villalaz, Curundu. Apdo. 0843-00405 Panama, Rep. de Panama Tel: (507)232-6915 http://www.pct.com.pa for approx $8.00 USD per day.
  • Chiriqui, David for approx $1.00 USD per day.

Exiting with a vehicle

By land to Costa Rica

  • The registered owner is stamped out of Panama at immigration.
  • The registered owner presents the temporary import paper to customs, where it is cancelled.

By Ship, probably to Colombia

See Crossing The Darien Gap for details.

Driving in Panama

Recommended books for Overlanding in Panama

Lonely Planet Panama (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Panama (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Carolyn McCarthy, Steve Fallon
From $14.36 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Don't Go There. It's Not Safe. You'll Die. And Other M...
Don't Go There. It's Not Safe. You'll Die. And Other M...
by LifeRemotely.com
From $click on Amazon
Americas Overland - The Driving Handbook
Americas Overland - The Driving Handbook
by Donald Greene
From $29.95 on Amazon
99 Days To Panama: An Exploration Of Central America B...
99 Days To Panama: An Exploration Of Central America B...
by John Halkyard, Harriet Halkyard
From $20.96 on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
Panama Handbook (footprint - Handbooks)
Panama Handbook (footprint - Handbooks)
by Richard Arghiris
From $10.00 on Amazon
TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide

TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide
by The Pin Project

at 10$ on thepinproject.eu

Insurance requirements

Insurance is mandatory in Panama and you will be forced to buy it at the border before you are allowed to enter. There are always agents at the border to buy from.

Cost of insurance

$15.00 USD for 1 month for a 4x4.

Where to purchase insurance

Right at the border. The customs guys will tell you exactly where to go.

Driving license

Technically an International Driving Permit is required.
In reality, showing a license from anywhere in the world seems to be good enough.

Driving side of road

Right.
Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.

Mandatory items in vehicle

None.

Roads

General Road quality

Roads in Panama are generally of good quality, except in some of the smaller towns where the pavement is cracked and broken. Lesser roads are gravel and can be mud pits in the rainy season.

Road signs

The only country in whole Central America that hardly has any road signs. Be ready to ask around or have a GPS.

Toll roads

The major highway from Panama City to Colón is tolled. Also the major highways around Panama City are toll roads and you need to buy the toll road card, you can't just pay cash. You still can try, but be prepared for some discussions with them!

Bribery in Panama

Police bribery is not common in Panama, but it certainly does happen.
See the bribery tips page for advice.

Checkpoints

Police checkpoints are not common in Panama, though you may encounter them. You'll be asked to show your Passport, Vehicle registration, drivers license, vehicle insurance and the temporary import permit you were issued at the border.

Traveling with pets

According to travelers in 2012, you need: [1]
Travelers in 2013 wrote this when traveling from Costa Rica to Panama: [2]

  • A Health Certificate for the animal in Spanish (updated at least every four months)
  • An up to date vaccination record (the European Pet Passport works well)
  • You will likely have to pay around $15.00 USD

Gas and Diesel price in Panama

Last updated: June 2012 (Diesel November 2014)

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Regular €0.80 EUR per Liter
Super (90)  ??
Premium (95) $4.40 USD per Gallon (US)
Ultra (97)  ??
Normal Diesel $0.86 USD per Liter
Diesel (low sulfur)  ??

Gas and Diesel / Frequency

Gasoline shortages in Panama are not a problem.
Typically gas stations are not more than 100 - 200km apart.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Accepted to be good quality.
Sulfur content of diesel is unknown.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Driving at night is not considered a huge problem in Panama, though it's not recommended due to road hazards that can not be seen in the dark.

Vehicle parking

Parking vehicles on the street in smaller towns during the day is typically OK. Find a secure parking lot in big cities and at night.

Special driving considerations

None.

Security advisories and information

Camping in Panama

Camping is becoming more popular with local Panamanians and hostels in touristy areas have camping to cater for backpackers.

Being far away from major roads is preferable for wild camping.

Camping guide books

No specific book exists, though the usual backpacker guide books mention when a hostel has camping facilities.

Drinking water

Tap water in most of Panama is not safe to drink, though many hotels and hostels in Panama City advertise that it is safe. Every corner store sells 1 and 2 liter bottles, and 20 liter bottles can be bought at most large grocery stores.

Navigation

Paper maps

Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Panama

Costa Rica, Panama
Costa Rica, Panama
by Reise Know-How Verlag
From $10.27 on Amazon
Panama (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Panama (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $8.24 on Amazon
Panama (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Panama (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $8.24 on Amazon
Fodor's Florida 2016 (full-color Travel Guide)
Fodor's Florida 2016 (full-color Travel Guide)
by Fodor's Travel Guides
From $41.59 on Amazon

Purchase maps before arriving in Panama.

GPS Maps of Panama

  • Open Street Map: Appears to have good coverage.[3]
  • Cenrut: Free Open Source GPS map of Central America. Coverage is occasionally better than OSM. [4]
  • Garmin: Apparently no map of Panama.
  • TomTom: No map of Panama. [5]

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Panama

Special Overland Travel interests

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

Add known good mechanics here.


For helpful information while in Panama, ask on Club 4x4 Panama forum. They can recommend good mechanics, places to find parts, and even places to camp or find camping supplies. They have been known to help out overland travelers.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Panama

Buy
Unknown.
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle. List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.

Sell
Selling a car in Panama is relatively easy assuming you can find a buyer.
We were able to conclude the sale in a day.
You will need:

  1. A bill of sale or transfer of the car, (you can type one up yourself). It should include the make, model, year of the car, the VIN and the buyer and seller's full name and address and ID numbers
  2. Original title of the vehicle and the 'rodaje' or temporary import permit that was given to you at the border by customs
  3. Notarized copies of the seller's passport, the buyer's passport or ID, the vehicle title and the bill of sale and the 'rodaje'
  4. Once you have agreed on a price and gotten all the documents written up and notarized you then drop the car off at a bond warehouse where it awaits customs valuation. They will keep the car title at the bond warehouse and give you a document stating that the car has been consigned to the bond.
  5. You then go to the customs office where the Gerencia or Administration department will review your paperwork to make sure it is all in order before directing you to the Vehicular Control department where you can get your passport stamped allowing you to leave the country.
  6. You should probably arrange to receive the cash payment for the car before dropping off the car at the bond warehouse.
  7. The buyer of the car then has to work with a corredor de aduana to get the customs paperwork and legalize it in Panama. This can take up to 20 days. The buyer assumes all responsibility for paying the customs duties and taxes which will be a minimum of $1,500.00 USD no matter the value of the car (as of 2012)

References

  1. Central American Borders and dogs
  2. Traveling with dogs from Canada to Argentina. Experiences and Infos.
  3. OpenStreetMap Panama
  4. Cenrut Mapping Project
  5. TomTom Map availability

Helpful External links