Puerto Obaldia - Clearance

See Panama Formalities for full details on clearing into Panama, costs and paperwork involved.

It's recommended to check into Panama here and obtain a manual cruising permit before going to the San Blas Islands.

Be sure to have lots of cash with you, in small bills, as all fees must be paid in cash, and there are no ATMs. Checking in and cruising permit costs approx. $250.

If weather conditions are such that it's not safe to leave the boat unattended, you may be able to get permission to leave one or two crew members on board.

The next nearest port for clearance is Porvenir, Portobelo, or Colon.

For international yachts arrivals, three offices need to be visited here by all crew members and photocopies can be made at the shop next to immigration:

1. Police checkpoint

Located at the head of the dock. Police will record crew details from passports, no fee, no documents given.

2. Immigration (Migracion)

Ask the police for directions to the Immigration office in town. Take passports to get visas.

3. Port Captain

Victor Otero: +507 6468-7437

Located around the corner from Immigration in a blue/white building (also visible from the anchorage). This is where you pay nominal fees.

It is not possible to get an official Cruising Permit in this port as there is no Autoridad Marítima Marina Mercante. The closest port for a Cruising Permit is Cristobal. The Port Captain in Puerto Obaldia has blank Cruising permits which can be filled in manually, however, this type of permit is not approved by the AMP Merchant Marine Authority and may cause problems when cruising around Panama or when checking out.

Instead of going to Colon, it is possible to obtain a Cruising Permit through an agent, which can be requested prior to arrival in Panama and can then be scanned and sent to you by e-mail. Note, however, that official cruising permits can take almost two weeks to obtain.

Last updated:  February 2023