Panama Canal Requirements

The average transit time for a vessel, once the vessel is authorized to proceed, is about 10 hours from end to end. Panama Canal Pilots takes the ships from the beginning until the end of the transit in a safe, reliable, and expeditious manner. All vessels will be monitored by the Marine Traffic Control Unit of the Transit Operation Division in order to ensure that rules, regulations, restrictions and any other conditions that exist are applied during the transit. The Panama Canal is the only place in the world in where the Pilot takes the overall command of the ship during the transit.

Panama Canal have a transit reservation system application, which is an electronic information exchange between the ACP information system and the customer´s systems, that allows to collect, arrange, and validate information regarding your transit. Local shipping agents, owners and operators use this booking application to manage the booking transactions via online.

Booking Requests done through the booking application

• Daylight Transits
• Just in-Time transits
• Substitutions
• Swaps
• Change in Booking Dates
• Cancellations

Below documentation to be received prior arrival Panama.

To be sent prior arrival for arrival authorization 96hrs prior arrival canal waters IN PDF format .

1. Maritime Declaration of Health

2. Crew yellow fever vaccination list from those who have been vaccinated (signed and stamped)

3. NIL List (signed and stamped)

4. 10 Previous ports (signed and stamped)

5. BDN for bunker to be used for canal transit

Attached Pre Arrival requirements on excel form( Security Officer, MDH, Last ten port of call, vessel arrival- transit condition).

Documents for Panama Canal Boarding Officers

All vessels arriving at Canal waters must hand or prepare the following documentation to the Authority:

1. Ship’s Information and Quarantine Declaration (4398) - 2 copies attached on excel form

2. Visibility form 1746 – 1 copy Attached on excel form

3. Crew List – If, Requested by the officer

4. 10 port of call - 1 copy

Vessels unable to comply with the above requirements, or that arrive at Canal waters without providing proper notification, shall be c onsidered in violation of Panama Canal Regulations and will be subject to control and compliance measures. Noncompliance may consist of the submittal of incorrect, false, incomplete or late information. These measures may include the assignment of additional resources, at the vessel’s expense, or a more detailed inspection, which may result in delays or denial of transit.

Panama Maritime Authority issuance departure “ Port Clearance “ only to vessel that berth alongside, not applicable when doing Panama Canal Transit, Lifting bunkers at Anchorage, or any other husbandry activities performed at Anchorage areas.

In case you need more information regarding vessel requirements, you are kindly instructed to click on the link below:

https://pancanal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/N01-2025-Vessel-Requirements.pdf