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During a 6-day, 7-night all-inclusive Panama Relocation Tour, we cover in detail (including special tips) how to ship household goods, cars, and pets to Panama. Since 2010, we’ve helped thousands of people move to Panama smoothly. We’ve helped 1000s of people relocate to Panama the easy way. Here’s an overview of the key information you need if you are considering shipping your car to Panama.
SHIPPING A CAR OR MOTORCYCLE TO PANAMA
Shipping your car to Panama will cost about $3,500 to $5,000 in a container or $2500 for roll-in-roll off. If there is a lien (loan) on the car, you’ll need to either pay it off or get permission from the lender to take the car out of the country.
There will also be a tax to bring your car into Panama. The car broker can give you more details, but you can estimate a 17% tax based on the car’s value. Panamanian customs will determine the car’s value.
Once the car arrives in Panama, you have 30 days to re-register it as a Panama car, which will cost about $ 1,500. If you don’t get your car re-registered, it will be impounded. The price difference depends on how far you are from a port.
North American cars have emission controls and catalytic converters, but cars in Panama do not. Therefore, you may have a hard time finding a good mechanic to work on your North American car, and it could take months to get the parts you need.
Gasoline in Panama is 91 or 95 octane and does not have ethanol, so some cars don’t do well on Panama gasoline. Diesel gas is also available and more affordable than regular gasoline in Panama.
A good example….Friends thought he was getting a heck of a deal by buying a 2008 car with low miles for $4000. The car had been brought in from Georgia. Because the gasoline in Panama is different, the lowest octane is 91, and there is no ethanol in the gas, he started having problems with the car. One time, they drove from Chitre to Boquete, but the car overheated repeatedly along the way until it finally stopped. I helped them get a wrecker to take it to a local mechanic. The mechanic determined he needed certain parts, which took 3 months to arrive in Panama. Three months (with no car) and $3500 in repairs later, the car still has problems in Panama.
IS IT CHEAPER?
The moral of the story, it’s not always cheaper to bring your car to Panama. If you do bring your car into Panama, it’s a good idea to bring the parts you’ll need most.
I know you’re going to ask… NO, you cannot fill your car up with your household goods when you ship it to Panama. The car must also be almost empty of oil and gas.
Good cars are readily available in Panama. You can buy new cars or go to a used car dealer. I used a car broker to help find the first car I purchased in Panama. You tell the car broker how much you want to spend and what you are looking for, and they find the car for you. The car broker has the car inspected and handles all the paperwork to transfer ownership to you. My first car was a Kia Sportage with 25,000 miles, which I purchased for $9,000. My second car was a Nissan X-Trail with 25,000 miles, which I purchased for $7500. A few months ago, I purchased a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe with only 5,000km for under $20,000 (it still has the factory warranty).
A tour client shipping his motorcycle to Panama READ THE DETAILS HERE
