Change of Car Registration

Transfer of Registration

 

Fee: $280

 

Required Documents

  • Process is available January through November
  • Must have current license plate sticker paid
  • Receipt from payment of license plate (What’s This?)
  • Professional/commercial photocopy of your passport or cedula (Must be a photocopy not home scanned ) 2 copies B&W center of page
  • Original Revisado…….top left photo of car is in color and signature at bottom is in original ink (What’s This?)
  • Original title, don’t sign (What’s This?)
  • 4 blank pieces of paper with your exact matching signature to your passport or cedula ¾’s of the way down on the left of each page, these will be used to create authorization forms.
  • We need to schedule an inspection appointment for your car in the City with the ATTT
  • Engine must be professionally cleaned
  • Transfer and new title takes about a month
  • For cars registered in another district please contact David Marquez davidmarquezgca@gmail.com

Moving your registration locally allows you to pick up your own license plate sticker and it will be easier to transfer title in the event of a sale.

 

Once we have all the documents we visit the office in the City to confirm the documents and schedule and inspection appointment, we will need to arrange pick up of your car the day of or the day before.

 

*Identifying the engine number is one of the requirements

 

VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL SIGNATURES MATCH EXACTLY HOW YOU SIGNED YOUR PASSPORT OR CEDULA!

Most cars here in Panama are registered in Panama city. The reason to transfer to the municipalities of Chame of which Coronado is a district of or San Carlos is so that you can then pick up your license plates every year at the local municipal building. You can also do title transfers locally in the event of a sale of the car or you receive a new passport/cedula number.

 

Most new arrivals to Panama purchase a car using their passport which is completely legal to obtain title. Once you have your residency or cedula then you are required to get a Panamanian drivers license. When that license expires and you go to renew you must have the title in your cedula ID number. You can do the title transfer locally but they don’t have the ability to print out the new title, you have to go to La Chorrera. If you need assistance please contact us.

 

You can only transfer the registration in the month that the license plates are due and only after you have receipt of payment for the new plates. Then your car has to be inspected in the City so we will need to pick up your car the night before. Inspections are M-F from 6am to 8am, only 24 cars are done per day. Our driver leaves at 4am to get in line as the engine has to be cold before inspection. One of the requirements is for them to identify the engine number, some vehicles are difficult to obtain and if so may require going to another garage which is an additional $60 fee.

Change of Passport to Cedula:

  • Professional photocopy  of your passport or cedula (Must be a photocopy not a home scanned copy)
  • 2 copies, black & white, document in center of page
  • Original Revisado, to confirm original top left photo of car is in color and signature at bottom is in original ink
  • All documents can be left at Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) under the David Marquez/Gold Coast Car Club folder
  • Process takes 5-7 business days