The registration on our Nissan X-Trail was due for renewal this month. This is how it’s done here in Panamá.
In Panamá, you get a new license plate every year. The plate number remains the same, but the ribbon color on the plate changes year to year. Apparently it helps police identify expired plates. Vehicle registration must take place within the same month every year, not one day before, nor one day after.
The first step is a vehicle inspection (Revisado Vehicular) by an ATTT authorized garage. We took the car to Quick Fix in Boquete. There were 3 or 4 people ahead of us, but we decided to just wait and get it done. It was early in the month and we wanted to avoid any potential holiday season backlog. Just as it was our turn, the computer to the national system went down and we were sent home. We were told they would call us when it was back online. Garages have to upload the inspection results immediately. We got a call from them an hour or so later letting us know the system was back up and running. We drove back to Boquete and got it done. Surprisingly, they did not pull the car into the garage and give it a look, checking under the hood, brakes, tires, etc. The car was simply parked in front of the garage, a camera that was placed on a tripod came out, and pictures were taken. I’m sure there was some sort of a visual inspection, but not that I really noticed. Unless there is something glaringly wrong, your car will pass inspection. You also need to show proof of insurance, a copy of your title, and proof that the registration is due for the current month. The cost of inspection was $20. It seems to be a good way for them to check up on any tickets you may have and make sure they get paid!
The next step was to go to the Municipal Building where your car is registered. In Panamá, there is no national registration office. Our car is registered in Dolega District, which is 15-20 minutes away. We entered the building, took a number, and waited for it to be called. I was a little bit nervous knowing my Spanish still has a long way to go, and in Dolega there was no English spoken. I told the lady in the best Spanish I could manage, that I was learning and if she could please speak slowly. She was very nice. She told me that I needed copies made of my documentation. Luckily there is a lady doing copies there for you if you don’t have them, and you will be charged to have the copies made. I went back to the window with my copies, paid the $36, and received a new license plate, windshield sticker, and registration paper. That’s it and you’re done. Apparently all the registrations in that municipality that are due in December are pre-ordered, so you get your new plate at the same time.
We still had one additional step while we were there. We needed to get the car title switched from my Passport ID # to my e-Cedula since that is the ID I am using now. When we purchased the car, we did not have the e-Cedula yet. Apparently if you ever get pulled over by police and they ask to see your credentials, the car title ID has to match your credentials, or you will be fined. A very nice bilingual Panamanian man who noticed that we had a bit of trouble understanding what we needed to do next, accompanied us to the Caja (cashier) window outside, gave them the new registration paper we had just received, along with a copy of my e-Cedula. It cost an additional $20, and within minutes I had a new car title with the updated number. So what happens if you buy a car that is registered in a municipality that is very far from you? That would be a real pain. You can have the municipality changed to another district. That would involve additional paperwork and cost, but it would be worth it. Luckily we did not have that problem.
It is a great feeling and sense of accomplishment when you get another “notch in your belt” with dealing with bureaucracy in your new country.