Panama

Panama operates the world’s largest ship registry by gross tonnage. It is an open registry, meaning vessels of any nationality can register under the Panamanian flag. The registry is administered by the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP).

How to Verify

Panama’s AMP provides an online certificate verification system that covers ship registration certificates, crew certification, safety management certificates, and other statutory documents issued by AMP or on its behalf.

1. Go directly to the official AMP verification portal

Navigate to ecertificatespanama.amp.gob.pa/verification-system. Do not follow links from third-party documents — type the URL or use this page directly.

2. Enter the certificate number or IMO number

The portal accepts both the certificate’s unique identifier and the vessel’s IMO number. A valid result will show the vessel name, registration details, and certificate status.

3. Check the domain of any AMP website you are using

All legitimate AMP websites use the amp.gob.pa domain. The .gob.pa top-level domain is restricted to Panamanian government entities — it cannot be registered by private parties. Any site claiming to be Panama’s maritime authority on a .com, .org, or .net domain is not legitimate.

4. Red flags

• The certificate number returns no result in the verification portal
• The website domain is not *.amp.gob.pa
• Contact details on the certificate use a free email address (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)
• The certificate references a notary or issuing agent but no AMP certificate number

Known Fraudulent Sites

The amp-gob.com and amp-gob.org domains are not affiliated with Panama’s AMP. Panama’s official domain is amp.gob.pa.