Consulate General of Panama 
GENERAL CONSULATE OF PANAMA IN MARSEILLE
Mrs. Ana H. Altamirano, General Consul of Panama in Marseille, France
About the Consulate
The Consulate General of Panama in Marseilles is a Consulat of Marine Merchant, whose mission is the registration of commercial boats and yachts and the issuing of Seaman Books.
The history of the General Consulate of Panama in Marseilles began in the year 1908 and his first Consul was Ricardo Miró (1883-1940). He was Consul in Marseille and Barcelona. At that time, competition between these two cities was lively. He needed to mobilize all his talents to represent Panama.
While he was away from his country, Ricardo Miró wrote, maybe in Marseille, the poem "Patria", one of his most beautiful poems: it evokes the love and lack, which all Panamanians, who have lived and live far from home feel.
The Consuls of Panama in Marseille:
- Jose Ismael MUJICA 1959/1960
- Roberto PROCTOR 1968/1969
- Nelly SUCRE 1974
- Anibal GONZALEZ 1982
- Aristóteles GARCIA 1984
- Nelida ZAMBRANO 1985
- Nilsa APARICIO 1989
- Armando ARRELLANO 1990
- Béatriz FIERRO-ORTIZ 1995/1999
- Laura CONSTANTINO 1999/2004
- Antonia CHAVARRIA 2004/2012
- Giovanni FIORENTINO 2012/2013
- Maria Isabel VILLEGAS 2013/2014
- Virna J. AYALA 2015/2019
- Issamary SÁNCHEZ ORTEGA 2019
- Ana H. Altamirano 2024
The role of Consulate is special
The particularity if the General Consulate of Panama in Marseille is the promotion of the Panamanian Marine Merchant. Panama has the widest fleet of registered commercial boats. Moreover, it has a long maritime tradition as the law that created the Panamanian ship registry this year is over 100 years old.
The Panamanian flag provides the guaranty of transparency, efficiency and safety, that all port authorities are aware of. Therefore, our registry is on the white list of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
There are 64 Panamanian Consulates Marine Merchant around the world, offering to their customers the proximity of Panama and allow them to:
- pay annual taxes
- register provisional titles of owners and mortgages
- legalize sales of vessels and yachts
- sell official books for Panamanian boats
- issue the Seaman Books for marines and officers at the same price as the Panamanian Government, without going through brokers or intermediaries and thus without paying additional administrative costs.
The General Consulate of Panama in Marseilles is the only consulate of Panama in France. We are here, because the city of Marseilles is well located. It is an important port of Mediterranean.
What are the characteristics of the Panama Ship Registry?
The Panamanian flag is the most important in the world, with around 18% of registrations on the world market. This represents more than 8,000 vessels, 222.6 million GRT, more than 300 local staff, more than 200 inspectors worldwide, 1.2 million annual ship transactions and more than $ 25 trillion of mortgages.
The conditions for obtaining the Panamanian flag are simple. The formalities to be carried out are thus simplified and the Panamanian flag remains very attractive for shipowners. Our role, like that of all Panamanian Merchant Marine Consuls, is to assist vessels and boat owners in obtaining these documents. The Consulate can also deliver the Seaman Books to enable the French and foreigners to work on vessels that have the Panamanian flag.
The Panama Maritime Authority's policy is to be always closer to its customers, in particular by improving its products every year. That's why Panama has the largest commercial fleet of boats in the world for years. Panama also demonstrates its commitment and willingness to respect international rules by being an important member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
About Panama
As the poem "Patria" has said, Panama is so small that I can keep it whole in my heart. We are only 4 million people, but country is specialized in many areas where we are very competitive. It may seems incredible but Panama is a platform for:
- International services, including financial services. Indeed, Panama is the largest international banking center in Latin America.
- Commercial services for transnational corporations. They chose Panama for its economic and political stability.
- Communications, notably thanks to the optical fibers that cross the continent.
- Tourism, because the country offers extraordinary landscapes and exuberant nature to those who come to visit us.
- Port services. With the Colon Free Zone and an extraordinary geographical position, the port services located on each side of the Canal do not stop working day and night.
And then there is especially the Panama Canal, the most important symbol for all Panamanians. Our biggest pride, too. We are a country whose mission is to serve the world and allows the crossing of the oceans in the fastest way possible.
As for the country itself, it is magic! The capital, Panama, is the most modern city in Central America. But nature is very present in Panama and we have beautiful natural parks from ancestral tradition of conservation and protection of wildlife and flora.
