Border crossing Costa Rica - Panama

[Twintraveller]

Hi, we just crossed the border into Panama at San Vito - Rio Sereno.

Please note: U do not get the official exit procedure for the bike because there is no Aduana on Costa Rican side. That means u can also do not enter here with ur bike into Costa Rica. But because CR does not stamp ur bike into ur passport, u can prob. leave here to Panama Semi illegally.

Exit. It is 5 km dirt road to the border. Just go to Migraciones on CR side and check urself out. No costs.

Entry. Cross 10 meters to the Panama side.

Migraciones: fill out the normal paper as u did in other CA countrys. No costs.

Pay 1 Dollar for Fumigation and get ur bike watered.

Go to Aduana. U need no copies, just title, passport and Drivers licence. no costs for us, other people paid 4 Dollars.

We were the only people at the border for about 2 hours. Main thing we did was chatting with army guys who wanted to practice their german. the easiest stuff we have ever done.

good luck
Martin

[rollin-kiwi]

thanks for the information... really helpful

[JogiCR]

Hey, I would not count on that info to be accurate anymore after more then 3 years

[Ian Moor]

I crossed from Costa Rica to Panama at Rio Sereno (San Vito) on the 18th July 2011. No problems, friendly officials and no queues. There is still 5km or so of dirt road on the Costa Rican side but there is now a Costa Rican customs office so all the correct paperwork can be completed.

Panamanian compulsory insurance is available at the border but I believe if entering into Costa Rica you have to get a bus into town to get insurance then return for your bike. If there is a group of riders, one may be allowed to ride into town and get insurance for the group while the others wait at the border.

With good roads (apart from the 5km of dirt and a few potholes on the Costa Rican side), good scenery on both sides of the Rio Sereno border and no hassles with the paperwork why would anyone consider crossing at Paso Canoas!

I was asked for a couple of photocopies of documents but you can get these done at the Panama Insurance office for 10c each.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

How strange Twintraveller . I ahave crossed the Rio Sereno border twice the last 20 months and in both instances the border offices of BOTH PANAMA and COSTA RICA had all the requisite processes for aduana,migracion,fumigacion , temp vehicle import and insurance issueing in place. A very nice quiet uncrowded little border crossing.
Are you sure you did not accidentally skip some of the procedure or was ther a major work slow down or labour strike.?

[Scrabblebiker]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

How strange Twintraveller . I ahave crossed the Rio Sereno border twice the last 20 months and in both instances the border offices of BOTH PANAMA and COSTA RICA had all the requisite processes for aduana,migracion,fumigacion , temp vehicle import and insurance issueing in place. A very nice quiet uncrowded little border crossing.
Are you sure you did not accidentally skip some of the procedure or was ther a major work slow down or labour strike.?

I crossed in May of 2010 at the same crossing. I was advised by the very friendly Costa Rica Migracion fellow that I needed to hang on to all my Costa Rica paperwork since there was no Costa Rica Aduana there for return trip. No issues whatsoever going into Panama, all the services are there. And no issues coming back since I kept all my Costa Rica paperwork. I guess things change very often down there. But it is a wonderful and friendly little crossing. In fact it was the nicest crossing I did during my entire trip.


...Michelle
www.scrabblebiker.com