Shipping The Darien Gap with Overland Embassy

A full step by step guide to shipping your home on wheels from Panama to Colombia with Overland Embassy. This only applies to vehicles that are able to fit inside of a shipping container.

Contact Overland Embassy

1. Reach out to Overland Embassy by filling out their Contact Us form. Overland Embassy will follow up and send a very long and detailed email. Save and read many times.

Deposit, Shipping Date + Container Buddy

2. Secure your spot on their shipping list by paying a $150 USD deposit. They will confirm your deposit via email. Per OE, “give you high priority on the waiting list, and we will keep you updated with departure dates and container buddy.”

Unfortunately, in my experience they did not keep me updated with dates or a container buddy.

Photo below is the email exchange where you can see a pretty decent lack of communication. About 40 days after my deposit I still had no update for a shipping schedule. When I followed up to inform them I would be there between April 10 – 15 they never responded. Needless to say, it was a weird to see an Instagram post from Overland Embassy looking for shipping container buddies. Very confusing why they would not communicating with their high priority customers first …

I recommend to go out of your way to keep close contact with Overland Embassy. To acquire the shipping dates (its the same every week) and dates to match with a container buddy.

Arriving in Panama to Overland Embassy

3. Once in Panama, make your way to Overland Embassy. Meet the team and if it’s not too hot they have a camp option for $10 per night. Two nights included. If you need to wash your rig, there is a garden hose (low pressure) on site. If you have a balance, make your final payment.

7 am Police Inspection

On this day, I was told by locals that the P in Panama stands for patience.

Must be done at least 5 days prior to load day. Can only be done by the owner of the vehicle. This is not included in the all inclusive service offered by Overland Embassy.

Please know, there is only one man in all of Panama that does this job, he can be quite rude. Wear pants as he does not like legs. Remember you can do anything for one day. Happily move on to the excitement to start the next continent of your adventure!

Documents required: *originals and two sets of copies*

• Passport
• Panama entry stamp in passport
• Title // if the license plate is not on the title, title and registration
• Panama TIP (Temporary Import Permit)

Arrive to the Police Inspection 10-20 minutes early for the start time of 0700. It is best to park here on the street. GPS 8.966508, -79.544734 The police inspection process is pretty straightforward, albeit time consuming. The purpose is to ensure all the information between your passport, title, and TIP all match. As well as, check the physical VIN on your vehicle matches the paperwork.

Once this is complete (expect 2-3 hours) you will need to drive to a second location. Here you will submit your original documents to the National Directorate of Judicial Investigation.

Police Inspection Certificate

1. The main entrance is here. If there is a long line, go around straight into the building to the reception desk. Park here GPS 8.965577, -79.546068
2. Here you will need to fill out a form and submit your original documents. A representative will let you know a time to return and pick up your certificate.
3. Prepare to wait at least one hour to drop off your documents and 1-2 hours to pick up.
4. One you have the police inspection certificate you must make one set of copies of all the documents listed below. Not included in the all inclusive service. However, you can take the documents to Overland Embassy and ask them to make copies for you.

In another post I cover all the steps to shipping with a pet

Panama Paperwork Required

• Passport and copy of Panama entry stamp
• TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for Panama
• Title / proof of ownership
• Car Registration (Only if the license plate is not on the title)
• Police Inspection Certificate
• Panama Auto Insurance
• Driver’s License

To easily see and save all the locations for Panama and Colombia, click here

Colombia Steps

1. One form must be notarized. Not included in the all inclusive service. Ana / her team will ask you to get this form from their office which is quite far away. For me, alone with a dog not allowed in taxi’s. Ana’s colleague was able to drop the paperwork and explain the next step.
2. Form must be notarized at the Notaria Primera de Cartagena location here
3. Send photos of the notarized document (front and back) to Ana. With this document they can legally start the process with DIAN.
4. When the cargo ship arrives, Ana will make an appointment for the owners to enter the port, usually the next day.
5. First port visit: a member of the team will meet you at the entrance and provide a vest, hardhat and a pass to enter. No pets allowed. Close-toed shoes, pants and long sleeves.
6. Open container, vehicles exit, take photos of all four sides and a good photo of the VIN. Send photos ASAP to Ana. Emphasis on good photos of the VIN. DIAN can and will deny the TIP application if they cannot clearly read the VIN.
7. Ana will continue with DIAN to get TIPs. If there are no errors this should take 24 hours.
8. As soon as the TIPs are ready: Ana will send the documents to you and secure an appointment to remove vehicles from the port. This is usually the very next day.
9. Once you have the TIP you must get your SOAT (auto insurance) on your own. Not included in the all inclusive service. Ana has a contact, all you need to do is forward the TIP, passport photo and pay online.
10. Day of removal go to the port at your scheduled date and time. Again, you will meet a member of the team. A vest, hardhat and a pass to enter is provided. No pets allowed. Close-toed shoes, pants and long sleeves required.
11. The staff will triple check all of the documents and give you a code to exit the port. Yay! Happy and free to start exploring the beautiful country of Colombia!!

Panama locations

• Overland Embassy
• Police Inspection
• Police inspection park here GPS 8.966508, -79.544734
• Second police station, park here GPS 8.965577, -79.546068
• Main entrance is here

Colombia Locations

• Meeting spot for the port GPS 10.407145, -75.529149
• Copy place that is close to the port, across from DIAN location here
• Notaria Primera de Cartagena location here

To easily see and save all the locations for Panama and Colombia, click here

Extra Tips

• Copies, copies, copies. Before flying to Colombia, double and triple check you have everything you need. Ask Overland Embassy to make copies if you need more.
• TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for Colombia starts when you enter to Colombia. If I could do it all over again, I would wait in Panama until the cargo ship arrived to Colombia. Then fly in.
• In Colombia pets are illegal in Ubers. Kindly ask if it is okay, but prepare for taxi/uber drivers to say no.
• Overland Embassy advised against shipping insurance because it is such a short sail. Always get shipping insurance!

Delays

• Expect delays. Even though it is a 17 hour sail, the shipping times are 10-14 days. We loaded our vehicles a day early so we were expecting an early arrival. No such luck. There was a delay to exit the port from Panama. We were not told why.
• There was second delay when the cargo ship arrived to Colombia. When the second delay happened communication from Overland Embassy was pretty much non-existent. My container buddy (who works in shipping) discovered there was an error on the paperwork from Panama. My container buddy repeatedly asked what the error was. No response or additional information was provided to us. Only that we would have to pay storage fees each day if their mistake was not corrected.
• Shipping insurance would cover shipping delays 🙂
• All of this of course, required us to extend our bookings, twice. Since I was traveling with a pet I had to find an entire new location, increasing the cost. Cartagena is not pet friendly, this can make the process a tad more stressful. Total shipping time: 16 days.

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