Costa Rica – Panama: one border crossing, two clocks.
Regional dry van from San José to Panama City, with a waybill (carta de porte) and customs transit (in-bond): approx. 850 km and one border crossing. Below are the route leg by leg, the hours at each crossing, the weight limit that governs and the documents to have ready.
38,300 kgGross weight that governs, in T3-S2 (indicative)
The route, leg by leg: approx. 850 km
On the map above, in blue, the main freight route from San José (GAM) to Panama City; in light blue, the rest of the road network.
San José – Panama City · approx. 850 kmindicative
San José (GAM)Departure · Costa RicaDeparture
Paso CanoasBorder crossing Costa Rica – Panama+ 358 km
DavidEn route · Panama+ 53 km
Panama CityDestination · Panama+ 439 km
Reference route: Route 27, Costanera Sur (Route 34), Route 2, Paso Canoas and the Panamericana through David and Santiago.
Kilometers by country and notes on the route
Approximate breakdown: Costa Rica 358 km, Panama 492 km.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Approximate distance along the main freight route, calculated on open mapping data (OSRM/OpenStreetMap, queried on September 30, 2026); rounded to 5 or 10 km; not an official figure from any road authority. It may vary with the exact loading and delivery points, the border crossing and the detours in force. View the source (cataloged in Spanish)
The days below are one-way travel days stated by truckers’ associations or by an operator. They are not times measured by GoTruck or a delivery commitment: they are for orientation. The time for your shipment is confirmed with the quote.
2–3days
San José – Panama City indicative
One-way travel days stated by truckers’ associations (JICA, 2017): CANATRAC, 2 days from San José; PANATRUCK, 3 days from Panama City (48’ trailer). DSV publishes 2 days from Panama (2026). It is not a service commitment.
What changes the transit time on this route
Customs processing at Paso Canoas, with long delays in the available measurements (2016–2017).
Route chosen in Costa Rica: Costanera Sur or Cerro de la Muerte.
Time-of-day restriction on heavy vehicles in Costa Rica’s Greater San José area (GAM).
Panama’s rules for oversize cargo during Holy Week.
Rain and road closures.
How to read those days: two caveats from the sources
The DSV time is for a single operator, with weekly departures from Panama.
The association statements date from 2017, before the DUCA (2019), and appear to be rounded up.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Indicative ranges, never a delivery commitment. They depend on customs processing, border hours, traffic restrictions and the weather. View the 3 sources (cataloged in Spanish)
Need a delivery date? Get a quote for this route with the loading date and we will reply with the trip plan. Each country’s bans are further down, in Bans and restrictions.
The truck does not decide how long a crossing takes: the customs office’s hours, the physical inspection and the side that closes first do. Below is what is on record, with its source, for the crossing on this route. Where the data comes only from the press or from immigration, it carries the label indicative.
Crossing 1 of 1 · Costa Rica – Panama
Paso Canoas
Handles cargo
Costa Rica Paso Canoas (CCI in Darizara, Corredores, Puntarenas)
Panama Paso Canoas (Quebrada Grande, San Isidro, Bugaba, Chiriquí)
Hours Costa Rica customs (CCI): general service hours, 06:00–21:00 Costa Rica timeSource of the hours: Costa Rica’s Ministry of Finance; in effect since June 25, 2024.Time difference: Panama (UTC−5) is one hour ahead of Costa Rica (UTC−6) all year.
Panamanian side: Monday to Sunday, 06:00–22:00 Panama time (05:00–21:00 Costa Rica time), for import, export and transit. A 2021 figure cited by the press and not reconfirmed (indicative).
Costa Rican public holidays: transit 06:00–18:00 and no physical inspections of imports or exports, unless requested by email before noon the day before. On December 25 and January 1: 08:00–18:00.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Border hours change without notice because of holidays, pilot plans, blockades or customs and immigration notices. Open 24 hours does not mean cargo clearance 24 hours: the real crossing window is that of the side that closes first. Confirm with your GoTruck contact before scheduling a crossing. View the 12 sources (cataloged in Spanish)
If the main route gets complicated, this is the other way to get there. The distance is approximate and was calculated the same way as that of the main route.
San José – Panama City. Via the full Route 2 (Cerro de la Muerte) instead of the Costanera Sur: approx. 840 km. indicative
Weight and dimensions that govern: the strictest country
A dry van that runs through two countries has to fit the rules of all of them. That is why it is loaded to the lowest limit on the route, not to that of the country of departure.
38,300kg
Gross weight T3-S2 · Set by Panama
indicative
43,900kg
Gross weight T3-S3 · Set by Panama
indicative
16.70m
Length · Set by Panama
indicative
2.50m
Width · Set by Panama
indicative
4.15m
Height · Same along the whole route
Indicative figures: confirm them before dispatch.The values labeled indicative are set by Panama, where not every figure on record is confirmed in the regulation.
Why: three notes from the regulation
Panama. The totals of 38,300 kg (T3-S2 = 5.5 + 16.4 + 16.4 t) and 43,900 kg (T3-S3 = 5.5 + 16.4 + 22.0 t) are the arithmetic sum of the axle limits, not a figure written in the law: Law 10 does not publish totals per configuration and the authorized weight is set by each vehicle’s permit. They match a table from Georgia Tech Panama.
Panama. Indicative record because of those totals; the axle limits and the dimensions were verified in the text of Law 10 of 1989.
Panama. Width of 2.50 m and length of 16.70 m for articulated vehicles (20.0 m for a combination of vehicles): they are lower than those of the Central American Agreement, which SIECA reports as in force for Panama since 2017. The Panamanian rules of 2017 and 2018 still refer to Law 10 and its values are applied as a prudent criterion.
Maximum gross vehicle weight (kg) and maximum dimensions (m) of the articulated vehicle in the countries on the route. In bold, the strictest value.
Country
T3-S2 (kg)
T3-S3 (kg)
Length (m)
Width (m)
Height (m)
Costa Rica
39,000
45,500
21.00
2.60
4.15
Panama indicative
38,300
43,900
16.70
2.50
4.15
T3-S2 is a 3-axle tractor with a 2-axle dry van; T3-S3, a 3-axle tractor with a 3-axle dry van. Gross weight includes the tractor, the dry van and the cargo. Rows labeled indicative have at least one figure for which no official regulation was read: confirm them before dispatch.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Reference values. Confirm with your GoTruck contact before loading. View the 9 sources (cataloged in Spanish)
If it goes in a 53’ dry van, read this first.There are three regulation notes about that dry van on this route: Costa Rica, Panama and the Central American Agreement.
Read the three notes
Costa Rica. 53’ dry van: the actual length of the tractor and dry van combination must be measured against the 21.00 m maximum; it was not verified.
Panama. A 53’ dry van measures ≈2.60 m in exterior width and 16.15 m in length without the tractor: it exceeds the 2.50 m width and, with the tractor, the 16.70 m length, so it would require a Permiso Especial de Operación (our own calculation from a manufacturer’s spec sheet).
Central American Agreement. Height: a High Cube container on a chassis or a 53’ dry van (≈4.11 m) sits a few centimeters below the 4.15 m maximum; it is advisable to measure the actual combination (our own estimate).
Estimated payload in a 53’ dry van indicative
There is no published estimate for the 53’ dry van under the limit of Panama. Confirm with your GoTruck contact before loading.
Want to know how many pallets fit and whether the weight is within the limit? Use the load calculator. The full table by country, with axles, tolerances and permits, is in Weights and dimensions by country.
Bans and restrictions: when heavy trucks do not run
The restrictions on record, country by country and in travel order, each with the validity of the data. Those labeled indicative do not have their hours verified in an official source: confirm them before dispatch.
Costa Rica: two restrictionsTime-of-day restriction on heavy vehicles in the Greater San José area (GAM) · Romería pilgrimage to Cartago (August 1 and 2)
Time-of-day restriction on heavy vehicles in the Greater San José area (GAM).indicative Executive Decree 38238-MOPT restricts cargo vehicles over 6 t, Monday to Friday, at the hours and on the routes set in its table; the technical study covered Routes 1, 2, 3, 27 and 32. There are exemptions, perishables among them, and the decree provides for prohibiting entry into San José on holidays and special dates. The minister can suspend it, as happened in October 2022 because of route closures. Confirm the current hours and road sections.Validity of the data: Decree published in La Gaceta 80 of April 28, 2014; amended in La Gaceta 196 of October 14, 2022. Hours, road sections and enforcement in 2026 not verified.
Romería pilgrimage to Cartago (August 1 and 2).indicative During the pilgrimage, the MOPT closes the Florencio del Castillo highway (Route 2), from Hacienda Vieja to the La Lima junction, to heavy vehicles and to vehicles carrying hazardous materials. In 2026 it applied on August 1 and 2. Confirm the dates and hours each year.Validity of the data: Annual measure; latest MOPT announcement: July 29, 2026. Hours to be confirmed in each year’s announcement.
Panama: one restrictionHoly Week: oversize cargo
Holy Week: oversize cargo.indicative In Holy Week 2022 the ATTT restricted permits for oversize cargo; cargo of normal dimensions kept circulating. For 2026 no general ban on cargo was verified: the ATTT announced the suspension of road works and lane closures on the Panamericana, from La Chorrera to Paso Canoas. Confirm the measure in force.Validity of the data: ATTT statement of April 11, 2022; press report of March 31, 2026. No verified measure for 2026.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Bans and restrictions on heavy trucks change every year. Confirm the measure in force before scheduling the load. View the 6 sources (cataloged in Spanish)
A dry van between two countries in the region travels with a waybill (carta de porte) and under a transit declaration. These are the documents that support the trip and who issues each one.
Main documents of a regional dry van: who issues each one and when it is needed.
Document
Who issues it
When it is needed
Waybill (carta de porte)
The carrier, with the data provided by the shipper.
Always in overland transport: it is the transport document that supports the declarations and is attached to the DUCA-T.
DUCA-TCentral American single transit declaration
The authorized overland carrier, in SIECA’s regional portal, with the user account issued by the customs authority of its country. Nicaragua operates with its own system.
In every overland move under customs control that crosses at least one Central American border. It is transmitted before the unit arrives at the customs office of departure, with the commercial invoice, the transport document and permits where they apply.
DUCA-FCentral American single declaration for originating goods
The exporter or its customs broker, through the national system or the single window; SIECA transmits it to the destination country. Indicative: Resolution 471-2022 set a SIECA charge of US$3 for each DUCA-F transmitted through its platforms from April 1, 2023, with annual review; the amount in force in 2026 was not confirmed.
When exporting or importing originating products under free trade within the region. As a customs form it is valid for 30 business days from its issue, only in the country of export.
DUCA-DCentral American single declaration for trade with third countries
Importers and exporters, according to SIECA. How it is transmitted in each country is confirmed with the customs broker.
When the goods originate in third countries or do not qualify as originating in Central America.
Checklist to give the carrier before loading: 12 items
Commercial invoice as a legible PDF (maximum 1 MB per file).
Number of the DUCA-F already transmitted (originating goods), or of the export declaration or DUCA-D (non-originating goods), with the exporter’s tax ID.
Data for the waybill (carta de porte): shipper, consignee, loading place, delivery place and description of the cargo.
Importer: name or company name, tax address, and the type, number and country of the ID document. Exporter: name and tax address, and its ID if it is domiciled in Central America.
For each line of goods: tariff classification, description, number and type of packages, gross weight in kg and country of origin.
Values: transaction value, freight and other costs; insurance is optional.
Customs office of destination and, where it applies, the bonded warehouse, free trade zone or company of destination (it must be an authorized location).
Phytosanitary or zoosanitary certificates and other permits, if the cargo is of quarantine interest or regulated.
Overseas cargo: bill of lading. Consolidated cargo for several consignees: data for the manifest and for each consignee’s declarations and transport documents.
Cargo leaving the Colón Free Zone: endorsed Declaración de Salida de Mercancías, the declaration of exit of goods (Costa Rica requires it on entry, according to the Ministry of Finance manual of 2021; indicative). indicative
Packing list: recommended; it is not a mandatory document under the regional regulation.
Confirm with the carrier the country where the cargo is loaded: Panama prohibits carriers with CR, NI and HN codes from loading there (Memorandum 021-2025-DG of March 12, 2025, a measure subject to change), and Costa Rica does not allow foreign units to do domestic transport. indicative
Last reviewed: September 2026. Reference list for a full dry van between two countries in the region. The lines labeled indicative depend on measures that may change: confirm them before dispatch. View the 11 sources (cataloged in Spanish)
The regional trip is made in a dry van, with a waybill (carta de porte) and customs transit. The equipment for your cargo is agreed in the quote.
Before asking for a 53’.In Panama, the regulation we read requires a special permit for a 53’ dry van: confirm with your GoTruck contact which equipment is assigned to your cargo. The length, width and height notes for the route are in Weight and dimensions.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Typical dimensions from manufacturer spec sheets; the assigned equipment may differ. View the 12 sources (cataloged in Spanish)
What each trip includes is in Regional dry van; the dimensions of each trailer, in Dry vans, flatbeds and chassis. Owned or subcontracted, every unit meets the same standard: 22-point inspection, verified driver and GPS. The protocol is in Security, and with every shipment you get a tracking link.
Before loading for Panama: days, weight and the 53’ dry van
Reference, not advice.General reference information, checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It is not legal, customs or commercial advice and does not replace the text of the regulations or the terms of each contract. The rules change: confirm your case with your GoTruck contact and with your customs broker before shipping.
How many days does a dry van take from Costa Rica to Panama?
As an indicative reference: San José – Panama City, 2–3 days. One-way travel days stated by truckers’ associations (JICA, 2017): CANATRAC, 2 days from San José; PANATRUCK, 3 days from Panama City (48’ trailer). DSV publishes 2 days from Panama (2026). It is not a service commitment. The time for your shipment is confirmed with the quote.
Which border crossing does the cargo use on the way to Panama?
Paso Canoas (Costa Rica – Panama). The hours of each crossing change on holidays and in peak seasons: check them on this page and in Central America border crossings before dispatch.
How much weight can a dry van carry from Costa Rica to Panama?
The strictest limit among the countries the route crosses governs: 38,300 kg gross weight for a 3-axle tractor with a 2-axle dry van (T3-S2) and 43,900 kg for a 3-axle tractor with a 3-axle dry van (T3-S3). That is the weight of the whole combination: tractor, dry van and cargo. That gross weight is set by Panama and is indicative: confirm it before dispatch. Run the numbers with your pallets in the load calculator.
Which documents do I have to hand over before loading?
The commercial invoice, the number of the DUCA-F or of the export declaration, and the data for the waybill (carta de porte): shipper, consignee, loading place, delivery place and description of the cargo. If the goods are regulated, the sanitary permits as well. The full list is further up and in Documents: DUCA-T, waybill.
Are there days when heavy trucks cannot run on this route?
There are three restrictions on record in Costa Rica and Panama. Dates and hours change every year: they are in the list of bans on this page, with the validity of the data.
Can a 53’ dry van run in Panama?
A 53’ dry van measures ≈2.60 m in exterior width and 16.15 m in length without the tractor: it exceeds the 2.50 m width and, with the tractor, the 16.70 m length, so it would require a Permiso Especial de Operación (our own calculation from a manufacturer’s spec sheet). Confirm with your GoTruck contact which equipment is assigned to your cargo before scheduling it.
Cargo for Panama? Get a quote.
Tell us what you are moving, where it leaves from and when it loads. We reply with equipment, route and price.