Renewal of the Italian Driver’s License
Please be informed that holders of an Italian driver’s license who are residents in this consular district may request the issuance of a certificate confirming the renewal of their Italian driver’s license (provided that it has not been expired for more than five years).
Italian citizens registered with AIRE in Panama can request the “Renewal of the Italian Driver’s License” service at the Embassy of Italy in Panama. To access the service, it is necessary to make an online appointment for “Consular Services” through the Prenot@Mi system and to appear in person at the scheduled appointment.
Please note that in the case of theft or loss of the driver’s license, a duplicate will not be issued.
Before the issuance of the certificate confirming the renewal of the driver’s license, applicants must undergo a medical examination with the Embassy’s designated doctor in order to obtain the corresponding medical certificate.
Dr. Frederick Medrano (Hospital Nacional) – Tel.: 207 8342 / 6676 3744, who will verify the presence of the legally required psycho-physical conditions. The cost of the certificate is to be borne by the applicant.
For this purpose, Italian citizens residing abroad and registered with AIRE in this consular district must submit the following documentation:
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Driver’s license renewal application form, to be completed in all its parts;
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Original medical certificate issued by the designated doctor during the medical examination, including stamp and signature;
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Cash payment for Articles 66D (driver’s license confirmation) and NAA (stamp duty) according to the consular fee schedule;
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One passport-size color photograph with a white background;
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Original and copy of the driver’s license, front and back.
By appearing in person at the Embassy of Italy in Panama, booking an appointment for “Consular Services” through the Prenota@Mi portal.
Notice to Italian Nationals
Italian nationals are informed that incomplete or incorrectly filled applications may result in the return of the documentation without the issuance of the requested certificate.
Please note that, within six months of reacquiring residence in Italy, it is mandatory to renew the driver’s license according to the ordinary procedure provided in paragraph 8 of Article 126 of the Italian Highway Code, even if the renewal carried out at the Italian diplomatic-consular authority is still valid.
It will always be necessary to keep the certificate together with the driver’s license and, in particular, to present it when undergoing the medical examination in Italy to confirm validity. This is required to demonstrate to the medical examiner that the renewal abroad has taken place, thereby proving the absence of any periods during which the holder did not exercise driving.
CONVERSION OF ITALIAN DRIVER’S LICENSE TO PANAMANIAN LICENSE
The competent authority for converting an Italian driver’s license in Panama is Sertracen. For information on the requirements for conversion, it is recommended to visit the Sertracen website.
Among the requirements for conversion are:
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Certificate of validity of the driver’s license subject to conversion, containing the details of the license. Please note that the authority responsible for issuing the certificate of validity is not this Embassy, but exclusively the offices of the Italian Motorizzazione Civile, as specified in Circular Protocol 4305 of 19/02/2015 | Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (mit.gov.it). The certificate can be requested at any office of the Motorizzazione Civile in Italy and must be accompanied by an Apostille to be valid in Panama.
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Certified copy of the driver’s license, front and back, which must be authenticated at the Consular Offices of this Embassy. For this purpose, an appointment must be made through the Prenot@Mi portal for “Consular Services”.
DRIVING IN ITALY WITH A FOREIGN DRIVER’S LICENSE
Holders of a driver’s license issued by a non-European Union country may drive in Italy provided they have not been residents in Italy for more than one year. In addition, they must carry their driver’s license along with an International Driving Permit or an official translation of the license into Italian.
Both the driver’s license and the international permit must be valid.