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** THOUGH FLIGHTS TO PANAMA HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO RESUME, MOST HOTELS HERE REMAIN CLOSED. MASKS ARE REQUIRED IN PANAMA. BEACHES ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. THE REGION YOU INTEND TO VISIT MAY HAVE A CURFEW (GENERALLY 7PM OR 11PM) PLUS A LOCKDOWN ON SUNDAYS. FOR ENTRY YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO SHOW A NEGATIVE COVID TEST TAKEN LESS THAN 48 HOURS PRIOR OR PAY $50 FOR A TEST AT THE AIRPORT. NOTE THAT AIRLINES/GOVERNMENTS MAY MAKE CHANGES FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT, PARTICULARLY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS. FOR PLANNING/TRAVEL, DOUBLE CHECK WEBSITES & SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UPDATES FROM AIRLINES/AIRPORTS, EMBASSIES/CONSULATES, GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVISORY ISSUERS, ETC. PLEASE BE PATIENT, BE CONSIDERATE, & STAY SAFE. **
Immigration
U.S./Canadian citizens: You must have a passport to visit Panama. Check the expiration date—it must be valid for 6 months from your date of arrival. No visa application is required. Be prepared to show proof of solvency & of intended departure.
Panama law states that tourists are permitted to stay for 90 days, but in practice US/Canadians get 180 days. Tourists can only drive in Panama for 90 days. If you stay for 5 months or more as a tourist, you may be required to leave the country for at least 30 days before re-entering.
Citizens of visa waiver countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Spain & Uruguay may also visit Panama for up to 90 days without a visa*.
*All information in this message is subject to change. Always verify with your home country’s foreign affairs office (e.g. US State Dept/Government of Canada travel advisory webpages).
Panama travel & resources:
Arriving/Departing: Most travelers fly into Tocumen International Airport (PTY), aka the Hub of the Americas. East of the Panama City center, it’s our only major international airport. As Latin America’s largest airline, Copa helped transform Tocumen into the region’s busiest hub with a growing selection of international flights & domestic flights between Panama City & David. Many other airlines also serve Tocumen including United, American, Delta, etc.
The Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Panama City’s Albrook sector is a hub for domestic airline Air Panama with flights to popular sites such as David, Bocas del Toro, Contadora, Guna Yala (formerly San Blas) and sometimes Chitré/Pedasí. (Some or all of these—as well as other resources listed in this message—may be unavailable due to Covid-19 measures.)
The Scarlett Martinez airport at Rio Hato serves mostly charter flights from Canada.
The Enrique Malek airport in David offers flights to/from Costa Rica; all other flights are domestic.
To visit Boquete you can drive, take a bus, or fly from Panama City to David. The drive/bus ride to Boquete is 35 mins.
If you need help planning your visit, contact a travel agent or make use of travel websites such as Kayak.com.
Promotional fares are often available via Copa/United online. Spirit offers budget flights to Panama.
Local tourism/travel contacts:
Road trips, tours (day tours, eco-tours, etc), ground transportation, airport pickups, etc:
• Panama Vacations vacationtopanama.com
• Ancon Expeditions anconexpeditions.com
• Roadrunner Panama panamaroadrunner.com
• Inside Panama transport@insidepma.com
• Namu Travel Group namutravel.comPanama has a great many hotels. For help choosing a place to stay try review sites like TripAdvisor. The Riande Airport & Crowne Plaza Airport Hotels are far from city conveniences. If staying in Panama City you may want to choose central/downtown areas for ease of exploration. El Cangrejo is a popular neighborhood for hotels, metro access, & walkability.
Rental Cars: There are many options here, including National Rent A Car (www.nationalpanama.com/english/index.htm), which in my experience tends to have good rates/service. Coronado Cars can be convenient if exploring the Coronado region (Coronadocarrental.com).
I prefer Uber but taxis are also readily available should you need them. Fares in the metropolitan area should be $3-$5. Outlying areas (Panama Canal Miraflores visitor center, etc): $6-$10 or more. Taxis are yellow with ID numbers on their sides; they don’t use meters & they charge extra for pickup at hotels, airports, tourist destinations, etc. Don’t tip unless the driver has gone above & beyond, helped load luggage, etc. Always settle on the fare with the driver BEFORE getting in. The EasyTaxi app is for taxis with the added security of GPS/request from phone app. I use Uber a lot & find service/cars far superior to taxis.
White “tourism taxis” are the only ones authorized for pickup right outside airport doors. These & private ground transport companies charge around $35 for up to 2 people to/from city center. Ubers can drop you off anywhere but pickup is from the airport parking lot.
Waze is a great driving app to help you navigate Panama City if you have local data. If not, you can download Panama City, Panama to your smartphone’s Google Maps app to have access even offline.
For local cell/data service, you can buy a cheap cell phone or Panama sim card for your cell phone at Tocumen or malls.
Many restaurants in Panama City have wifi.
Country Information:
Panama uses the U.S. dollar ($), referred to as the Balboa (B/.). Paper currency is all U.S. with a mix of U.S. & Panamanian coins (same exact size). Visa/Mastercard are widely accepted in Panama City. Amex is not. Outside the city you may need cash for many expenditures, including lodging (as always in travel, assume nothing & ask before you go).
Foreign exchange: If coming to Panama with anything but U.S. Dollars, note that this is not a country where you’ll find exchange posts around every corner. You can withdraw USD from ATMs in Panama City, use your credit card for purchases, take care of your exchange needs on arrival in Tocumen Airport, ask whether your hotel offers exchange services (many do not), or plan on getting to a bank during business hours (call ahead to ensure the branch you’ll visit does exchanges).
Climate: Average temperatures at sea level: 88F daytime/78F nighttime. Dry season: December through April in most parts of the country. Rainy season: starts in May, with most of the country experiencing only afternoon showers. Heaviest rains: usually from August through November. Boquete & Bocas del Toro get almost 2x as much rain as the Pacific region. Boquete/mountain regions can be cool (60F) at night. Wherever you go, bring a light cardigan/jacket. Bus, boat & plane rides in Panama are often extremely cold. There are no hurricanes here. For current weather information consult a trusted news/weather source like Weather.com.
Important Resources For Potential Expats:
As Panama editor I travel the country in order to write about it. As I am a full-time writer, I do not offer consulting, real estate/rental, or travel-related services. It is my pleasure to answer questions about Panama and/or direct you to the appropriate person/department for help with other queries. Here are some providers that’ll be happy to hear from you & help with relevant matters:
RESIDENCE & other legal assistance: Whether you plan to live or have a home here, you’ll need a Panamanian lawyer to assist you with legal matters. If you don’t already have one, send your questions to:
Rainelda Mata-Kelly, Mata-Kelly & Partners
Local tel: +(507) 216-9299
From the U.S./Canada: (011 507) 216-9299
rmk@mata-kelly.com
http://www.mata-kelly.comReal estate/rentals: International Living does not sell/broker real estate/rentals but you can send real estate/rental queries to Pangea, exclusive real estate advertiser to IL:
Email: info@pangearesearchgroup.com
Website: https://pangearesearchgroup.comIL is the ultimate information source:
Subscriptions/Memberships: Do you have questions on IL subscriptions or services? Need help troubleshooting technical issues (login, change email, password, etc.)? If so, contact IL Customer Service via the website: http://internationalliving.com/about-il/customer-service/.
Subscriptions, detailed reports, & other products are available at the IL bookstore, http://www.ilbookstore.com.
If you are writing to provide information, feedback, or suggestions please note that we value your comments. We are unable to respond to all such emails but we make an effort to forward to the correct department for consideration.
Thanks again for your inquiry. International Living appreciates your patronage & I trust you’ll benefit from the ultra-specific, actionable information provided in IL publications/products. Don’t hesitate to write again with unanswered questions.
Best of luck with all your Panama plans.
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Serious about Panama? Step it up with IL’s best-selling guidebook, Escape to Panama, the ultimate resource for anyone looking to live/invest here. It’s a treasure-trove of detailed info on everything from high-value destinations to property law, taxes, & visas. Find out more at http://www.ilbookstore.com.
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International Living generally holds highly informative seminars in Panama every year. Exhibitors & speakers range from legal, tax, healthcare, & real estate specialists to expats living here full-time.
A recordings/video package for the 2020 Fast Track Panama conference is available via customer service and/or the IL bookstore (links above).
Info on the next seminar in Panama City, Panama (DATES TBC) will be posted at https://internationalliving.com/conferences as it becomes available.
To Contact IL Events see Internationalliving.com/events-questions/, call +1 866 381 8446 (Toll-free in U.S./Canada/via Skype) or +1 410 622 3040 (Direct call, fees may apply), or email info@opptravel.com.
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Panama Holidays*
2020
Jan 1: New Year’s Day
Jan 9: Martyr’s Day (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours)
Feb 21-25: Carnival
Feb 26: Ash Wednesday
Apr 9-12: Holy Week (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours Good Friday)
May 1: Labor Day
Aug 15: Founding of Panama La Vieja (Original Site of Panama City)
Nov 2: Day of the Dead (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours)
Nov 3-5, 10, 28 (30?): Fiestas Patrias (Independence/national holidays)
Dec 8: Mother’s Day
Dec 25: Christmas Day (Many businesses close at noon Dec 24 & 31)2021
Jan 1: New Year’s Day
Jan 9(11?): Martyr’s Day (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours)
Feb 12-16: Carnival
Feb 17: Ash Wednesday
Apr 1-4: Holy Week (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours Good Friday)
May 1(3?): Labor Day
Aug 15: Founding of Panama La Vieja (Original Site of Panama City)
Nov 2: Day of the Dead (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours)
Nov 3-5, 10, 28 (29?): Fiestas Patrias (Independence/national holidays)
Dec 8: Mother’s Day
Dec 25: Christmas Day (Many businesses close at noon Dec 24 & 31)* Subject to change. If a holiday falls on a weekend observance may be moved to the following Monday via executive decree. May be announced only days ahead of time.
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