Located in Central and South America, Panama has made its way into one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The country is packed with culture, tropical beaches, and tropical rainforests and is home to some of the most diverse and exotic species of plants and animals.
If you want to visit Panama and see all the mesmerizing beauty the country offers, you may have to get a Panama Visa.
Who Needs a Visa for Panama?
Citizens of the countries listed below do not need visas to enter and visit the Republic of Panama. They are eligible to enter the country with just a valid passport.
- All EU Citizens
- Guatemala
- Peru
- Andorra
- Guyana
- Qatar
- Angola
- Honduras
- Russia
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Hong Kong
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Argentina
- Iceland
- Saint Lucia
- Armenia
- Israel
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Australia
- Jamaica
- Samoa
- Bahamas
- Japan
- San Marino
- Barbados
- Kenya
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Belarus
- Kuwait
- Saudi Arabia
- Belize
- Liechtenstein
- Serbia
- Bhutan
- Madagascar
- Seychelles
- Bolivia
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Maldives
- Solomon Islands
- Botswana
- Marshall Islands
- South Africa
- Brazil
- Mauritius
- South Korea
- Brunei
- Mexico
- Switzerland
- Cambodia
- Micronesia
- Taiwan
- Canada
- Moldova
- Thailand
- Cabo Verde
- Monaco
- Tonga
- Chile
- Mongolia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Colombia
- Montenegro
- Turkey
- Comoros
- Namibia
- Ukraine
- Costa Rica
- Nauru
- United Arab Emirates
- Dominica
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- Ecuador
- Nicaragua
- United States
- El Salvador
- North Macedonia
- Uruguay
- Fiji
- Norway
- Vanuatu
- Gabon
- Palau
- Vatican City
- Georgia
- Papua New Guinea
- Vietnam
- Grenada
- Paraguay
*Everyone else needs to apply for a Panama visa before travelling and visiting the country.
How to Apply for a Panama Visa?
To apply for a Panama visa, you must:
- Contact the Nearest Embassy or Consulate of Panama in Your Home Country. First, you need to contact the nearest embassy or consulate of Panama in your home country and book a visa appointment. Your visa appointment will allow you to have an easier application process.
- Fill Out the Application Form.You can obtain a Panama application form at the embassy or consulate of Panama in your home country, or you can find the Panama application form online at the official page of the Panama embassy.
- Gather and Submit the Required Documents. Make sure you gather all the required documents. See ‘Panama Visa Requirements’ for further information regarding the requested documents. Remember that any missing document can lead to your visa refusal, so make sure you submit all the required documents.
- Wait for a Response. After fulfilling all the requested steps, you must wait for a response from the embassy/consulate of Panama to which you have submitted the documents. They will send you an SMS or email within three days after submitting the documents with your visa result.
Note: If your visa is granted, you need to personally go to the embassy of Panama and get the stamp on your passport.
Panama Visa Requirements
Here are all the documents needed when applying for a Panama visa:
- Passport. Your passport must be valid for at least one year after the return date from Panama to your home country.
- Panama visa application form. Fully completed the Panama application form and sign it at the end.
- Fee payment. Finish the fee payment at the nearest embassy or consulate of Panama in your home country when submitting the additional documents. After finishing the payment, attach the receipt of the payment to other documents.
- Two passport-sized photos. You must take your photos recently, at least within the last six months.
- Travel insurance. You need valid travel health insurance which covers any medical expenses while in Panama.
- Bank statement. Your bank account statement is a document issued from your bank that must prove that you are financially stable and can finance yourself while in Panama. You must have in your bank account no less than $500.
- Hotel or Air BnB reservation. This document must prove that you have a place to stay in Panama.
- A letter of invitation from a friend or a family member of Panama. This document is required if a friend/family memberwill host you during your trip to Panama.
- Booked flight ticket. A return flight ticket must confirm that you will return to your home country after your visa expires.
- Criminal record. Proof from the police authorities in your home country proves that you are not a threat to the Republic of Panama.
If you are a minor, your visa application should be submitted by your parent or legal guardian.
Note: All the requested documents must be translated into Spanish.
Duration of a Panama Visa
The duration of a short-term Panama visa is 90 to 180 days. You must apply for a temporary residence permit if you want to stay longer than 90 to 180 days in Panama. The temporary residence permit is issued for two years.
After staying for two years with a temporary residence permit, you can apply for a permanent resident permit.
Important: The duration of a Panama short-stay visa depends on the nationality they come from.
Panama Visa Fees
The Panama visa fees can change depending on the country you apply from. For example, if you apply from the US, the Panama visa fee is US$50.
So, before applying for a Panama visa contact the nearest embassy/consulate of Panama in your home country and ask them regarding the visa application fee payment.
Stamped Visa for Panama
If you are a citizen from one of the countries listed below, you will only need a stamped visa:
- Cameroon
- India
- Eswatini
- Central African Republic
- Malawi
- Togo
- Cuba
- Philippines
- Venezuela
- Dominican Republic
- China
- Zimbabwe
- Ghana
- Republic of the Congo
To apply for a stamped visa you will need to send all the same documents as listed above at the ‘Panama Visa Requirements’. The processing time for a stamped visa is 30 working days.
*If your visa is granted, you need to personally go to the embassy of Panama and get the stamp on your passport.
Residence Permit for Panama
In Panama, you have different residence permits you can apply for depending on the purpose of your stay in the country:
- Panama’s Pensioner (retirement).
- Friendly Nations.
- Professional Employment.
- Panama’s Reforestation Investor.
- Self-Economic Solvency.
- Qualified Investor Program.
- Business Investor.
- Married to a Panama Citizen.
- Parents of Child Born in Panama.
Panama’s Pensioner (Retirement) Visa
The Republic of Panama offers an incredible opportunity for those who want to retire. With a low government tax and price discount for foreign retirements and different benefits, Panama has been rated as one of the countries with the best retirement program in the world. For further information regarding the Panama pensioner program, see ‘Retirement Visa of Panama’.
Panama Digital Nomad Visa
Panama is known for being one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads. You must obtain a Panama Digital Nomad visa if you’re a foreign freelancer or remote worker aiming to develop your digital nomad career journey in such country.
Panama Friendly Nations Residency Program
Citizens from the countries listed below are considered friendly nations. So, if you are a citizen of one of these countries, you and your family members can move to Panama and apply for a residence permit there:
- Andorra
- Greece
- Paraguay
- Argentina
- Hong Kong
- Poland
- Austria
- Hungary
- Portugal
- Australia
- Ireland
- Serbia
- Belgium
- Israel
- Singapore
- Brazil
- Japan
- Slovakia
- Canada
- Latvia
- San Marino
- Chile
- Liechtenstein
- Spain
- Costa Rica
- Lithuania
- South Africa
- Croatia
- Luxembourg
- South Korea
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Sweden
- Czechia
- Mexico
- Switzerland
- Denmark
- Monaco
- Taiwan
- Estonia
- Montenegro
- United States
- Finland
- Netherlands
- Uruguay
- France
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom (Great Britain & Northern Ireland)
- Germany
- Norway
*When applying for a residence permit with the Friendly Nations residency program you will be issued a two-year temporary residence permit. After staying in Panama for two years, you can apply for a permanent residence permit.
Professional Employment
If you are a foreigner working in a professional company in Panama and are financially stable, you can pay taxes and have a college degree. That means you are eligible to apply for a residence permit by professional employment.
Panama’s Reforestation Investor
To apply for a Panama Reforestation Investor residence permit, you must meet the following criteria. You must be able to invest in a reforestation project that is certified by the government with a minimum amount of:
- $80,000 – you will be granted a temporary residence permit valid for five years.
- $100,000 – you will be issued a temporary residence permit valid for two years. After two years in Panama, you can apply for a permanent residence permit.
- $350,000 – you will be issued a permanent residence status within only 30 days.
Important: All the investments must be held in Panama for five years. After five years, you can transfer your investment in your name to the name of any company, corporation, or foundation in Panama.
The Qualified Investor Program
You have three options on how you can obtain a residence permit through the qualified investor program:
- Invest in a property in Panama for an amount of $300,000.
- Invest in a Panama stock market through a qualified and licensed Panamanian securities brokerage firm. The investment must be valid for five years.
- Invest an amount of $750,000 in a bank in Panama at a time deposit in five years.
Important: After 15 October 2022, the minimum requested investment in a property will be increased to $500,000.
Business Investor Program
To apply for a Panama residence permit with the business program, you need to make a minimum of $160,000 investment in the capital stock of any Panama corporation.
Married to a Panama Citizen
You can obtain a residence permit in Panama if you are married a Panama citizen. After being married, you may apply for a permanent residence status.
Parents of Child Born in Panama
Foreign parents of a foreign child born in Panama and over the age of five may apply for a permanent residence permit.
Why Should You Visit Panama?
A beautiful country with amazing tropical beaches, interesting history and fascinating wildlife will offer you an unforgettable experience. Here you will find a list of other facts about why you should visit Panama:
- Panama is the safest country in Central America.
- In Panama, you will experience summer for the whole year.
- You can experience different adventures such as sailing, hiking in the jungle, kayaking different types of water sports, experiencing the wild nightlife, watching the sunrise, bike riding etc.
- Panama has a beautiful culture.
- The country is known for its history.
- You can visit different types of small islands and private beaches.
- It is very affordable to visit Panama.
- Locals are very friendly.
- It is known for being the most popular destination for retirement.
- Panama is known for growing the best coffee in the world.