Happy Holidays!

[Country Expert- jessica ramesch]

Hi Panama Insiders!

I’ll be on vacation/out of office till January 2, so just a quick note to wish you all the very best as this calendar year comes to a close.

Below is some information you may find helpful…and remember, your Panama Insider website and forum are packed with detailed info about Panama’s different regions, residence visa options, and much, much more!

Best,
Jessica Ramesch
IL Panama Editor

***HELPFUL INFO***

Note that traffic will be extra heavy in Panama City during the month of December, probably until Dec 22, when thousands of Panama City residents will depart for beaches, family homes in the countryside, etc. December 8 is a national holiday in Panama (Mother’s Day), as are Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, with many offices closing all or part of Dec. 24 and 31 as well.

I will respond to relevant posts and emails as soon as I can, but if you have an urgent inquiry, or a technical question (login, password, cancellation, subscription, etc) please contact IL Customer Service (listed below along with other important contacts).

Please read the below thoroughly, you may find the answer to your question instantly!

Customs & Immigration

For U.S./Canadian citizens: You must have a passport to visit Panama. Check your passport expiration date prior to booking travel—your passport must be valid for six months from your date of arrival. No visa application is required. Be prepared to show proof of solvency and of intended departure.

At present Panama law states that tourists are permitted up to 90 days, but officials may well grant you five to six months. However, there is no guarantee of this. You can only drive in Panama as a tourist, using your home license, for 90 days. Even if you are granted a six-month tourist stay, you can only drive for the first 90 days. If you stay for five months or more on a tourist visa, you may be required to leave the country for at least 30 days before re-entering.

Citizens from visa waiver countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, El Salvador, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and Uruguay, may also visit Panama for up to 90 days without a visa*.

*This list and other information in this message is subject to change. Always check with your home country’s foreign affairs office (e.g. US State Dept/Government of Canada travel advisory webpages) prior to travel to ensure you have the latest information from your government.

Panama travel and resources:

Arriving/Departing: Most travelers fly into Tocumen International Airport (PTY), known as the Hub of the Americas. Located in east Panama City, Tocumen the nation’s only major international airport for commercial flights. Copa is Latin America’s largest airline and has helped transform Tocumen into the region’s busiest hub with a growing selection of international flights plus domestic flights between Panama City and David City. Many other airlines also serve Tocumen including big names like United, American, Delta, and more.

The Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in the Albrook sector of Panama City (aka “Albrook Airport”) is a hub for domestic airline Air Panama, which offers flights to popular sites such as David, Bocas del Toro, Pedasi, Contadora, and Guna Yala (formerly known as San Blas).

The Enrique Malek airport in David, Chiriqui offers flights to and from Costa Rica; all other flights to and from David are domestic.

To visit the mountain region in and around Boquete you can drive, take a bus, or fly from Panama City to David. From David it’s an easy 30-minute drive/bus ride to Boquete.

* The new Scarlett Martinez airport at Rio Hato (Pacific Coast near Coronado) serves mostly charter flights.

If you need help planning your visit, contact a travel agent or make use of reduced travel websites such as Kayak.com and TripAdvisor.com

Promotional airfares are often available via Copa/United websites. 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, http://www.vacationtopanama.com
• Ancon Expeditions, http://www.anconexpeditions.com
• Roadrunner Panama, web: http://www.panamaroadrunner.com
• Inside Panama, email: transport@insidepma.com, tel: +507-6675-6601
• Panama Travel: http://www.panamatravelunlimited.com, info@panamatravelunlimited.com
• Sealandsky Journeys, email: ditase@yahoo.com, tel: +507-6630-0847
• Marco Colucci, tel: +507-6672-1201, email: macoluche@hotmail.com

New hotels are constantly opening in Panama. For help choosing a hotel and other information try review sites such as TripAdvisor. The Riande Airport Hotel and Crowne Plaza Panama Airport are close to Tocumen International Airport but far from city conveniences. If staying in Panama City you may want to choose hotels in central or downtown areas for ease of exploration. El Cangrejo is a popular neighborhood for hotels, Metro de Panama access, and walkability.

Rental Cars: There are many rental companies in Panama, including National Rent A Car (www.nationalpanama.com/english/index.htm), which in my experience tends to have the best rates and service. Find more companies listed at: http://www.panamatours.com/Services/serv_carentals.htm.

Taxis are available nearly everywhere and are inexpensive. Fares within the greater metropolitan area are usually $3 to $5. Visits to outlying areas like the Panama Canal Miraflores visitor center can cost $6 to $10. Taxis do not use meters; they carry charts showing the price increase by district and number of passengers. Taxis are yellow and have ID numbers painted on their sides. Taxis charge extra for pickup at hotels, airports, and other tourist destinations. It is not customary to tip yellow taxi drivers (unless the driver has gone above and beyond or helped load luggage). Always ask the taxi driver what the fare will be before getting in. Services like Uber do operate in Panama but are not specially regulated by the government transit authority insurance authority, etc., so caveat emptor. I have successfully used Uber and a similar service called TuChofer.com many times and generally find service/cars to be superior to taxis. There is also Cabify and an app called EasyTaxi for regular yellow taxis.

Tocumen Airport to/from city center fare (yellow taxi) should be $30 total for up to two people or $15 each for parties of three or more. “Tourism taxis” are white, you will find them at Tocumen Airport as the only taxis authorized for airport pickup. These and private ground transport companies usually charge around $35 total for up to two people. I usually use Uber (you can even reserve a day in advance).

For more airport fares see: http://www.tocumenpanama.aero/index.php?cccpage=transporte_publico

Waze is an excellent app to have on your smart phone and help you navigate Panama City if driving and if you have local data. If not, you may want to download Panama City, Panama to your smartphone’s Google Maps app, to have access on your smartphone even when offline.

If you’d like local cell/data service, you can buy a cheap cell phone or Panama sim card for your cell phone at Tocumen airport, malls, and other places.

Many restaurants and businesses in Panama City offer free wifi to customers.

Country Information:

Currency: Panama uses the U.S. dollar ($), locally referred to as the Balboa (B/.). Paper currency is entirely U.S. (there are no Balboa bills). Coins in Panama are a mix of U.S. coins and Panamanian coins (same exact size). Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Panama City. Amex is not widely accepted. Outside the city, you may need to use cash for many expenditures, including hotels/motels (as always in travel, a good rule of thumb is A&A: assume nothing & ask before you go).

Foreign exchange: If you are 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. Your options are generally to 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: Panama is tropical, with average daytime temperatures of 88º F and two seasons: dry (summer) and wet (“winter”). The dry season (very little to no rain) is December through April in most parts of the country. The rainy season is mild, with most of the Pacific Coast experiencing only afternoon showers. The heaviest rains are usually in the August-November period. Boquete and Bocas del Toro get about double the rainfall of Panama City and other Pacific Coast destinations. In Boquete and other highland regions temperatures can drop to 60º F at night. No matter where you go in Panama, consider bringing a light cardigan or jacket. (If you’re coming back from the beach and are wet from swimming, the breeze can feel cold. Also air conditioning in restaurants, hotels, etc., can be cold.) There are no hurricanes in Panama. For current weather information consult Google News, The Weather Channel, or any other trusted news or weather source.

Important Resources For Potential Expats:

As Panama editor I travel the country in order to write about it. It is my pleasure to answer your questions about Panama and/or direct you to the appropriate person or department for help with other queries. As I am a full-time writer, I do not offer any consulting, concierge, real estate, or travel-related services. Here are some providers that will be happy to hear from you and help with relevant matters:

Legal assistance: Whether you plan to live, invest, retire, or have a home in Panama, you’ll need a Panamanian lawyer to assist you with legal matters. If you don’t already have one, send your legal questions to:

The Law Offices of Rainelda Mata-Kelly
Suite 406-407, Tower B, Torres de las Americas
Punta Pacifica, Panama City, Panama
Local tel: +(507) 216-9299
From the U.S. or Canada tel: (011 507) 216-9299
Email: rmk@mata-kelly.com
Website: http://www.mata-kelly.com

Real estate/rentals: International Living does not sell or broker real estate or rentals. But you can send your real estate/rental queries to Pathfinder International Real Estate, exclusive real estate advertiser to International Living:

Pathfinder International Real Estate
info@pathfinderinternational.net
Website: http://www.pathfinderinternational.net

International Living is the ultimate information source

Subscriptions and Memberships: Do you have questions on IL subscriptions, products or services? Do you need help troubleshooting technical issues (login, change of email, password, etc.)? If so, please contact International Living Customer Service via the website: http://internationalliving.com/about-il/customer-service/.

Products: Subscriptions, detailed reports, and other products are available for sale at the International Living bookstore, http://www.ilbookstore.com.

Best of luck with all your Panama plans!

Sincerely,

Jessica Ramesch
Panama Editor
International Living Publications

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International Living holds highly informative seminars in Panama every year. Exhibitors and speakers range from legal and real estate specialists, to expats who have already made the move, to tax and insurance experts.

The 2017 Fast Track Panama event took place Feb. 17-19, 2017. A recordings/video package is available via IL customer service and/or the IL bookstore (links above).

Dates for the 2018 Fast Track Panama event will be posted at http://www.internationalliving.com/events once event details are confirmed.

To contact IL Events, visit http://internationalliving.com/customer-service/events-questions/
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Panama Holidays*

2017

January 1 New Year’s Day
January 9 Martyr’s Day (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours).
February 24-28 Carnival
March 1 Ash Wednesday
April 13-16 Holy Week (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours Good Friday)
May 1 Labor Day
August 15 Founding of Panama La Vieja (Original Site of Panama City)
November 2 Day of the Dead (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours)
Nov. 3-5 (6?), 10, 28 Fiestas Patrias (Independence/national holidays)
December 8 Mother’s Day
December 25 Christmas Day (Many businesses close at noon Dec 24 & 31)

2018

January 1 New Year’s Day
January 9 Martyr’s Day (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours).
February 9-13 Carnival
February 14 Ash Wednesday
March 29-April 1 Holy Week (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours Good Friday)
May 1 Labor Day
August 15 Founding of Panama La Vieja (Original Site of Panama City)
November 2 Day of the Dead (Dry: no alcohol sold for 24 hours)
Nov 3-5, 10 (12?), 28 Fiestas Patrias (Independence/national holidays)
December 8 Mother’s Day
December 25 Christmas Day (Many businesses close at noon Dec 24 & 31)

* All of the above is subject to change. If a holiday falls on a weekend, then observance may be moved to the following Monday via executive decree. This is often announced a month or two ahead of time, hence TBC dates in parentheses/question marks.

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