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| Photo by Juliette Passer |
U.S. Embassy in Panama
Message for U.S. Citizens
March 17, 2017
The U.S. Embassy in Panama would like to inform all U.S.
Citizens in Panama that on March 6th 2017, the Panamanian Immigration Authority
(Servicio Nacional de Migracion-SNM) announced new guidance for Panamanian
immigration officials on the enforcement of pre-existing regulations. According to the SNM, immigration officials
have been instructed to be stricter about the enforcement of the regulation
that foreigners entering Panama with tourist status prove that they are in fact
entering Panama as tourists and not residing in Panama. Since the announcement, the Consular Section
has received many questions from U.S. citizens about this new guidance. Below are the most frequently asked questions
along with the responses the Consular Section received from the SNM. Should you have further questions, please
reach out to the SNM directly via phone at 507-1800 or visit their website at:
http://www.migracion.gob.pa
In order to re-enter Panama on tourist status, does a U.S.
Citizen need to return to their country of origin (the country from which they
came into Panama) or can they return from a third-country (example: Costa
Rica)?
Answer: In the new
guidance SNM does not specify if the tourist needs to return his/her country of
origin. What is being implemented is that, in most cases, the person needs to
leave Panama for a minimum of 30 days before reentering as a tourist.
In order for a person to re-enter Panama on tourist status,
what is the minimum amount of time the person needs to spend outside of Panama?
Answer: The new requirement that is being implemented by SNM
in reference to time spent out of Panama is a minimum of 30 days before
applying for admission, in most cases.
In order for a person to re-enter Panama on mariner visa
status, what is the minimum amount of time the person needs to spend outside of
Panama.
Answer: According to SNM, mariner visas are valid for 90
days and must be renewed on the 90th day, or the day before, from the date of
the previous mariner visa stamp. Mariner
visas can only be renewed once before the visa- holder needs to exit
Panama. The amount of time the person with
the mariner visa needs to stay outside of Panama is not specified by SNM.
If entering Panama on tourist status, does the method of
entry need to match the method of exit (i.e. can a U.S. Citizen enter Panama on
a plane and use as proof of exit evidence that they own a boat in Panama and
plan to exit via boat)?
Answer: The method of entry and exit into and out of Panama
does not have to be the same so long as the entries and departures are met
legally by using established Ports of Entry - land, maritime or air and
admitted by a Panamanian immigration officer.
Do U.S. Citizens with legal Panamanian residency status also
require a roundtrip ticket when entering Panama?
Answer: No. A
foreigner with legal residence in Panama does not need to show proof of exit
from Panama.
Is a person applying for Panamanian residency required to
stay in Panama for the entire duration of time required to complete the
residency process? If so, what happens if the process takes more than the
allotted six months for tourist status.
Answer: If the person has an ID that shows that his/her
residency is in process, the person is fine to leave and return to Panama. If there is no ID, then the person should
exit as a tourist (i.e., before the sixth month approaches).
How long does the FBI Identification Record process,
required for purposes of obtaining residency in Panama, take? Can this process
be expedited?
Answer: For information on the FBI identification record
process, individuals may visit
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. According to the FBI website, the current
turnaround estimate for these records is 12 to 14 weeks plus the amount of time
the results may take to arrive in the mail.
Currently there is no option to receive the response electronically. For
questions on this topic, individuals may call (304) 625-5590 or write an email
to identity@ic.fbi.gov
Tourists are only allowed to drive in Panama for 90
days. Is there an exception for this
given that tourists are allowed to stay in Panama for 180 days?
Answer: According to the Transit authority (http://www.transito.gob.pa/sites/default/files/reglamento_decreto_640..pdf
ArtÃculo 110) foreigners that enter Panama as tourists are not permitted to
obtain Panamanian drivers’ licenses and are only allowed to drive with a
foreign license for 90 days. There are no
exceptions to this rule.
Can SNM waive the FBI Identification Record process if a
person does not exit Panama for two years? If so, would there be an exception
to the 180 day stay limit for tourists for a person trying to obtain this
waiver?
Answer: If a person stays in Panama for more than two years
then the FBI requirement does not apply.
The waiver of the FBI requirement applies to those people that stay in
Panama two years, without exiting. In
these cases, a fine is paid by the person for overstaying their tourist visa
and the person is only required to present a PNM police record rather than the
FBI check.
For further information about Panama:
• See the State Department's travel website for the
Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Panama Country Specific
Information.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to
receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Panama, located at Building
783, Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue Clayton, Panama, at +507-317-5030, 8:00 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on
Friday. After-hours emergency number for
U.S. citizens is +507-317-5000.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and
Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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