Panama’s a great country, until you go to Immigration

After spending what seemed like an eternity at Immigration this morning here in Panama City, Panama, I feel a bit dirty, a bit tired, and a bit more informed on how the immigration laws work for tourist visas here. So, in the spirit of sharing is caring, I thought I would pass on some information and advice.

First of all, a tourist visa is good for 90 days, depending your country of citizenship. I can safely say that the U.S. and Canada are applicable countries. I saw a comprehensive list at Immigration which includes many other countries. I wouldn’t recommend going by the government website for this info, because their homepage says, “Since May 22nd 2007, the Tourist Visa is valid for 30 days and can be extended to 60. Article 36 of Law 15.” This information is clearly dated, because at Immigration the sign currently says 90 days, and I never applied for an extension.

Secondly, the fine for being a month over 90 days will set you back $25 bucks, and increases for every additional month over. HOWEVER, and I stress however, you MUST be in the “registro” in order to pay your fine fast and get the heck out of there. So, if you’re in the system and have a number (this number is used if one wants to apply for Panamanian residency) then you simply go to Immigration, wait in a line (Caja #3 to be exact) and pay the fine. Well to be accurate, you get a piece of paper from Caja #3 and then take it to the Cash register where you must pay. The cashier stamps the paper and you return it back to Caja #3.

However, if you show up like me, sans registro number, you must get a service number (like at the DMV) and this is the downside. Why? I met a guy name Juan, who sleeps there most nights, yes, sleeps outside of Immigration. He is paid by a law firm, to get a number in the morning when the doors first open. Numbers are given out around 6 am, but doors “officially” open at 7:30 am. The catch is: only 75 numbers are given out daily! When I arrived at 7:35 and stood in line outside I was given #53.

As buerocracy goes, I met a lawyer with clients in front of me who had sweet talked his way into getting them helped first, without the use of his service number. Thankfully, he slipped me his number, #25. This was such a life saver, due to the fact that I needed to be registered and there was a separate line for people with service numbers.

I feel like the whole system of service numbers is really a bit of BS because multiple angry couriers pushed past me and sat down, yelling that I didn’t have a registro number and their clients did, while I then watched them sit down and fill out the same paper work I would an hour later.

At any rate, the moral of the story is that the early bird catches the immigration service number, the even earlier worm already has a registro number and doesn’t have to wait in a line with a service number, and the earliest worm of all leaves the country within the 90 day time frame and avoids wasting three to five hours of their life at the unfriendly and unkempt immigration office.

**If you go to the airport and have not paid your fine aka “multa” you will be sent to Panama’s Immigration building. You MUST pay your multa ahead of time and you MUST have a registro number to pay it.

Immigration Office Information:
Ave. Cuba and Street 28
Calidonia, Panama
Republic of Panama
Telephone: (+507) 507-1800
Schedule: Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
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PanamaTravels.com is an information directory and panama travel news blog dedicated to delivering quality, original content on business tourism and real estate in Panama.

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Filed under: Country Guide on April 11th, 2008