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Panama Visa and Passport Requirements
| Passport required | Return ticket required | Visa required | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian | Yes | Yes | No |
| British | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canadian | Yes | Yes | No |
| EU | Yes | Yes | No |
| USA | Yes | Yes | No |
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To enter Panama, your passport should be valid for a minimum period of six (6) months from the date of exit from Panama. Your passport must also have an unused page.
Citizens of Canada and the United States of America can visit Panama and stay up to 180 days without a visa. Other nationals referred to in the chart above can stay up to 90 days without a visa.
In addition, passport holders of any country that have one of the following: a permanent residence card, a valid multiple entry visa (that has been previously used), study permit, or work permit from the United States of America, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom or any of the member countries of the European Union also do not require a visa to enter Panama.
Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements for Panama.
If you arrive in Panama by sea, except via a cruise line, you will need a visa, even though you are from a visa-exempt country. There is a fee of USD$110 per person for passengers and crew members of vessels. Other fees may be charged, for example for cruising permits. Make sure immigration officials properly stamp your passport with the date of entry into the country.
International travellers transiting in Panama do not require a visa provided they don't go through immigration and are staying less than nine hours.
Visas for temporary residence are granted to those studying, visiting relatives, having medical treatment, or working with international firms.
Travellers should be ready to show that they are carrying sufficient funds, including the equivalent of USD $500 or a credit card.
You must have a return or onward ticket.
Also, if you attempt to renew your tourist visa by visiting a neighbouring country (one that you aren't a legal resident of), you may be detained or refused entry. Instead of doing a visa run, you must follow the relevant rules and procedures when seeking to extend a visa.
Visa holders wishing to extend their 30-day stay to 90 days need to visit the nearest immigration office in Panama and request a prórroga de turista.
Tourists who can visit Panama without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism purposes may not be allowed an extension, unless they apply to change their immigration status within the 90 days (for business purposes, marriage, etc).
Children require their own passports. Leaving the country, children require their birth certificates and letter of consent from both parents if either or both aren't present.
Panama law allows for the deportation/refusal of entry of those with HIV/AIDS. You are not legally required to declare this on entry and actual occurrences of this are few and far between.
Bringing dogs and cats into Panama requires a Certificate of Good Health and a rabies vaccination, and a Quarantine for Domestic Animals form should be sent three days ahead of arrival to the Panama Minister of Health. Then your dog or cat needs to be checked by a Panamanian vet at the airport – your best choice is to pay to have one meet your flight and get it done then and there. Please note that at certain times of year, restriction periods do apply for animals transported in a cargo hold. Contact the nearest embassy for further information.
Birds and reptiles require an import permit, and birds require vaccinations for chlamydia, salmonella, TB, avian flu and Newcastle disease. These vaccinations must be shown on your bird's Certificate of Good Health, and that and your import permit must be certified in the consulate in Panama before arrival.
Embassies and tourist offices
British Embassy in Panama
Embassy of the Republic of Panama in the USA
Consulate General of Panama in the UK
Do you need a Visa?
Our preferred partner VisaCentral can make applying for one fast and easy.
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