Friday, May 16, 2008
Dear International Living Panama Roundtable Member,
Applying for a residential visa in Panama? How would you like to trade tiresome paperwork for an easy Internet application? The government office of innovation ( Secretario de Innovación Gubernamental) says foreigners will soon be able to apply for visas and complete immigration paperwork online.
It’s all part of the plan to streamline processes and eliminate unnecessary steps, making things quicker and easier. Right now, most procedures require long waits at government offices and paperwork is processed manually. The proposed changes could eventually shorten the amount of time it takes to get your visa (currently about three months, in most cases).
We’ll let you know if and when online visa application is approved.. In the meantime, Immigration is working on meeting its deadline—in about six months—for electronic visas. Until now, all visas have been mere passport stamps…too easy to counterfeit and sometimes confusing or hard to read. Electronic visas should make immigration lines at airports and other border crossing areas even shorter.
On the one hand, those of you who plan to obtain residency in a few years may enjoy an easier, more streamlined application process. On the other hand, new presidential decrees regulating immigration are expected to raise visa fees by Aug. 26, 2008. Government officials have yet to confirm just how expensive the new fees will be, but if you’re on a budget, you’re better off starting the residency application process before the August deadline.
As for the tourist visa, the law was amended this year to reflect what the government was already doing in practice—that is, U.S. and Canadian citizens automatically get 90-day stays upon entering the country. As before, all you have to do is pay for the visa ($5 for now…this may go up in August) through your airline or when you go through Panama immigration.
Best regards,
Jessica Ramesch
Editor, Panama Insider
P.S. Attorney Rainelda Mata-Kelly will speak in-depth about residency visa options at the July 31–Aug. 2 Live & Invest in Panama Seminar. I’ll be there too, ready to share the latest Panama developments and how they can help you make your Panama dreams come true. I look forward to meeting you at this unique meeting of the minds. Join me along with Rainelda and all our Panama experts for three information-packed days that will provide you with the ultimate roadmap to achieving your Panama dreams. Find out more and register right here.
IL Panama Roundtable News
