Change to Immigration Law: You May Now Stay for Only 30 Days
Date: 05/29/2007
May 30, 2007
Panama City, Panama
Visitors to Panama will no longer be granted a 90-day stay with a tourist visa. Previously, Panama immigration law allowed for a 90-day extendable stay. Now, anyone entering the country on a tourist visa will be granted just 30 days—extendable only once for a total maximum stay of 60 days.
Government authorities recently passed an amendment to Law No. 15, which amends one provision of the Immigration law—one of a series of changes implemented to control illegal immigration. As of this month, Panama has deported 512 non-nationals—from Colombia, China, Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, among other countries—for lacking appropriate documentation.
What does it mean to those who travel often to Panama or wish to spend extended amounts of time in Panama? It means you will now need to exit and re-enter the country every 30 days (60 days if you extend your tourist visa), or you will need to qualify for a visa other than a tourist visa. Panama offers several different visa options…but some of these require considerable investments in terms of time and money.
Best regards,
Jessica Ramesch
Editor, Panama Insider
P.S. Panama is not only the most sophisticated offshore haven in the Americas, with some of the cheapest beachfront in both the Caribbean and on the Pacific Coast, but it also has best retiree benefits in the world. Learn more about the world's top retirement destination in our just updated Panama: The Owner’s Manual.
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