How Covid-19 affects Panama non-residency Visas

Exceptions for tourist visa, non-resident visa- and provisional residency card holders.

On May 29th, 2020 the Panama National Immigration Service passed the resolution 8189 which granted an extension to all foreigners in Panama with visas and residency cards expiring between March 13th and June 7th, 2020. This includes tourist visas, non-resident visas, provisional residency cards (whose residencies are still in process) and foreign resident cards from previous immigration programs like Crisol de Razas. If your immigration status has expired between March 13th and June 7th, you will not incur penalties for those dates. 

For example, a tourist visitor from the United States has 180 days to stay in the country. If he or she made entry into Panama on November 2nd, 2019 it means that their visa expired on April 30th 2020. Under this resolution, there will be no penalties applied to this person until June 7th, 2020. If the person decides to stay in Panama past June 7th, they will incur fines of $50.00 for each month (30 days) of their stay, applied only to dates after June 7th. Fines are payable at the immigration office in Changuinola and should be resolved before exiting the country.

To be granted an extension of another three months, foreigners with expired residency permits or tourist visas should file for their residency application before September 8th. No penalties will be applied if you update your residency status or apply for your residency within three months of the June 8th date.

If you are someone who visits Panama regularly or plan on staying long-term, this is a very opportune time to process your residency. Contact Anaya & Associates for more information: 755-9555 | info@bocaslaw.com | www.bocaslaw.com

– by Daniel Anaya, Company CEO