Panama tourist visa and entry requirements

The SNM's classification of visas by ordinary passport (October 2026 edition) sorts nationalities into those that may enter Panama without a visa and those that must obtain one first. Check your nationality in the current edition before booking. Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports should check separately, because the list covers ordinary passports only.

Visa-exempt entry is for tourism. Studying, working, settling or doing remote work for a long period require the relevant permit or short-stay visa, which this guide covers on separate pages.

Under article 43 of the migration rules, every foreign visitor must enter through an authorised land, air or sea post, show a valid passport and, where needed, a visa, accept an interview and biometric checks, and fill in the entry and exit card supplied by the carrier or the SNM's electronic equivalent.

The SNM asks for a passport valid at least three months, proof of funds suited to the declared stay and never below B/.500 (children under 18 are exempt), a confirmed onward or return reservation within the permitted period, no pending debts with the SNM and compliance with Ministry of Health rules. Funds can be shown with a bank certificate, a credit card statement, traveller's cheques, an employment certificate with payslip or a pension receipt.

A tourist granted fewer than 90 days can apply before the stay expires, in person or through a lawyer, for an extension up to a maximum of 90 days. The request includes a full passport copy valid at least three months, the paid electronic ticket, a hotel reservation if relevant, the reasons for the extension and proof of at least B/.500 in funds; an inviting person in Panama may add a sworn notarial declaration.

A tourist who intends to change to temporary or permanent residence but is missing a document can ask, through a lawyer and ten working days before the stay ends, for an extension of up to 60 days. If approved, B/.250 is paid in advance for migration services and a B/.500 guarantee deposit is lodged, refunded when the complete residence application is filed in time.

Overstaying is fined at B/.50 for each month or part of a month, or B/.100 for those married to a Panamanian or with Panamanian children, plus a B/.5 passport registration charge for first-time payers. People who leave through the voluntary return procedure face an entry ban of two to five years, except those married to Panamanians or with Panamanian children.