Panamanian Immigration Requirements

THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA IS THE HOST COUNTRY FOR THE SMITHSONIAN TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (STRI). THE PANAMANIAN GOVERNMENT HAS GENEROUSLY CEDED CERTAIN SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS TO STRI THAT ALLOWS US TO FACILITATE YOUR VISIT TO OUR HOST COUNTRY.

THE PANAMA IMMIGRATION NATIONAL SERVICE HAS RECENTLY PUT IN EFFECT NEW REGULATIONS STIPULATED IN LAW #3, DATED AUGUST 2008. FOLLOWING THESE REGULATIONS, NEW VISA CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR TOURISTS/VISITORS COMING TO THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA.

ALL VISITORS TO STRI MUST COMPLY WITH EXISTING REGULATIONS. THEREFORE, ALL VISITORS WHO NEED A VISA AND ARE COMING TO STRI FOR A PERIOD FROM ONE MONTH AND UP TO ONE YEAR, SHOULD APPLY FOR THE CORRESPONDING TYPE OF VISA (BELOW) BEFORE TRAVELING TO PANAMA AT YOUR NEAREST PANAMANIAN CONSULATE IF APPLICABLE.

SEE THE GENERAL VISA LIST BELOW AND INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING TO THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA.

Required documents (FOR STRI VISITORS)

• A Valid passport (for at least 6 months)
• A round trip ticket
• STRI Letter of invitation, recommended.
• Proof of solvency
• Term of Stay as Tourists/Visas requirements, as follows:
  

1. The citizens of the following countries do not require a visa to enter Panama. Term of stay - 180 days or less.
   
   

   Antigua & Barbuda	Belice	Slovenia	Kuwait	Portugal	San Marino
   Germany	Canada	Estonia	Lithuania	Qatar	Trinidad & Tobago
   Andorra	Colombia	France	Latvia	Saharaui Republic	Thailand
   Argentina	Republic of Korea	Finland	Leichtenstein	United Kingdom	Turkey
   Saudi Arabia	Costa Rica	Guatemala	Luxembourg	Czech Republic	Uruguay
   Australia	Chile	Granada	Mexico	Greece	Venezuela
   Austria	Cyprus	Guyana	Monaco	Romania	Great Britain
   Barbados	Denmark	Honduras	Malta	St. Kitts & Nevis
   Bolivia	Dominica	Hungary	New Zealand	St. Lucia
   Bahamas	Ecuador	Israel	Nicaragua	San Vicent & the Granadines
   Bosnia - Herzegovina	El Salvador	Italy	Norway	Holy See
   Brazil	United Arab Emirates	Iceland	Netherlands	Switzerland
   Belgium	Spain	Ireland	Paraguay	Singapore
   Brunei	United States of America	Japan	Peru	Sweden
   Bulgary	Slovak Republic	Jamaica	Poland	South Africa

   
   
2. The citizens of the following countries require a Tourist stamped visa on their passport to enter Panama:
   
   

   Angola	Ghana	Malawi	St Thomas y Prince
   Belorussia	Marshall Islands	Mauritius	Samoa
   Bostwana	Comoros Islands	Nauru	Togo
   Cap Vert	Salomon Islands	Palau	Tonga
   Cameroon	Kiribati	Papua New Guinea	Tuvalu
   Croatia	Moldavia	Central African Republic	Ukraine
   Russia Federation	Maldives	Congo	Vanuatu
   Fiji	Mongolia	Dominican Republic	Vietnam
   Georgia	Micronesia	Seychelles	Zimbabwe
   Gabon	Madagascar	Swaizland




3. The citizens of the following countries require an authorized visa to enter Panama:




Afghanistan	Ivory Coast	Indonesia	Malaysia	Pakistan	Tanzania
Albania	Cuba	Iran	Montenegro	DPR Korea	Tunisia
Armenia	Djibouti	Iraq	Mali	Democratic Republic of Congo	Tajikistan
Algeria	Eritrea	Jordania	Myanmar	Rwanda	Turkmenistan
Azerbaijan	Egypt	Kazakhstan	Mauritania	People's Republic of China	Uganda
Bahrain	Ethiopia	Kyrgyzstan	Morocco	Serbia	Uzbekistan
Benin	Phillippines	Kenya	Mozambique	Senegal	Zambia
Burkina Faso	Gambia	Laos	Namibia	Sierra Leona	Yemen
Burundi	Guinea	Lebanon	Niger	Somalia
Bangladesh	Guinea Bissau	Lesotho	Nigeria	Sudan
Bhutan	Guinea Ecuatorial	Liberia	Nepal	Syria
Cambodia	Haiti	Libya	Oman	Sri Lanka
Chad	India	Macedonia	Palestine	Suriname



4. The citizens of the following countries do not require a visa to enter Panama if they posses a diplomatic, consular, official or special passport only:

EXEMPTION OF VISAS

According to the Executive Decree 248 of 21 July 2009, National Immigration Service it was established that it will not be neccesary to request a visa to enter to Panama, regardless of your nationality in the following circumstances:

• The Person has a valid visa duly emitted by Australia, Canada, Great Britain, United States of North America or of any State that is part of the European Union;
• and that the visa has been used at least once to enter that the territory of the country issuing the visa;

Important Notes

• If  you are coming to Panama through the U.S.A., please check with your Travel Agency if  you need an American Visa to travel in transit through that country. For some countries transit or tourist USA visa is mandatory.
• Any Panamanian Tourist Stamped Visa application should be made at your nearest Panamanian Embassy/Consulate, three months in advance of your intended arrival.
• If it is necessary, STRI can assist citizens of countries where there is no Panamanian consulate representation with the visa application from our headquarters in Panama, previous notification of at least three months in advance of your intended travel plans. Visa authorization will be sent to nearest Panama consulate in the country by you required.
• Any further extension of your stay in Panama is subject to approval from the Immigration National Service or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whenever applicable.
• The Panamanian tourist stamped visa should be used within a period of three months from the issuance date, and it is valid for only one entrance.
• Dependents, per Immigration regulations are only legal wife, legal husband, children.

Additional Information

• Please register at the Visitors Services’s Office, STRI, Tupper Bldg., Ist. Floor, on the first business day upon arrival.
• AT STRI, for additional information, you may contact Ms.Celideth De Leon, Office of External Affairs, Tel. (507) 212.8050,Fax (507) 212.8150, E Mail DELEONC@SI.EDU.
• Immigration information is subject to change, therefore we recommend that you check your nearest Panamanian Consulate, travel agent, airline or call Panama Immigration National Service at (507) 507.1800 for updated information. Web site: http://www.migracion.gob.pa/
• For information on what to do after arrival regarding immigration, check the section -upon arrival.

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Rev. 4/2012