You should also obtain an insurance policy for the entire period of your stay in the country.

A travel insurance policy must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum coverage of 50 000 American dollars;

• Cover the costs of medical care, repatriation.

To find out if you need a visa to enter Panama, click on the link and select your country of residence: http://www.nyconsul.com/tourist-visa/ 

Individuals who have visa-free entry right to Panama can stay there for 90-180 days.

Individuals who are not allowed to enter Panama without a visa should obtain one.

Tourist visa

A tourist visa is granted to individuals entering Panama for the purpose of tourism, visiting friends or relatives, for short-term business meetings, etc.

The tourist visa is valid for no more than 180 days.

• A completed and signed visa application form

• Copies of all pages of your passport, a passport hast to be valid for at least six months prior to intended travel

• Booking or travel itinerary

• A copy of a valid identity card

• Three photos (size: 2x2, with a white background)

• Proof of solvency during the stay, which must be at least 500 American dollars (bank statement, traveler's check)

• Latest visa approved by immigration authorities (if applicable)

• Route to the hotel.

How to apply for a tourist visa to Panama?

There are several stages of applying for a tourist visa to Panama:

• Collect the necessary documents

• Fill out the application form 

• Send the documents to the nearest consulate

• Wait for your visa to be processed

• Get an approved tourist visa for Panama.

What is the processing time for a Panama tourist visa?

The duration of processing a Panamanian tourist visa can be from 30 to 60 days. It all depends on whether you are applying for an authorized entry visa, or a stamped visa. An authorized visa can take about 60 days to process, while a stamped visa can take up to 30 days.

The visa fee paid to the National Immigration Service is 50 USD

The visa fee paid to the Consulate of Panama is 10 USD.

• Show your passport at the migration office. The authorities need to see the stamp in your passport.

• A visa extension request should be submitted to the Panamanian Migration Service. If everything is alright with your passport (e.g., your tourist card still hasn't expired or is about to expire) and there's no reason not to renew it (unless you've committed a crime in Panama, or your country doesn't want you return), then they will issue you a visa extension. Please remember that you must have a valid return ticket within these 30, 60 or 90 days and you will be granted an extension until the date of your return flight.

• Duly completed tourist visa extension request and letter of responsibility.

• Your guarantor must be a Panamanian citizen, or resident of Panama.

• The letter must contain a copy of the identity of the guarantor.

• A copy of the return ticket (valid for 1 year, during the dates for which you want to extend the visa).

• Copy of passport data and last entry or tourist card.

Authorized visa

Citizens who are not eligible for the a visa-free entry and need to apply for an authorized visa should contact the nearest Panamanian embassy or consulate to have the visa printed in their valid passport.

You can view the full list of countries that require an authorized visa on the Embassy of Panama website:

http://www.nyconsul.com/tourist-visa/ 

Stamped visa

If you are from a country that does not require you to apply for an authorized visa, you only need a stamped visa. This means that you still need to apply for a Panamanian visa, but you will only get a stamp in your passport.

Go to the Panamanian Consulate website for a complete list of countries that apply for stamped visas: http://www.nyconsul.com/tourist-visa/