Passport holders from the countries listed below must apply for a Panama Authorized Tourist Visa before coming to Panama either through the nearest Panama Embassy or Consulate, or by hiring a Panama law firm. It could take up to 6 weeks, or up to 4 months if the Panama Security & Defense Agency is required for approval. This visa’s approval is totally discretionary. Panama’s Immigration officials will simply respond that the application was either approved or denied with no reason given.
Panama Authorized Tourist Visa Required for citizens of the following countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Alto Volta, Angola, Anguilla, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic of China, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Note: Executive Decree 248 of 2009 allows citizens of any of the above-mentioned countries to be granted a visa to enter Panama if they possess a visa to enter Australia, any European Union country, Canada, or the U.S. Apply with the nearest Panamanian Consulate and present current passport along with the visa from one of these countries. Visa should be approved within 48 hours.
Authorized Tourist Visa Requirements
Apply either through the nearest Panama Embassy or Consulate or hire a Panama law firm to apply directly with the Panama Immigration Office.
Here is a list of the visa requirements:
- Provide us with the full names of the applicant (and family members if traveling to Panama) along with full contact information.
- Provide original Bank Reference Letter for your Sponsor in Panama along with details of the funds being held.
- Original Bank Reference Letter from applicant’s bank detailing amounts of funds held.
- Panama sponsor’s letter certifying full responsibility of the applicant and purpose for the visit.
- Sworn declaration by applicant in country of citizenship describing the relationship between the parties.
- Sworn (or Certified) statement from applicant’s country federal (national) police stating applicant has no criminal record.
- Sworn (or Certified) statement from applicant’s country providing his/her civil status.
- Photocopy of sponsor’s cedula or sponsoring company’s registration with Panama’s Civil Registry. If sponsor’s company is located in as Free Trade Zone, then a copy of the Certificate from the Free Trade Zone.
- Photocopy of applicant’s entire passport including blank pages.
- If the applicant entered Panama before provide a photocopy of last Panama visa entry.
- Copy of return ticket to country of citizenship (or another country if not immediately returning to home country).
- Two passport size photographs
- Photocopy of national I.D. card (or driver’s license if no national I.D. card is issued in home country)
Read more articles about Panama visas.