Panama's National Immigration Service publishes a list of which nationalities need a visa to enter with an ordinary passport; it marks Germany, the UK, the US and Canada, among others, as not needing one. Panama's immigration law sets tourist stays at no more than ninety days. Executive Decree 196 of 2024 amended Executive Decree 521 of 2018, which removes the visa requirement to enter as a tourist for nationalities that need a visa when they hold a visa to enter Canada, the US, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the UK, Singapore or any EU member state.
Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works
Check requirements for your passport
Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.
The National Immigration Service's requirements for a tourist visa set the migration-services fee at fifty balboas, payable when the application is presented to the Service, and say tourist visas are valid for no more than ninety days. No official source we could read states a processing time.
Documents the application asks for
Passport or travel document — Original and a full copy; at least three months' validity
Confirmed air reservation — With an onward itinerary, or an e-ticket
Identity document or residence card — A copy, from the country where you live
Three photographs — When applying abroad; not needed for a tourist visa applied for at the Servicio Nacional de Migración in Panama
Proof of funds — At least B/.500 for the stay, shown by a certified cheque or bank draft, traveller's cheques, a bank certificate or credit card with last month's statement, an employment certificate with your last payslip, proof of pension, or your last tax return if self-employed
Last permit approved by the immigration authority — If applicable
Confirmed hotel reservation — If applicable
Invitation letter — If applicable, from a Panamanian, a resident of Panama or a company, with their documents
Tourist Visa Extension (Extensión de Visa de Turista)
Fee
Not published
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days
Documents the application asks for
Full copy of your passport — At least three months' validity
Copy of your paid e-ticket
Statement of the reasons for the extension
Proof of funds — At least B/.500 for the stay: a certified cheque or bank draft, traveller's cheques, a bank certificate or credit card with its statement, or other proof of income
Hotel reservation — If applicable
Notarised sworn statement from your host — If applicable
Entry requirements
Passport validity
Panama's National Immigration Service lists a passport or travel document with a minimum of 3 months' validity among its entry requirements. The UK Foreign Office says a British visitor's passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the day they plan to leave Panama, and at least one blank page.
Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP)) — WHO lists Panama as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 1 year or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. WHO also recommends vaccination for all travellers aged 9 months or over going to mainland areas east of the area surrounding the Canal: the comarcas of Emberá and Kuna Yala, the province of Darién, and the areas of the provinces of Colón and Panama east of the Canal.
Travel insurance is not among the requirements that foreigners must meet to enter Panama under Article 43 of Decreto Ley 3 of 2008 ("los extranjeros deben cumplir los siguientes requisitos"), as the National Immigration Service lists them.
Panama's National Immigration Service lists a confirmed reservation to leave the country within the established period among its entry requirements, and Article 43 of Decreto Ley 3 of 2008 requires a return ticket to the country of origin or residence when the migration category requires it.
Panama's National Immigration Service says visitors must show proof of economic solvency consistent with the terms they declare for their stay and in no case less than B/.500.00; a child under 18 does not need to show it.
Verified Oct 9, 2026 · Source: migracion.gob.pa (opens in a new tab) · gov.uk (opens in a new tab) says prove you have at least 1000 US dollars (or the same amount in other currencies) or a credit card. We follow the source above: it ranks higher (law, then the authority running the procedure, then the destination's ministry, then international compilations, then other governments' advice).
Arrival cards & declarations
Required
Entry and exit card (Tarjeta de Ingreso y Egreso) — Panama's National Immigration Service lists among the entry requirements for foreigners (Decreto Ley 3 of 2008, art. 43) presenting the entry and exit card (Tarjeta de Ingreso y Egreso) supplied by the international transport company, duly completed.
A non-resident must leave the country when the authorized period expires. An irregular migrant who asks for voluntary return pays a fine of 50 balboas for each month or part of a month spent in that condition, receives an entry ban of no less than 2 and no more than 5 years, and must leave within 7 calendar days, except in duly proven cases of force majeure. The National Migration Service deports, and bans from entry, foreigners who stay in the country undocumented or irregularly.
Departure tax — 40 US dollars, according to the UK government.
The UK government says there is a charge of 40 US dollars on departure, usually included in the ticket price. Australia's Smartraveller says you need to pay a departure tax at Tocumen Airport in Panama City.
Panama's traveller declaration (run by the National Customs Authority) asks whether you are carrying cash or monetary instruments, securities, objects, precious metals or a combination of these worth US$10,000.00 or more, or the equivalent.
The UK Foreign Office says there are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Panama, and that you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
WHO lists Panama as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 1 year or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. WHO also recommends vaccination for all travellers aged 9 months or over going to mainland areas east of the area surrounding the Canal: the comarcas of Emberá and Kuna Yala, the province of Darién, and the areas of the provinces of Colón and Panama east of the Canal.
The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk
Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.
International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)
Country in a nutshell
Currency
United States dollar (used interchangeably with the balboa, PAB) (USD, $)
Safety — Generally safe
Canada's travel advice says to take normal security precautions in Panama, to exercise a high degree of caution in Colón Province and parts of the District of San Miguelito and Panama City due to high levels of crime, and to avoid all travel to areas south of Metetí in Darién Province to the border with Colombia.Verified Oct 9, 2026 · Source: travel.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
A, B · 110V 60Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 911 · Police: 104 · Fire: 103
Languages
Spanish
Time zone
UTC-5
International Driving Permit
Panama's Traffic Regulation (Executive Decree No. 640 of 27 December 2006, art. 110), in the edition of the Land Transit and Transport Authority (ATTT), says foreigners who enter Panama as tourists cannot obtain a driving licence or permit, and may drive vehicles only with a valid licence from their country of origin, for a period of ninety (90) days. No official source we could read states whether an International Driving Permit is required.
No official source we could read gives a best time to visit Panama. Canada's travel advice says the rainy season extends from April to December.
Tips & warnings
If you need a Panamanian visa, check whether you hold a visa to enter Canada, the US, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the UK, Singapore or an EU country: Executive Decree 521 of 2018, as amended by Executive Decree 196 of 2024, removes the visa requirement to enter Panama as a tourist for holders of those visas.
The UK Foreign Office says that at Panamanian border control you may need to show a return or onward ticket, particularly if you arrive by land from Costa Rica and are not a legal resident of Costa Rica.
Canada's travel advice says to avoid all travel to areas south of Metetí in Darién Province to the border with Colombia due to extremely high levels of violent crime.
The UK Foreign Office says tap water is safe to drink in most of the country, but to follow local recommendations in rural and island areas, where there can be a risk of contaminated water.
Visa requirements by nationality
Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
It depends on the National Immigration Service's list of which nationalities need a visa with an ordinary passport: it marks, among others, Germany, Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Israel as not needing one. Panama's immigration law sets tourist stays at no more than ninety days. Nationalities marked as needing a visa apply for a tourist visa; the Service's requirements cover applications presented abroad and applications presented to the Service in Panama.
How long can I stay in Panama as a tourist?
Panama's immigration law (Decreto Ley 3 of 2008, art. 16) sets tourist stays at no more than ninety days, without prejudice to international agreements ratified by Panama. The National Immigration Service says a tourist granted a visa for less than ninety days can, before it expires, apply for an extension up to a maximum stay of ninety days. The UK Foreign Office tells British visitors they can visit for up to 3 months without a visa if they arrive by land or air.
Can I enter Panama with a US or Schengen visa instead of a Panamanian one?
Possibly. Executive Decree 196 of 28 October 2024 amended Article 2 of Executive Decree 521 of 6 August 2018, which removes the visa requirement to enter Panama as a tourist for foreigners of nationalities that need a visa who hold a visa to enter Canada, the United States, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore or any EU member state. No official text we could read sets out the decree's further conditions or a length of stay.
Do I need to show money to enter Panama?
Panama's National Immigration Service lists among its entry requirements proof of economic solvency consistent with the terms you declare for your stay and in no case less than B/.500.00, adding that a child under 18 does not need to show it, and a confirmed reservation to leave the country within the established period.
What currency does Panama use?
Canada's travel advice says the currency is the balboa (PAB), used interchangeably with the US dollar, that there have been issues with counterfeit US$50 and US$100 bills, and to carry only small bills of US dollars.
Sources & verification
Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:
Panama visa and entry requirements
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