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tourist visa

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riverman007
  10/16/2017 10:44 EST

how long can i stay in panama as a tourist? if i decide to stay forever, is it best to see an attorney in the us or panama?

ranadelnorte
  10/16/2017 11:29 EST

How long you can stay in Panama as a tourist depends on your country of origin. If you are a citizen of the US or Canada, for example, you can stay 180 days. For other nationalities, check the website of the Embassy of Panama in your country.
By law a Panamanian lawyer must handle your immigration process if you decide to become a permanent resident. You would most likely need to leave and return because you would have to gather and apostille all your documentation in your home country.
Good luck!

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Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
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PanamaJackie
  10/18/2017 07:59 EST

If you're from the US or Canada, you can stay for 180 days if you are not driving, then you will need to leave for at least 30 days before you can come back.

If you are driving, you can only drive for 90 days on your foreign driver's license.

It's crazy that there are different rules for driving or not - but there are rules.

If you decide you want to stay, there are a lot of documents you will need to gather to get a residency Visa. It is much easier to gather these docs from your home country.

You may want to get your national criminal report before you come.

FBI report if US citizen. It will need to be authenticated at the Panama Consulate or apostiled at the State Department. It's good for 6 months. This report will be necessary to get any residency Visa.

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