There is a bill proposal before the Panamanian legislature, sponsored by Rep. Elías Castillo, that would change the duration of the tourist visa from 180 days to 30 days, with a SINGLE extension of 60 additional days allowed. This proposal is made to counter the estimated 1 million illegal aliens in Panama.
Whether the bill has any chance of passing is not clear, but the proposal reflects the anti-immigrant mood in the country over the last 12 months or so.
So just a heads up to forum members about what is in the pipeline, and maybe those who are perpetual tourists should make a back-up plan to either acquire permanent residency or move on to another venue.
