Thread: Mr. & Mrs. looking to move to Panama

We were so glad to find this forum. We are going to spend a year in Panama City at my brothers condo. To stay the full year do we need to start a process to move in advance and can we start the process in Panama or do we need to do it here in the state's? We have read that the attorney's there do most of the work. We have had a very difficult time trying to reach the consolute in San Diego, Calif so we are at a loss as to the regulations involved if we choose to make Panama our new "home". Thanks for any information you can share.

Originally Posted by PAMNESBITT

We were so glad to find this forum. We are going to spend a year in Panama City at my brothers condo. To stay the full year do we need to start a process to move in advance and can we start the process in Panama or do we need to do it here in the state's? We have read that the attorney's there do most of the work. We have had a very difficult time trying to reach the consolute in San Diego, Calif so we are at a loss as to the regulations involved if we choose to make Panama our new "home". Thanks for any information you can share.

If you plan to obtain residency you need to start by getting your birth certificates "legalized" back in the states. You will also need passport copy legalized, criminal background check from your local police department (not 100% sure). Did I miss anything?

Originally Posted by MRWOOHOO

If you plan to obtain residency you need to start by getting your birth certificates "legalized" back in the states. You will also need passport copy legalized, criminal background check from your local police department (not 100% sure). Did I miss anything?

your marriage licence also

The requirement is that you obtain an "apostille" for your birth and marriage records, which is not merely a certified copy from your local county registrar. Instead, you have to furnish the records (certified if a public record, notarized if a private document) typically to the secretary of state -- not where you currently live, but the state in which you were born, married, etc. The appropriate state agency then afixes a certification ("apostille") which certifies to the foreign government the validity of the notary public, county clerk or other local registrar.