Thread: Im a new-bee how long can one remain in panama for as a tourist?

im a british and very interested in panama would like to visit there as a tourist
and one day hopefully live there however what is the maximum length of stay
one can remain in the country (including extention)

Originally Posted by joaquin

im a british and very interested in panama would like to visit there as a tourist
and one day hopefully live there however what is the maximum length of stay
one can remain in the country (including extention)

Very lenient -- 90 days on a tourist visa.

180 in and then go to costa rica for 3 and then back for 180 , and you can do that forever

Originally Posted by nakedguydb

180 in and then go to costa rica for 3 and then back for 180 , and you can do that forever

Really? I thought it was 90. Sorry. Since I've been going, it was 30 days, then 90, then supposedly it went back to 30 for a short period, then 90......

Originally Posted by BalaBeacher

Really? I thought it was 90. Sorry. Since I've been going, it was 30 days, then 90, then supposedly it went back to 30 for a short period, then 90......

now it is 180 but your DL is only good for 90 . so you can get screwed up there

loool go to costa rica for free and then return back for another 180days thats kool how would one travel to costa rica in the most cost effecient way?

Originally Posted by joaquin

loool go to costa rica for free and then return back for another 180days thats kool how would one travel to costa rica in the most cost effecient way?

most people just take the bus , cross the border , check into a hotel and come back 3 days later

are you retired of what are you going to do for a living ? as a retired person there are lots of perks with that visa

Im a graduate, want to get a taster of panama before i decide to live/work there, although i know my chances of working there all depends on whether the law firm that is assessing my CV accepts me, the law firm i applied for has an office in the UK and in Panama

Originally Posted by joaquin

Im a graduate, want to get a taster of panama before i decide to live/work there, although i know my chances of working there all depends on whether the law firm that is assessing my CV accepts me, the law firm i applied for has an office in the UK and in Panama

oh ok . panama is very nice. i myself dont like the city but lots do . its big , a million people , good malls etc , but noisy and dirty is how i see it , i find it great to go shop for a couple of days and then leave . best of luck on your job hunt

do you live in panama?
and how is internet access out there?

Originally Posted by joaquin

do you live in panama?
and how is internet access out there?

yes i have been here 4 yrs , i love it , but i live 5 hours from the city near the best beaches in panama , i live on a acerage and get my internet from a little modem on my computer from a cell phone tower , internet is everywhere in panama , hard wired or modem like mine

is there no wi-fi if? if there is, is it expensive to maintain if i had that in my own private apartment?

in the city wifi is good. In the interior I have only used commercial wifi, which can be fast but sometimes its just not working.

An internet key from claro works where 3G is. Although after so many GB's a month they regulate the speed which in some places means it does not work.

regarding the tourist visa situation, probably the best recent write up

The Panama Perpetual Tourist Border Hop Two Step - Separating Fact From Fiction - Panama Guide

Originally Posted by nakedguydb

now it is 180 but your DL is only good for 90 . so you can get screwed up there

I still find this so incredible. You think they only did this so cops can find bribes more easily? I cant think of another reason really!

Originally Posted by janl

I still find this so incredible. You think they only did this so cops can find bribes more easily? I cant think of another reason really!

God only knows , it is so stupid to change one and not the other ,but thats panama . it has been long enough i thought they would have changed it by now . but no , maybe the paper work is still sitting on someones desk . and it seems now every stop check i go though now all they want to see is my DL

Originally Posted by nakedguydb

God only knows , it is so stupid to change one and not the other ,but thats panama . it has been long enough i thought they would have changed it by now . but no , maybe the paper work is still sitting on someones desk . and it seems now every stop check i go though now all they want to see is my DL

I even find it silly that it has to be changed seperately. A DL should be valid as long as a visa!

Btw the first time i came here i forgot my DL in holland but drove anyways. Have been stopped 6 or 7 times and always gave them my passport without saying anything. 4 times they asked to see my license as well, and i just told them i forgot it in my appartment. Every time they let me go without fine or bribe. 3 weeks ago my girlfriend forgot her passport so didnt have any id on her at all and they let us pass as well. So since i've been in panama i havent paid 1 bribe or fine yet. i think they just get annoyed cause i dont speak spanish yet and dont wanna deal with me lol