Panama

Visa Panama

Amériques · Amérique centrale

In Panama, entry and stay fall under the Servicio Nacional de Migración. The official pages consulted on 2026-09-17 group permits into three families — non-resident, temporary resident and permanent resident — and publish, for each category, a PDF fact sheet of requirements. The site links to an online platform and sets out the entry conditions for tourists. Neither fees nor processing times are displayed.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Servicio Nacional de Migración — Panama's national migration service
Filing channel: The site links to the online platform “Migración En Línea” and mentions land, air and sea immigration posts. The requirements for each category are published as PDF fact sheets
Electronic visa: The site names “Visas Electrónicas de Marino” (electronic seafarer visas). For the other categories: not stated on the portal consulted
Portal language: Spanish

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

“Visa Turista” — tourist visa (non-resident category): Category named in the migration permits section, among the non-resident permits. Duration and requirements not stated on the page consulted: they appear in a separate PDF fact sheet. Official page (new tab)
“Visa de Tránsito” — transit visa (non-resident category): Category named in the migration permits section. Duration and requirements not stated on the page consulted. Official page (new tab)
“Visa Múltiple de No Residente” — multiple-entry non-resident visa: Category named in the migration permits section. Duration and requirements not stated on the page consulted. Official page (new tab)
“Visas de Corta Estancia” — short-stay visas (non-resident category): Set of visas named by purpose: business, family visit, scientific research, medical treatment, trade and investment, humanitarian aid, banking sector, remote work. Official page (new tab)
“Residente Temporal” — temporary resident: Family of permits named in the migration permits section, broken down by purpose (employment, studies, family reunification, investment, press, sport, among others). Official page (new tab)
“Residente Permanente” — permanent resident: Family of permits named in the migration permits section, broken down by purpose (economic solvency, retiree with a pension, investment, marriage to a Panamanian national, among others). Official page (new tab)

Where and how to file the application

The “Permisos Migratorios” section of the national migration service groups permits into three families: non-resident, temporary resident and permanent resident, to which are added particular permits (provisional permit, general migration regularization, humanitarian protection, voluntary return, procedures related to refugees). For each category, the page links to a PDF fact sheet of requirements published on the same domain.

The home page links to an online platform, designated “Migración En Línea”, and to a separate portal devoted to the temporary protection permit. It also mentions immigration posts. The pages consulted do not state which procedures are carried out online and which are carried out in person.

Steps in the procedure

Identify the migration category matching the purpose of the stay in the “Permisos Migratorios” section.
Open the fact sheet of requirements published for that category: the site states that the requirements are issued as documents to download.
Gather the documents required by that fact sheet, which is specific to the category chosen.
File the application with the national migration service; the site links to the “Migración En Línea” platform without stating which procedures are handled there online.
The later steps are not stated on the pages consulted.

Entry conditions stated by the authority for tourists

Enter through an officially authorized land, air or sea immigration post.
Present, at the request of the migration authority, a valid passport or travel document.
Agree to be questioned by the competent authorities on entry as well as on exit.
Present the entry and exit card provided by the international transport company.
Not be subject to an entry ban.
Have sufficient resources to cover one's expenses during the stay on Panamanian territory.
Hold a return ticket to the country of origin or residence, where the migration category requires it.
Have settled all obligations toward the national migration service.
Comply with the health standards set by the Ministry of Health.
The documents specific to each visa or permit category appear in the PDF fact sheets published by category, which were not opened.

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the individual situation; only the official page is authoritative.

Fees and processing times stated

Not stated on the portal consulted: the pages consulted on 2026-09-17 display neither a fee, nor a currency, nor a processing time. The fact sheets of requirements published by category, which might contain them, were not opened.

After the decision

The decision rests with the national migration service. The site also publishes sections devoted to the registration of foreign nationals' documents and to naturalization procedures.

The pages consulted detail neither the grounds for refusal, nor the appeal channels, nor the conditions for extension. The permits section does, however, name an “Extensión de Visa Turista” and an “Extensión de Cambio de Categoría Migratoria”.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Panama to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a visa to travel to Panama?

It depends on the nationality and the purpose of the trip; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Who issues entry and residence permits?

The Servicio Nacional de Migración, Panama's national migration service, whose site publishes the list of migration permits and the requirements for each one.

Where is the application filed?

With the national migration service. The site links to an online platform designated “Migración En Línea”, without stating which procedures are handled there online.

What entry conditions does the authority set out for tourists?

The page devoted to tourists cites in particular entry through an authorized immigration post, a valid passport or travel document, the entry and exit card, the absence of an entry ban, sufficient resources and, where the category requires it, a return ticket.

What are the fees and the processing times?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The pages consulted display neither an amount, nor a currency, nor a processing time.

Is there an electronic visa?

The site names “Visas Electrónicas de Marino”, electronic seafarer visas. For the other categories, this point is not stated on the portal consulted.

Official sources

Servicio Nacional de Migración — site officiel (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Migración Panamá – Migración Panamá (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Permisos Migratorios – Migración Panamá (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Turistas – Migración Panamá (new tab) read on 17 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The permits section names several dozen categories; only six families can be displayed here. A reviewer must decide which ones to highlight.
The requirements for each category are published in separate PDF fact sheets that were not opened: no document specific to a visa is therefore cited here.
No fee and no processing time was read on an official page; it remains to be determined where the national migration service publishes them.
The site does not state which procedures are filed on the “Migración En Línea” platform and which are filed in person or with a consular mission.
The relationship between the visas issued by Panamanian consulates and the permits issued by the national migration service is not explained on the pages consulted.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

Describe your situation

Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
Check at the source

Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.
Track what is left to do

Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

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