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Visitors toPanama require avisa unless they are eligible for Third-Country visa exemptions for stays up to 30 days by either possessing a valid visitor (used at least once for entry) or resident visa for any of the following nations: UK, USA, Canada, the EU, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea; or if they are citizens of one of the eligible countries who do not require a visa for stays up to 90 days; up to 180 days for visitors who are citizens of the United States or Canada. All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 3 months from the date of entry.[1]
On December 28, 2016, PresidentJuan Carlos Varela decreed that the immigration authorities of the National Immigration Service would issue tourist visas valid for a term not greater than 90 days (three months);[2] it was later clarified that that did not change the situation for those who can enter visa-free for 180 days.[3][4]
However, on September 1, 2021, the Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá informed that foreign citizens visiting Panamá were henceforth allowed a maximum stay of ninety (90) days for those who entitled to enter visa-free per Res. 22068;[5] with citizens of the United States and Canada still allowed a maximum stay of one hundred eighty (180) days visa-free per Res. 22706[6] published on September 10, 2021, citing reciprocity.
Holders ofpassports of the following jurisdictions do not require a visa to visit Panama:[7][8]
180 days 90 days 30 days |
| Date of visa changes | ||
|---|---|---|
Cancelled:
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Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports ofChina (including passport for public affairs holders),Cuba,Dominican Republic,Haiti, andPhilippines do not require a visa.
In addition, all passengers with a national ID card or a birth certificate issued by Panama do not need a visa, regardless of passports they use to travel.
As per Executive Decree 521, signed by President Varela on 6 August 2018, nationalities who normally need to apply for a Panamanian visa will be allowed visa-free entry for thirty (30) days[15] if they hold a multiple-entry visa valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry, or permanent residency documents issued by any of the following countries:[16]
In 2012, theGovernment of Panama launched the Friendly Nations Visa. The visa is open to the citizens of fifty countries deemed to have positive diplomatic and economic ties to Panama. To qualify, the citizens of those countries must present professional or economic ties to Panama.[17] Once the applicant demonstrates those ties, they are eligible forpermanent residency and a work permit in Panama. After three to five years, holders of this visa can apply for Panamanian citizenship.
Nationals ofCuba andHaiti require a visa at all times, including for transit. Other countries may transit in Panama without a visa for 12 hours if they have a confirmed onward ticket.[18][19][20]
Most visitors arriving to Panama viaTocumen International Airport were from the following countries of nationality:[21][22]
| Country | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 309,358 | 338,590 | 269,965 |
 Venezuela | 281,540 | 260,145 | 187,776 |
 Colombia | 267,188 | 288,569 | 281,775 |
 Brazil | 79,758 | 88,348 | 81,950 |
 Mexico | 68,646 | 80,637 | 68,340 |
 Spain | 78,246 | 79,461 | 61,596 |
 Costa Rica | 63,548 | 75,196 | 56,775 |
 Ecuador | 70,712 | 74,043 | 71,919 |
 Argentina | 68,088 | 70,089 | 60,040 |
 Peru | 46,076 | 50,275 | 34,844 |
| Total | 1,857,268 | 1,941,106 | 1,609,937 |
