We’ll discuss:
Note: No tourist visa is necessary to visit Panama for most tourists*. To enter Panama, you only need:
Wherever you enter Panama, the immigration official will put a stamp on your passport stating you can be in the country for 180 days.
NOTE:
You qualify for this type of visa if you receive at least $1,000 per month from a pension, retirement fund, or other types of reliable income source. Don’t receive that much? If you buy a property for at least $100,000, then you only need a monthly retirement or pension income of $750.
Since August 2021, this friendly and easy-to-get visa is not nearly as friendly or easy to obtain. To qualify, you must be a citizen from one of the 50 friendly nations* and must either buy a property in Panama for at least $200,000 or be employed by a Panama company professionally.
*Citizens from any of the 50 nations considered “friendly” to Panama can move here with their immediate family and acquire a permanent residency visa. Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Marino, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States of America, Uruguay, United Kingdom (Great Britain & Northern Ireland).
A fast and affordable visa to obtain, but only good for 18 months. However, if you are a remote worker, who earns at least $36,000 a year from that work, you should consider applying for a Panama Digital Nomad Visa.
All of the reforestation investments must be held for a period of 5 years, and they can be made in your personal name or in the name of a Panama entity, corporation, or foundation.
This has three options to qualify for this visa created to attract wealthy foreigners
If you're an Investor, you have 3 options to obtain expedited (30 days) permanent residency in Panama (leading to citizenship and a Panama passport after 5 years) with this program
If you have been offered a job in Panama, you will need to apply for a work visa that allows you to reside and work professionally within the country. It is important to check with your employer or a professional lawyer as to what other documents and information may be needed for the work visa application process.
Whether you want to stay in Panama for a short vacation or move here permanently, there is a visa that is right for you. If you have any questions about which type of visa you need, I would be more than happy to provide guidance.
1. First, before you move, determine if Panama is right for you. To discover that, you should be clear on what you need to have in your life? What are the most important things to you? What will help make for a happy life?
If you go ballistic when the Internet (or electricity) is out and you cannot imagine life without readily available organic food or same day Amazon deliveries, you may need to rethink your desire to move to Panama. Be honest with yourself.
There are many wonderful places you could choose to live. It doesn’t have to be Panama.
Take our "Will Panama Make You Happy?" quiz to get a sense whether Panama is right for you.
2. Are you and your spouse/partner and/or kids on the same page? Your spouse's ideas about what he or she is looking for may surprise you. Your kids will be happier with the move if they feel you really listened to their thoughts and concerns. For a successful move, it is best to quickly get everyone involved in the decision process.
3. Manage your expectations. If you expect a trouble-free paradise, you will surely be disappointed. No place is perfect. No climate is ideal. No place is 100% crime-free.
4. Do you dream of finding a life partner in Panama? You may find one. But keep in mind, if you marry a Panamanian, there will be cultural and language challenges. For instance, when you marry a Panamanian, you are also marrying his or her family. Family is of paramount importance in Panama. Family members typically spend their Sundays together - all day. There is little buffer for cultural differences when you marry into the culture. The differences will be in your face, every day. To be happy, you will need to become accepting and tolerant very quickly.
Also, you should beware the Sugar Daddy/Mommy situation. That arrangement usually never ends well.
Successful Panamanian/Expat marriages can happen. I know a few expats who have been happily married for many years to locals they met after they moved here. But I know even more in which it was a disaster.
Of course, you may also meet a compatriot while in Panama and fall in love. Then you will encounter all the joys, trials, and challenges every relationship offers.
5. Panama is a different culture and lifestyle. The lifestyle issue is especially hard for Americans to come to terms with. The specific lifestyle issue I am taking about is convenience and customer service. If you are from the States, you are used to a level of convenience that no other country on earth offers. For example, many stores in Panama (and in many places in the world) are closed on Sundays. Also, in Panama and many other places, government offices close for lunch and many holidays. The entire country of Panama took the day off when the national team qualified for the 2018 World Cup. You need to get used to stores and offices being closed at inconvenient times.
Panama’s businesses are not set up to make the customer’s life easier and more convenient. It is something you need to get used to and plan for. Along those same lines, keep in mind that in Panama (and other places in Latin America and elsewhere) appointments and schedules are simply a goal, not a firm commitment. Expect to wait - not only to wait, but to wait without being annoyed about waiting.
6. Don’t drink and buy property. It can happen. You arrive in the land of palm trees, hammocks, margaritas, and cheap beer and your common sense tends to drift away. You meet a guy at a hotel bar, he buys you a few drinks. Then he's driving you around showing you property you could buy. “Look at that view”, he’ll urge you. “Feel that breeze. Boy, it doesn't get better than this. And, you know, there are only two lots at this price remaining. A couple of buyers are expected in town tomorrow. I'd hate for you to miss out…”
Would you buy a piece of real estate under those circumstances back home? A piece of property you are seeing for the first time, in a place you have never been to before? You need to do more due diligence when investing in a piece of property in another country - not less.
7. Speaking of buying property, there is no MLS in Panama. (Well, Panama technically has something called an MLS, but since the vast majority of property for sale does not appear on it, it does not function as an MLS as you know it in the States). In fact, only a handful of real estate markets outside the States have effective Multiple Listing Services. This means that your property search will not be very efficient, and that getting reliable information on comparable properties will be impossible.
8. Rent first. Don't buy property until you have made sure Panama is the place for you (and your companions). Even if you decide Panama is the right place for you, you may decide that a different area or neighborhood is a better fit. Renting gives you the time and flexibility to figure that out.
9. Panama might not be as affordable as you’ve heard. Where you live and how you spend will determine how affordable Panama is. For instance, Panama City used to be affordable, but not anymore. Like most major and popular cities in the world, living right on the water or downtown in Panama City can cost a lot. Expect to pay at least $1,200 to rent a decent place in the city (and that’s on the low end). In the high rent areas, your utilities and grocery costs will probably be more than you are used to paying back home, especially for items that need to be imported.
This doesn’t mean you can’t retire to Panama on a shoestring budget. You absolutely can. You just have to know how to do it. In most places in Panama, it is still very possible to rent a place for $200 - $500 a month. You can live well in many places in Panama on only $1200 a month. But you cannot do that in Panama City and it is harder to do in the more popular expat spots as well.
How and what you spend your money on also determines how affordable Panama is for you. See the next tip for more on that.
You can find more information on Cost of Living in Panama in various parts of Panama on my site and other places.
10. To save money you need to buy local brands. You have to learn to shop like a Panamanian. This means buying your fruit and vegetables from street venders. Not only will you save money on your produce, but it will be fresher. If you live in a small town where fishermen bring in their catch each morning, buy your fish off the boat, or at the local fish market. Again it is both cheaper and fresher that way.
Watch our video of buying fish off a boat in Puerto Armuelles.
If you insist on buying all the same food brands as you bought back home, you will pay more. Imported items cost more, more than they cost in their country of origin.
Also, Panama is not like the U.S., there is no Target or a Walmart where you can buy everything you need in one spot. You can do a lot of your shopping in places like City Mall, El Champion, and Discovery Center, where a they sell a wide variety of items. But you pay for that convenience. You may buy some items at PriceSmart (like Costco, but smaller), but other items at your local Romero grocery store, and still others from a street vendor.
If you learn what to do and what not to do, you can live well in Panama on a fairly low budget. Plus, you now have the time to enjoy the shopping experience.
11. Another thing about shopping, buying in bulk often costs more in Panama. In the States, if you buy a case of something, the per unit price will usually be less than if you simply bought one of those items. But not in Panama. (The exception to that rule is PriceSmart, usually, but not always).
I am not sure why. Perhaps the reasoning is that the person who can afford to buy in bulk can also afford to pay more. I know you might be shaking your head at that rationale. But Panamanians think about money and fairness very differently than most westerners. One of the many cultural differences you will get to know and, hopefully, embrace.
12. Your health insurance won't cover you once you leave the U.S. (and most other countries as well). Don't worry, you have options. Go to this link to start reading our series on health insurance in Panama.
13. Learn Spanish. Start now. Most Panamanians do not speak much English, if any. Yes, you can find English speakers at high-end hotels and tourist places, but in general you will not find much English spoken elsewhere. If you don’t speak Spanish, at least some Spanish, you will not only be frustrated, but you won’t be able to engage in the community and make friends with anyone but other English-speaking expats. Panamanian are wonderful people. It is worth the effort to learn to speak their language so they can be part of your life.
I review a few ways to learn Spanish online
14. You will regret your move - temporarily. There will come a time when you will frantically ask yourself, “What have I done! I must have been insane to leave my home and move here.” It happens to 98.7% of people who move overseas. Expect it and prepare for it. Remind yourself that nothing has changed. All the reasons you decided to move are all still true. You simply need to give yourself time to internally adjust to your new world.
15. Hire people to do stuff for you. What a joyful thought. You can now afford to have someone clean your house every week, or even every day. Don’t like yard work? hire a gardener to do it for you. It is pretty affordable. But it does have its challenges.
If you aren’t used to people making your bed and washing your dishes and clothes, it can take some adjustment. You may feel guilty or uncomfortable allowing others to do those things, especially if you are just hanging out while they are working. Think about how you will feel about lifting up your feet for someone to sweep under them while you are hanging out reading or chatting or watching TV. It can take some getting used to.
Then, there is the issue your maid putting your stuff somewhere you would never ever think of putting it. Breathe. It works best to simply learn where has decided your shoes should live. It is best to roll with these quirks of your workers. Focus on the big stuff, like learning about Panama’s employment compensation regulations, including social security payments.
Read more about hiring people in Panama.
16. Loud music is a part of life here. Stores will blast stereos in an attempt to grab your attention. Parties especially have loud music. I have been to a number of parties in Panama where the music was playing so loudly it was impossible to talk to anyone. A general chaos of noise is tolerated here. Once I was in a restaurant where both the stereo and the TV were blaring. I had to ask them to turn off the TV. We were their only patron so it was easily asked and complied with. But in general be prepared for loud music. This is something to keep in mind when deciding where to live. If you choose to live in a dense neighborhood, you may have to deal with loud music, especially if your neighbor decides to throw a party into the wee hours of the morning.
17. You will see lots of litter. It is common in Central America. Many expats visiting Panama will express their astonishment over the amount of garbage strewn on streets and beaches. Personally, I have seen many people simply drop their juice container or plastic bag on the ground when they had finished with them. In some neighborhoods in Panama City, people will pile their garbage in one spot, as if it were a collection spot, but it is not.
The good news is that the anti-litter forces are growing. In general, there has been a gradual change of attitude about littering in Panama. You will find more and more signs posted that admonish people not to litter. And more garbage cans are being installed in public places. Panama City has bought new garbage trucks and is increasing its collection range.
A friend of mine in Puerto Armuelles says that when her local school gave prizes for cleanest yard the whole neighborhood quickly became cleaner. The kids were bringing home the anti-litter lessons from school, and telling their parents. And thankfully, the parents started picking up litter too. And it seems that more and more people are coming together to pick up litter. Maybe you will decide to keep your street or beach clean, and encourage others to do likewise.
There has even been a growing push to recycle. I’ve started to see recycling bins in public places in Panama City, Penonomé, and David.
18. Stay in contact with friends and family back "home". Separation from family and friends is frequently cited as the hardest part of living in another country. Fortunately, technology has made it easy to keep in touch.
One good way to easily keep in contact is to have the important people in your life download at least 2 of the following apps to their smartphone.
Whatsapp is the texting/calling app of choice for almost everyone in Panama. WhatsApp allows you to call and text other people with WhatsApp for free. You do need an internet connection to use it, as you do for all such technology.
For live video communication, Zoom, Google Hangouts or Skype are good options. I especially like Zoom and Google Hang outs. If you are all iPhone users you could simply use FaceTime, which comes preloaded on all iPhones.
I encourage you to figure out how you will keep in touch before you move to Panama. Explore all the apps to discover which works best for you and your friends and family.
Find out more about cell phones in Panama.
19. Religion in schools. Religion is a part of the school system here in Panama - for both public and private schools. So, if you have school-age children, be mentally prepared for this. Whether you think religion in schools is a good idea or a bad idea, there is no escaping it (unless you homeschool).
Read about our experience with Panama schools
20. The customer is NOT right in Panama. You cannot expect to get the same level of customer service in Panama that you are used to back home. Of course, sometimes you will get great service in Panama. But it is best for everyone if you don’t expect it. Customer service is particularly bad at restaurants and retail stores. Service can sometimes be slow and seemingly unfriendly.
I think it is a cultural thing, graciousness is not necessarily emphasized in Panama. It is not that they mean to be rude, it is just that they don’t consider their actions rude. It is only rude through the prism of our culture. Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier or less frustrating to deal with. The real problems begin if you start to make a stink about it. If you thought that you had bad service before, you will most likely get worse service if you insult your server.
Keep in mind, bad service is not limited to restaurants and retail stores, you may also get it from businesses and governmental offices. If the electricity will be turned off because they are working on the lines, don’t expect any notification. They will just turn it off. It is usually only the expats that get up in arms about this behavior. The locals just shrug it off. The same is true of small businesses. For instance, if you hire a contractor they may show up late, or maybe not at all. They will not contact you about this.
You can treat the lack of good customer service as as minor annoyance or let it drive you up the wall. Most people adjust, but if you cannot, maybe Panama is not the right choice for you.
21. Need to make money? Come with a plan. If you are coming to Panama to retire on a fixed income, then this will not apply to you. But if you need to make money in Panama, it’s important to have a good idea of how you will make a living to support your lifestyle in Panama. Coming to Panama without a plan of action often ends in disaster.
There are a lot of money making opportunities for expats in Panama, especially if you are an entrepreneur. Just keep in mind that you must have a work permit, even if you only plan to work in your own business. (Note: If your work is solely online, you do not need a work permit.)
You may want to check out my articles about making money in Panama for more advice.
Think you will find a job here? Then you need to know that local salaries are low. Most jobs pay less than $1000 a month. Is that a workable budget for you? Of course, if you can find a multi-national or US company, with an office in Panama to hire you, you will likely get paid more.
You are unlikely to find a company to hire you and sponsor your work permit, unless you have a valuable skill to offer. Getting you a work permit costs them both time and money. In addition, the number of foreigners a company can hire is limited; most companies can only have 10% of their staff be non-Panamanian.
Also, if you are coming down here on job offer from a company, make sure to do some research first. Make sure that the company is reputable and that other expats have had good experiences working for them. You don't want to move down here, only to find that the job evaporated or the work permit never comes through.
22. Pay attention to your instincts. All your online research and calculations cannot substitute for the your gut reaction to being in a place. It is important to do research, but it won't give you the whole story.
I strongly recommend you visit Panama, especially the parts of Panama that most interest you, sooner rather than later. You will save yourself alot of time and emotional energy that way.
Get more information on moving and living in Panama. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Sources:
Our experiences, including being reminded of good tips by reviewing similar lists made by Kathleen Peddicord of Live and Invest Overseas and Chris at Panama for Real.
When I am in the States and I order something in the morning from Amazon Prime, sometimes it arrives later that same day. I am still amazed by that.
But, you won't experience such quick delivery when ordering online while in Panama.
This is one of a 4 part, Mail in Panama, series. This is Part 4 - Get & Send Mail in Panama. I also cover alternative ways to mail letters and send faxes. Also see, Part 1 - What To Do About Your Current Mail, Part 2 – Postal Service in Panama, and Part 3 – Domestic Mail in Panama.
There are a number of ways to send a package to Panama.
I am sure you could also use the Postal service of most countries to send mail to Panama. However, I am only familiar with the US Postal Service so that is the only public postal service I discuss here.
Parcel shipping or forwarding services allow you to purchase from an online retailer, and have the products shipped to a USA address. The shipper will then consolidate the packages and ship them to you in Panama.
The majority of expats in Panama use one of these private mail services.
There are a number of mail services to choose from.
I reviewed mailing service recommendations on various Panama-related forums. I have listed ones that get good overall comments below. I don't recommend one over another.
FYI - Pty stands for Panama City. That "abbreviation" comes from the airport code for Panama City's Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
Not everyone has had good experiences using the US Postal Service to send letters and packages to Panama.
Packages. We have had a very good experience with packages sent by USPS. For years, my kids received regular birthday, Easter and Christmas packages from their grandparents here in Panama. Every package arrived, sooner or later. Sometimes even quickly (think 2 weeks).
Unfortunately, once a few postal workers in David rifled through and stole from all the packages waiting to be picked up at that post office. This meant that my youngest daughter did not get her grandmother's birthday gifts that year. Very disappointing for both parties.
I was pleasantly surprised that in response to this theft, the David post office fired a number of workers and completely changed their process for packages. I don't believe such a theft has happened again.
Magazines. We have not had much luck with magazines sent by US Postal Service though. Some arrive, and some don't. My husband a a newspaper delivered from Spain, and it almost never arrived. However, it "envelope" was a simple paper band around the paper, easily ripped and destroyed.
Letters. We have had pretty good track record getting letters from the US via the USPS. To increase your odds, it is best to sent it in one of those big cardboard priority mail envelopes. The size and visibility seems to give it less chance of getting lost.
What Address To Give USPS. As I mentioned in Mail in Panama - Part 2, the Panama mail service has no door-to-door mail delivery. You need to direct your package or mail to correctly to increase its chances of arriving as quickly as possible. Find out what address to use for mail in Panama.
There are other ways to get a letter sent or faxed to anywhere you desire. Here are some of your options.
DHL - The best way to get a time critical document to the USA (or anywhere) in Panama is by DHL. For some reason DHL is more reliable in Panama than FedEx is. It isn't cheap, but it is fast and reliable. There are DHL office in many locations throughout Panama.
If you go to the Boquete Tuesday market, there is a service there from which you can buy USA stamps. They forward the mail to the USA to be mailed. Not for use for urgent mail.
You can email your letter to an online mailing service. They print it out and mail it anywhere you want it to go in the world.
You can send it certified mail, over-night, and more.
The return address is the service's, so if something is returned they will follow up on the issue.
Here are 3 services that seem good. I'm sure more will pop up in a Google search
There are services that will fax for you as well. You email them your document, they print it and fax it.
I am sure there are other services as well, if your really need to fax. Do you really need to fax?
Moving to Panama? You may want to use our Move To Panama Checklist.
The most popular one is Uno Express.
To send mail - or anything - domestically, you have 6 options.
I am sure there are people and businesses that use Panama's domestic mail system. But as I said, no one I know does so.
If you have had experiences using Panama's domestic mail service, please share in the comments below.
For more about Mail in Panama, see all parts of this 4 part series:
Moving to Panama? You may want to use our Preparing To Move To Panama Checklist.
Some people strongly disagree with this, and say it is both slow and always completely unreliable.
But that has not been our experience. (I talk about some of our postal experiences below.)
This is part 2 in our series about Mail in Panama. Part 1 discusses your current mail & virtual mailboxes. Part 3 is on domestic mail, within Panama, and Part 4 talks about mail services to send items to and from Panama.
One important thing to know is that COTEL does not deliver door-to-door.
This means that:
Consequently, you should not use your home address as your mailing address when using COTEL. That assumes you even have an address for your home. Many residences are not part of any kind of address system in Panama.
Your electric and some other utility bills will be delivered to your home. However, it is the utility company that delivers these bills, not the postal service.
In my case, they slip the bill into our fence. If the delivery person sees you, he or she will give it to you directly. It is not a reliable system.
I have often found my electric bill months later buried in some leaves in a corner of my yard. You should just know when your bills are due and pay them in person, or online, when that option is available. (Find out more about paying your utility bills in Panama.)
To receive mail via COTEL you can either rent a post office box or have it sent to you General Delivery. Either way you will have to go to the post office to pick up your mail.
I have done both. Personally, I did not experience any better service using a PO Box than I did using General Delivery.
To rent a PO Box, you pay $20 ($15 if you are retired) a year.
The payment covers the rent from January to December. They do not pro-rate your payment. So if you are thinking of renting a box in November, you may want to wait until January. Otherwise you will pay $20 in November, and then $20 again in January.
If they have no available post office boxes, don't worry. As I said, we have had the same experience using General Delivery as with a PO Box.
Tell your family & friends to use this address to mail things to you.
Your name must be written the same way as it is on your ID. Some postal employees are sticklers about this. Some aren't, but better to be safe than sorry. The address should be in Spanish.
At the David Post Office, I have to go to 3 locations to pick up a package.
1) Inquire for your mail at a window in a line of windows on the exterior of the building. If you don't speak Spanish well, hand them your ID as you attempt to ask if you have mail. They will know what you want. If you have a letter, you sign for it, and you are on your way.
2) If you have a package, you must go into the building to see the customs person. For a package, the customs person will open and go through the package. They will only go through the package in your presence. They do this to determine if all the items can be legally sent to you as well as to assess a duty, if any. So far I have never been charged a duty or told that any of my items were not allowed.
3) Then you go back outside to another window to pay for the rent and any other fees or duties on the package. I always seem to have rent to pay on my packages. Yes, they charge a daily fee to store your package until you pick it up. (More on that below)
We have had a very good experience with packages sent by the US Post Office to Panama.
For years, my kids have received regular birthday, Easter and Christmas packages from their grandparents here in Panama. Every package arrived, sooner or later. Sometimes even quickly (think 2 weeks).
You can mail letters and packages to the USA and other places using the Panama postal service. It is slow. It can take 2 to 6 weeks for a letter to arrive in the US. And occasionally it will never arrive.
Some people say all the mail they have sent has arrived, eventually. Other haven't had that experience.
No one I know uses the Panama postal service to send mail to someone else in Panama. I have never even heard anyone suggest it. Delivery services are used.
The most popular delivery service is Uno Express, which has locations throughout Panama. Depending upon what you are sending and where, there are other options as well.
Click to discover your domestic mail options in Panama.
There are no zip codes in Panama. Some electronic forms have difficulties with this. They will not let you submit your address without a zip code. In that case, I put 5 zeros for the zip code. It has never failed me yet.
Rent & Custom Duty
Although, our packages are always addressed to us in Puerto Armuelles, Almost all of our packages are held in David for pick-up. (David is the biggest town in the Chiriqui Province, about 1 hour away from Puerto).
I think they keep them in David so they can make some money. As I mentioned, you actually pay rent each day your package is stored at the post office until you pick it up. It is not much per day, but still. The post office can also collect any duty imposed on your packages. They have only held up our packages in David, never letters.
30 Days of Storage Maximum. Technically, COTEL will store your package for 30 days only. After that they can return it to the sender. I have had packages waiting for us for a lot longer than 30 days. But once they did send a package back to the sender because I didn't pick it up in time. So I recommend you tell people not to send you surprise packages. You need to know to check for them. For awhile, there was a postal employee who would call me when I received a package. But he left, and I received no further notification calls.
Note: The Postal Service in Costa Rica tends to be more reliable than Panama's. For this reason, expats living near the border, sometimes rent a PO Box in Costa Rica. A word of warning though. The customs in Costa Rica is much stricter than in Panama. At least that has been our experience. We have never paid any custom duties for the many many packages of new items we have received here in Panama. But once my mom sent a box to the Costa Rica Post office at Pasa Canoas, and we paid a heavy custom duty on a box filled mostly with used clothes.
If you want to send and receive mail & packages in Panama, you may want to look into using a mail service such as Mailbox Express or Hot Express. You can find out more about your mail service options here.
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The short answer is that you are able to send and receive mail in Panama. But you must do it differently than "back home".
Instead of writing an incredibly long post about mail in Panama, I broke my answers into 4 parts. This post is Part 1, what to do about your current mail, Part 2 - Postal Service in Panama, Part 3 - Domestic Mail in Panama, and Part 4 - Best way to send & receive mail & packages.
Here I answer the first 2 questions
1) What to do with the mail you get now?
2) Can you get that mail sent to your home in Panama?
Right now you get mail delivered 6 days a week to your home. Most of it is junk, but you most likely want to continue to get some of it once you are in Panama.
Of course, you could just take a pass and leave all that mail behind. Let someone else recycle it. What a relief that would be, huh?
The problem is that every once in awhile you get something important in the mail. Something you want to read.
1) Go paperless as much as possible. This is easy to do for your credit card, bank statements, and even for your magazine subscriptions. Most businesses prefer to email you rather than use snail mail. They make it easy for you to go paperless. It save them money. And it saves trees.
2) Stop all junk and unwanted mail. The post office won't forward junk mail to your virtual mail box. But they will still forward you non-junk, but unwanted mail. Stopping junk and unwanted mail is not always easy.
I recommend you do 3 things to free up your mail box (virtual or not).
Actually you probably will want to do those 3 things whether you move to Panama or not.
Now how do you get your remaining mail sent down to Panama. Actually, it is best not to send it down. Do you really want to pay to ship your mail down without knowing if you want to read it or not? There are other ways to get your mail, without getting it physically delivered to you.
You can forward your mail to a friend or family member and have them deal with it. This may be the best route for you. But it does have some pitfalls.
We did this at first. We forwarded our mail to a dear friend. The issue was alot of the mail really wasn't dealt with, at least not the way we would have dealt with it.
If you decide to use a friend or family for your mail manager, you also have to be comfortable with them being privy to your personal and financial information. And maybe hearing their advice on how they think you should handle your affairs.
A better way, a way that will work, even when your sister is ill with the flu, is a virtual mail box.
This is the easiest & most affordable way to continue to get your mail "delivered" to you in Panama.
The service will give you an address in the USA, usually in Florida, sometimes in Texas. I had one who gave me an address in New York. Of course, there are also virtual mail box services in Canada and throughout Europe too.
Note: If you will be paying taxes in the US, and your only "residence" in the US will be your virtual mailbox you may want to make sure your virtual address is in Florida or Texas or another state that also does not have a state income tax.
Your Virtual Mailbox Service takes a photo of the envelope and posts it to your account. You review these on-line. If you want to see what is in the envelope, they will scan it for you. If you get a check, they will deposit it for you. If you get a package (or a letter you want a hard copy of), they will forward it to any service you also subscribe to (eg. Mailbox Express, Airbox Express), which will then deliver it to you in Panama. (See how to get packages delivered in Panama).
The service will give you instructions on how to set up your virtual mailbox. Basically, you will have to fill out a form authorizing them to collect your mail etc. You will also need to submit a forwarding address request to your home country's postal service. Also, don't forget to update your address with anyone who sends you wanted mail that you don't want to get electronically.
First, you need to determine what mail services you need.
Some items to consider whether you need, or not.
Pick the service that provides you the services you need at an affordable price. I would recommend doing a Google search for reviews of your top 3 picks. Maybe ask on various Panama forums. You want to use one that other people have been happy with.
We use one a very simple one, USA Mail1 They scan the envelopes and open them when we request them to. Simple. And only $10/mo.
Services usually charge a flat monthly fee. Typically they charge extras based on volume of mail, storage requirements, whether you need mail forwarding, etc.
In the list virtual mailbox companies below, I included the range of costs. As you will see, you can pay anywhere from $0 or $8 to $179/mo depending on the company and the services you want to have.
Be careful. The monthly fee usually covers a set number of letters/scans, and perhaps some basic mail forwarding service. Over this set amount you typically get charged a per letter fee. Some services charge a postage deposit, shipping fees, enrollment and cancellation fees as well.
There are a number of virtual mail box companies. A Google search will give you a list.
Make sure the one you chose provides all the services you desire at the price you want.
I have heard good things about Mail Box Forwarding. We use USA Mail1. I have no complaints about them, but we only use their most basic package.
There are many others, here is just a sampling.
In Canada:
In USA:
I am not recommending any service in particular. You should do your own research on them.
Moving to Panama? You may want to use our Moving To Panama Checklist.
I must admit that before we attended the conference, we would never have considered going to an event like this.
But now that we went. I definitely see the value in it.
We always encourage people to make sure that Panama is right for them BEFORE moving down. Which means you must do 2 critical things:
1) Visit Panama
2) Discover the good and the bad of life in Panama
Attending this conference allows you to quickly discover if Panama is right for you.
Many people waste so much time researching Panama online. Then when they finally come down to visit they discover it doesn't feel right or the facts they found on the Internet were not true.
Also attending the conference keeps you from procrastinating.
Buying tickets to this conference means you really will go to Panama. Instead of saying you will visit Panama "some day", you can say "I'm going to Panama in February 2018".
Then you can have fun mapping out your trip so you can explore your favorite spots in Panama while you are in the country.
The Live & Invest Panama Conference is an information smorgasbord on Panama.
There are presentations by bankers, attorneys, visa specialists, insurance folks, property experts, and tax advisors, shippers, property managers, experienced and successful investors and business owners. As well as people like Reyn & me. People who have lived in Panama and can share their experience and advice.
I was especially relieved by the fact that they didn't ask us to sugar coat any of our Panama advice & insights. We could say anything we wanted. And we did. And we will.
Even after 10+ years living in Panama I learned things at the conference.
Find out more about this Panama conference. Including a detailed program of events and more.
In my opinion, one of the most valuable parts of the conference were the social gatherings.
Come armed with all your questions. Some you will come down to Panama with, and some will be prompted by that day's presentations.
A great time to ask those questions is during one of the twice daily snack breaks or at one of the evening events.
Most of the speakers also attend these events. So you can ask your insurance, cost of living, or any other question you may have. Of course, you can also ask questions at the end of each speaker's presentation, but I find you solicit different types of information at these more informal social gatherings.
Also, you will get to mingle and get to know others who are also considering a move to Panama. You can learn a lot from these fellow travelers, and even become friends.
Of course, it is not like you won't get products marketed to you.
The snack food table is surrounded by vendors marketing a range of Panama-related items.
And of course, many of the speakers have their own products they'd like you to consider. Furthermore, the owners of Live & Invest Overseas, Lief Simon and Kathleen Peddicord, market their own real estate development on the Azuero Peninsula during the conference.
But none of it seems like a hard sell.
LIOS markets this conference much more strongly than what you will experience at the conference itself.
Check out what LIOS says about why you should attend this conference.
We really liked the hotel where the conference was held last time. It had amazing customer service.
But this year's hotel seems even better. It is in Casco Viejo (Old Town). It is Panama's first hotel. It opened it's doors in 1874. President Teddy Roosevelt stayed there.
It doesn't have an imaginative name: Central Hotel Panama. But its French-influenced design was recognized by UNESCO.
Check out its website, and you will see that it is pretty luxurious. I am looking forward to staying there.
When I spoke with the attendees at the last conference, it seemed there were all sorts of discounts available for the conference.
For instance, if you are a reader or member of one of LIOS's divisions, you can save $50 or $100 or even attend the conference for free.
Find out if you qualify for a conference discount on this page.
LIOS has kindly given my readers a special discount of an additional $50 off the cost of registration.
Simply use the coupon code PANAMA50 when signing up, and you'll save an additional US$50 off the cost of registration.
In addition, the Early Bird Discount is still in effect, saving you $250 per person when you register now. That is in addition to the $50 off from using the PANAMA50 code and any other discounts you may be eligible for.
Go here to see all available discounts or to register online. If you want to get the $250/person Early Bird Dicount, I recommend doing it soon.
If you come to the conference, please let me know. Maybe we could find time to grab a beer or a cup of coffee together. It is 3 days long, so I think we could make it work.
I'd also like to know what questions you have about Panama. I am sure others have the same questions. I will try to cover them in my presentation.
I look forward to meeting you there.
Disclaimer: It won't cost you anything, but if you use one of the links above to register for the conference, I may earn a few extra bucks. So if you will be going to the conference, I would appreciate you using one of my links to register. Thank you.
If you want help setting up a tour of Panama, LIOS recommends Barefoot in Panama. A good tour organization. They are also one of the venders at the event.
However, if you want to concentrate on the Chiriqui Province, I can recommend Local Travel Excursions. (The Chiriqui Province includes theses towns: Boquete, Volcan, Boca Chica, David & Puerto Armuelles.)
It will not be as luxurious an experience as you'd have with Barefoot in Panama. However, I think it will give you a better sense of what it would be like to live in the Chiriqui Province. Karen, of Local Travel Excursions, offers a wide variety of services to people moving to or considering a move to Panama.
(FYI: Karen and I both live in the Chiriqui Province. Karen in David. My family in Puerto Armuelles.
I don't benefit financially at all if you book a tour with Karen.)
You can read what we wrote about our experience at last year's LIOS Panama conference.
[leadplayer_vid id="59D1940D3BC4B"]
You are welcome to use the icontainers.com quote request located in the sidebar on this page.
We are are not officially endorsing the company. However, as you heard in the video, Sheryl had a wonderful experience shipping her stuff with icontainers.com
Also, you should check out my Moving To Panama Checklist.
It outlines what you need to do and when. It also includes some advice on what to bring with you to Panama.
Also, stay tuned for Sheryl's video with her advice on "What You Should Bring With You To Panama".
Make sure you don't miss that video. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Betsy: Sheryl moved to Puerto Armuelles, Panama about a year ago.
In this video, she shares her experience and advice on shipping your stuff to Panama. Sheryl didn't want to be videotaped, so you'll hear her, but you won't see her.
I'm Betsy, from Living in Panama, the place for information and advice on being an expat in Panama. Interested? Click subscribe, and hit the bell so you don't miss a video.
You seem to be an expert on shipping your stuff down to Panama. Tell us what do think somebody who's thinking about moving to Panama should know about shipping?
Sheryl: When I decided I was gonna move to Panama, my next big question was,
"Am I gonna take anything or am I gonna leave it all here and start over again in Panama?"
And of course, for me I don't have an abundance of money, so it's a matter of economics.
Can I afford to ship to Panama? Do I have to leave all this stuff, even the furniture my father made for me that I love looking at? My car that is so reliable? And what should I do?
Of course, you look on all these forums, and you see people saying, "Don't bring anything. Just start all over again. It's too expensive. It's way too expensive. Bringing your car is too much of a hassle. You just stay all day at the port, and you just have to stand there in the scorching sun all day."
Those things weren't very promising in terms of bringing it.
Then I started checking prices for shipping.
And in the United States, the shippers make it like super, super hard to get that information.
They won't just quote you a price over the phone. They want to come to your house. They want to check it out. They ask you a gazillion questions. "What do you have here? How many rooms? What are you doing?"
And then they end up quoting you something like $11,000 to $14,000 from door to door. From door in the United States, to door in Panama. And that was just wasn't gonna happen. Just was not gonna happen.
I got so tired of dealing with these shippers.
And then one day I found something, a shipper called icontainers.com. Icontainers.com.
They're actually a company out of Spain, and they don't deal with all that malarkey about, "How many rooms? How many pieces of furniture? How many this? How many that?"
They'll quote you a price. "Do you want a 20 foot container? Or do you want a 40 foot container." It doesn't matter how many pieces of furniture you got.
It doesn't matter the weight. All they wanna know: 20 or 40 foot container.
Betsy: That's simple
Sheryl: Very simple. They ask you where you're moving from, and the port you're shipping to. And then they give you a quote immediately.
They send a truck to your house, it's up to you to load it or get friends to help you load it. Or in my case, I just hired a local moving company to load all my furniture, all my household goods, and my car. 'Cause it was a lot easier for me.
Ports of destination, where it's moving from, where it's going to is gonna make a difference.
If you're about 2 hours from a port, your house is like 2 hours from a port, a 20 foot container is gonna run you about $2,700. And a 40 foot container is gonna run you about $3,100.
Now, I can't say those will be the same prices if you're shipping out of Kansas, because that's a long haul for a truck driver to take from Kansas to a port, so you would just have to go online, and get the quote online. You can call them. They're very friendly and they'll just give you the price.
Sheryl: Then the next question was,
"Take my car, or don't take my car?"
I knew I had a super reliable car, but you read all this stuff on the forums, "Oh it's too much haul. It's too expensive. Blah, blah, blah."
But, you know, it's not true.
I shipped my car in my 40 foot container, along with my household goods.
There are 2 ways. I came in on a Pensionados Visa.
On a Pensionados Visa, I could've done a situation where I didn't pay any taxes on the car coming in because it was over 7 years old.
However, if you do that, it puts you into a different process where they will keep your car for 2 -3 weeks. And you have to pay the daily cost on it. Storage.
My customs lady, and it's very important to have a very good customs lady who gets back to you with all your questions immediately, calculated the cost of what I would pay if I paid all of the duties.
Not just the tax, but tax and all the duties versus what it would cost me to go through the other process for a Pensionados Visa.
What people don't say on all these forums is that with the Pensionados Visa you have to hire an attorney to do half of the customs work to bring it in duty free. And you have to pay a customs person to do the other half. Then you have the daily storage fees.
By the time you calculate all these costs, you compare it with what would happen if you just paid the full amount of duties, it came out to be about $150 difference.
What do I want? Do I want my car in two days? Or do I wanna wait 2-3 weeks and go through some hassles?
Needless to say, I paid that $150 extra dollars.
My car and my container arrived in Panama City on a Wednesday. It was here in Puerto Armuelles by that following Saturday.
The same Saturday. Same week. Got the car off. Got all the goods in. Piece of cake.
A good customs agent will also help you find local moving companies from Panama City to wherever you're moving.
Bringing my car here was one of the best things I ever did.
They say you have a lot of problems with parts and everything else.
Paso Canoas Car Part Stores
Well, here in Puerto Armuelles, we live very, very close to the border, called the Frontera or Paso Canoas. And there are these huge, huge car parts places, stores down there. It's huge.
And I did need to get some parts for my car. They'd finally worn out.
I went right down to Paso Canoas, for my Honda. It was a Honda. Went right down to Paso Canoas, they had the car parts, they put right in. No problem.
Anybody even that lives anywhere in the Chiriquí region, before you freak out and think you have to go to a dealership or you have to go somewhere else, check with Paso Canoas first. Because chances are those big parts stores will have the part that you need.
Betsy: Okay, that's good.
Sheryl: Yeah.
Betsy: Thank you.
Sheryl: Thank you.
Betsy: For more information on living in Panama, please click the link below. Thanks for watching.
To get your questions answered, check out my FAQ about Living in Panama page.
It was a fun trip for us and the kids. We drove to Panama City.
We don’t drive much, but with the improvements to the InterAmericana Highway, it was a pleasure. Especially given that the section between Santiago and David, which used to be horrible, or under construction, it is now a very smooth trip. Although there is still some construction underway.
We enjoyed the chance to spend time together in the car, singing songs and playing 21 questions.
We stopped in Santiago to eat lunch at Subway and have a gelato at the adjacent shop. The little shopping center we stopped at looked remarkably like one in David. Most likely the same company developed it and solicited many of the same stores to locate there. I wonder if we will start seeing clone-like shopping malls in other populous locations on the InterAmericana.
As you can imagine, the conference attendees consisted entirely of 45-70 year-old retirees, or those planning ahead to retirement. The lectures and slide shows took place in one of the Marriot’s several big conference halls.
The conference was at the Marriot Hotel in the banking district of downtown Panama City. It was comfortable and elegant. Something that was especially appealing to our younger daughter Blaise, who really appreciates “fancy”. The hotel was a good choice for the event. It was comfortable and had enough amenities for the 80ish conference attendees, staff, and speaker without feeling cramped. An asset since there were lectures and “meet and greet” opportunities from morning until night for almost 3 full days.
Probably the most outstanding points that I observed were: First of all, Lief Simon is a very comfortable, easy conference facilitator and a very strong public speaker. Although he appeared at all events in a suit and tie, he is not at all stiff, nor artificial when you speak with him. I thoroughly enjoyed his manner and the way that he seamlessly introduced topics and speakers throughout the conference.
Lief is also a very easy guy to chat with in the times between the various events. It was clear that he had a lot of “balls up in the air” during the conference. Yet, he never seemed hurried or stressed, even if there was a momentary hitch in activities. Lief’s style is that of absolute professionalism.
The conference manager was a young French woman named Valentine, who also performed her role flawlessly. We needed to communicate with Valentine on several occasions, and she helped us solve problems, get information, etc…Valentine and her staff were excellent. Lief’s wife Kathleen Pedichord was away in France, I believe. However their daughter Cat was helping to facilitate, and also spoke at the conference. I give five stars to the entire “cast” of the show.
The second fact that I thought most noteworthy was just how serious the attention of the conference attendees was. The atmosphere in the conference room was like a university lecture hall. The students (I mean attendees) had their laptops and notebooks out and there was silence in the room. Except for the voice of the speaker over the PA and the scratching of pens on paper, there was not a sound. I had not anticipated this, but once I got used to it, it only stands to reason.
The attendees of a LIOS Conference, or any other retirement conference represent a section of the overseas retiree population that might be referred to as “the good students”. As opposed to those who just pack an overnight bag, pick a cheap plane fare, and wind up living somewhere for the rest of their lives (or perhaps discovering that they have made a huge mistake).
They were there at the conference ready to listen and to learn. Several people I spoke with had been to other retirement conferences in other countries. A few had been to other LIOS and International Living conferences. The attendees were doing a very thorough job of trying to get as much information as they could about retirement in Panama, before making the big move. This seems like a wise investment in time and money to me.
The conference covered such predictable topics as: Visas, health care, health insurance, home & auto insurance, cost of living, safety and security, shipping your belongings, transporting your pets, banking, and investing. As well as few you wouldn’t think about like Lifecare medical devices, organic agriculture, and trusts. There was a real estate agent and a couple of developers that promoted projects. This included Lief and Kathleen’s beautiful Los Islotes development on the Azuero Pennisula.
Some of the speakers represented their own businesses. There was a man talking about various investment vehicles, including stocks and bonds. There were a couple of guys who had developed cyber security system for email which had some outstanding capabilities. We spoke at length with them during one of the coffee breaks. They were very eager to talk about their product (RPost Communication). Most of this tech talk was over my head. However, Betsy appreciated it.
While there was some promoting during some of the talks, it was to a market that wanted to hear what they had to sell. Those who weren’t interested usually decided not to attend those sessions. Both Betsy and I had been a little wary that the event would have a lot of hype. That is, it would give the good side of Panama without mentioning the bad. At times, there were some issues that were glossed over, but not in a heavy handed way. Overall, we found that the presenters tried to give a realistic picture of Panama.
Betsy and I were among 4 expat speakers who presented. We were the only family with children who spoke. There was a couple from a tiny village of Palo Seco on the western part of the Azuero Peninsula, and a couple from Chitre, a gentleman from Panama City, and Betsy and I from Puerto Armuelles. The task of the expat speakers was to give our views of life in Panama, based upon actually having lived in Panama for a significant number of years.
Our Talk
So, it was our “job” to give a bone fide description of “What it’s actually like to live in Puerto Armuelles, Panama.” Obviously, we didn’t claim to be unbiased in our views. We chose to live in Puerto Armuelles, because we think it’s a great beach town. We also chose Puerto, because we see it as an undervalued investment with a significant potential for growth.
By the time we were finished speaking, everyone knew a little bit about Puerto Armuelles, and about our family’s experience living here for the past ten years. This is good, since before we spoke, most of the folks in the room had never heard of Puerto Armuelles. We tried hard to give a realistic view of our experiences. We talked about everything from moving down, to remodeling, to what we do for fun, and a few things in between. We strived to give an unglossy picture of our life.
Our presentation was on the morning of the first day and lasted for just thirty minutes. However, for the rest of the three day conference, folks came up to speak with us. They wanted to get information and advise from us as Panama experts. When people came up to talk with us during coffee breaks, in the restaurant, or just in the hallway in passing, they seemed very focused on learning more about what information we had to share.
It was fun to elaborate more about what we like, and also what we don’t like, about life in Panama. One comment that we consistently received from attendees was that they felt that our talk was very even-handed in our praise and criticism of life in Panama in general, and Puerto Armuelles, in particular. They said that they felt that they were getting an honest opinion, and not a “glossy, perfect” version of “life in Paradise”. So it seems like we were successful in our goal of giving a realistic picture of life in Panama.
Our final word in the talk was that life in Panama and in Puerto Armuelles is not for everyone. It is important to do your homework. Above all, if you think that just by moving to Panama, you are going to suddenly become a better, happier person, think again. Positive change is an inside job.
Overall, Betsy and I both thought that the LIOS conference was a great education for the expat attendees. We also learned a few things about life in Panama from the perspectives of other attendees. Also there was a Starbucks kitty-corner from the hotel, so we were able to enjoy sometime drinking coffee and relaxing.
We met some nice folks, mostly from the US and Canada. Some of the attendees were compelled enough by our presentation that they ended up coming to visit us in Puerto Armuelles. One man we met at the conference has decided to rent in Puerto Armuelles, while he gets to know the area.
Find out more about our charming beach town of Puerto Armuelles
Already in love with Puerto Armuelles? Check out our affordable properties for sale.
