November 27 2012
Do you Have A Panama Pensionado Visa?
Good news.
You can now easily get a cedula.
Life is much easier in Panama with a cedula.
The editor of The Panama Guide, Don Winter, writes this about this new development.
“Cool. Now everyone out there who already has a pensionado visa can also obtain your permanent identification card (cedula). This is a big advantage, because in the Panamanian business community as soon as you flash a cedula, then they relax because you’ve been completely identified, even though you’re a foreigner. I zip through the airport using the “Panamanian” line in immigration, just by showing my cedula.”
In August 2012, the National Immigration Service (SNM) announced:
- Before permanent residency was being given to retirees, but they could not complete the process to be given a personal identification card (cedula).
- Now Pensionados can be issued a cedula.
What is A Cedula?Â
- “CĂ©dula” comes from the Latin word, schedula, which means a small piece of paper
- In Panama, cédula, refers to the identification card issued by the Civil Registry of Panama.
- Cedulas were first issued for the purpose of voter identification
- The card displays your name, date and place of birth, gender, a photo, signature, thumbprint, as well as the dates of issue and expiration. Â On the back, it also has a magnetic strip that contains all the same information, digitally.
- Used for proof of age. Â This is especially important if you’re entitled to retiree discounts. Â You can get retirement discounts if you have any type of Panama residency visa once you are 60 for men or 55 for women.
- With a cédula, you have more standardized rights and access than those with tourist cards or other non-permanent immigration visas.
- The cédula is now used as an all-purpose national identification card in Panama.
When you are dealing with banks and lawyers, one of the first items you will be asked for is your cĂ©dula.  If you don’t have one, everything seems to get alittle more complicated.
Having a cédula makes life easier in Panama.
It is great news it is now its much easier for Pensionados to get one.