There had been murmurs around Puerto for the past 2 months that Heavenly Hotel’s founder and owner, Milton Hutto, was in the process of negotiating a sale.
And now, last week, the rumors became true. Milton has sold his 11 room beachfront hotel and restaurant.
The new owners have renamed the hotel/restaurant.
It is now called, Big Daddy’s Beach Resort.
I have had several opportunities to chat with the new owners (Chris, Dave and Justin). They are young, friendly, energetic, and very approachable. And they have lots of experience in hotel/restaurant management, tourism, and culinary arts.
If you have eaten at the hotel recently you have experienced 1st hand the delicious food they are already serving.
These guys are well aware of what it takes to be successful in the hospitality business in Panama. And food is a critical element of that success.
According to the new owners, they have had their eye on Puerto Armuelles for the past 10 years
Like Betsy and I, they recognized Puerto’s potential the 1st time they came to town. However, 10 years ago, Puerto was not ready to give them a good return on their level of investment.
But now, they feel the time is right. It is the ideal time to invest in Puerto Armuelles.
The new owners have hit the ground running. They are getting all their systems set up, connecting with the community, and fine-tuning their plans. Once they do that they will have a Grand Opening event.
At least for now, they have will continue to have the hotel host the Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market.
Click to watch a short video of the 1st Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market
The new hoteliers want to invigorate tourism in Puerto Armuelles.
Boquete to Puerto Armuelles Link
The new team is going to work hard to get their many Boquete friends to Puerto Armuelles. This should strengthen the already existing highland/beach tourism link between the two towns. Expats & locals from Boquete have been increasingly coming down to enjoy the beach life in Puerto Armuelles. Boquete is a mere hour and a half drive from Puerto Armuelles.
With 3 well-known Boquete hotel/restauranteurs promoting the connection, it is likely to become even more popular.
Puerto Armuelles to Boquete
It works into the other direction too. I have been going to Boquete for years to hike, particularly in the dry season, when it is hot here and the surf is flat.
Also, as much as I love Puerto, sometimes it is just nice to blast out of town in the morning, walk in the mountains, and come back in time to jump in the ocean before dinner. Or even go for the weekend. For me, this can be just the refreshing reset that I need.
I know it sounds like an exaggeration. But Panama is such a small country that you can easily get from beach to mountain and back in one day. A couple of years ago I wrote about day-trips to Boquete from Puerto Armuelles.
I have not gotten in contact with Milton Hutto to congratulate him yet and ask him what he plans to do next. One thing I am sure of is that Milton has no plans to retire.
Milton is not quite as young as the new hotel owners, but he, too, has boundless energy and enthusiasm. He is never still, and he has a million good ideas that he follows through on.
Milton Hutto has been an amazing contributor to the development of our expat community in Puerto Armuelles. Milton has been a great “connector” of people here in Puerto, which has been a great help to our expat community.
Milton has built and operated Heavenly’s Hotel and restaurant, at least a couple of other business, as well as building a few houses. We are very grateful for Milton’s many contributions.
It is my understanding that Milton will continue to live and invest in Puerto Armuelles (This is only rumor)
The sale of Heavenly’s Hotel is a “win-win-win” for Puerto Armuelles, Milton, and the new owners.
You can find more information on the hotel here.
Thanks for reading,
Reyn
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Below is a partial list of some recent positive developments in Puerto
(Please note: We are investors and builders here. Plus we really love our town. So our views are bound to be biased. We encourage you to ask others familiar with Puerto Armuelles for their views).
Obviously, the biggest news is that Del Monte is actively preparing to use the old Chiquita Banana plantation lands.
We are told that work has already begun to restore the plantations to an arable state.
All signs seem to point to Del Monte successfully setting up shop here in Puerto Armuelles.
However, I tend to agree with my Panamanian neighbor, who says he won't truly believe that Del Monte is coming to Puerto Armuelles, “until I have tasted my first locally grown Del Monte banana”.
The issue is that there is too little access to reliable news about this deal. For the most part, you need to rely on what you read in the political party-controlled national news.
Please read our other posts on Del Monte in Puerto Armuelles.
Regardless, I believe that there is much more than “just a banana deal” underway in Puerto Armuelles.
It has recently become more difficult to find a good mason in Puerto Armuelles. This is good news.
The reason for this is because the construction of a modern new hospital has required the hiring of numerous skilled masons, electricians, plumbers, welders, etc…
This project is predicted to take two years to complete. Read more about Puerto Armuelles new hospital here.
I am looking forward to rehiring one of my favorite masonry workers when the masonry phase of construction at the hospital is complete.
All of that digging up of our local roadways appears to be bearing fruit, as the improved fresh water supply and waste water removal systems are starting to come online.
Granted, the final waste water disposal plant, a couple of miles south of town, is not yet up and running. But, there is noticeable improvement to our fresh water supply, and pressure. It seems almost inevitable that both systems will soon be complete.
At the entrance into town, there is now a big new Terpel brand gas & service station.
This might not seem too significant; after all it’s just a gas station.
However, when the main national fuel brand decides to build a large new gas station, with a mini mart and an automotive repair shop, right at the main entrance to a town, it's a good sign for future development.
I imaging that the executives at Terpel are privy to more development information than the rest of us. The fact that the big players are purchasing strategic pieces of Puerto Armuelles, can only be considered a positive growth indicator.
The gas station was completed late last year. Now, almost suddenly, a large traffic circle, right in front of the gas station, is nearly complete (see photo).
The traffic circle (or roundabout) is a good choice for this busy 3-way intersection.
Unlike past traffic improvements, the traffic circle looks like the kind of quality forward-thinking decision that is made when it is known that car traffic will definitely be increasing. The last time that this sort of planning took place in Puerto Armuelles was when Chiquita Banana Co. was here.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, in 2006, when our family arrived in Puerto Armuelles, literally a third of the downtown retail shops were closed and their store fronts covered with plywood (the look was like New Orleans, post Hurricane Katrina).
Fast forward 11 years:
In all cases, it is crystal clear that local business owners are now willing to invest in their town again. In my conversations with local business owners, they have told me that they now feel confident about expanding their business and even opening new ones.
So it is not just Del Monte and the Government investing in Puerto Armuelles. It is local and outside of Puerto business people too. Private investment of this scale builds its own momentum.
It seems clear that Puerto Armuelles is on an up escalator.
Another sign of the increased activity in Puerto is the very noticeable increase in the number of the 'For Rent' signs you now see. As well as a few more 'For Sale' signs.
In the past, people who were looking for a rental, just asked around. News of rentals was mostly word of mouth. There weren't many rentals, but there weren't many people looking for rentals anyway.
Now that has changed.
A new influx of Del Monte employees are coming in, and more are expected. But it is more than Del Monte workers. More people, both expats and Panamanians, are coming to Puerto Armuelles looking for rentals. As well as property to purchase.
So now people who had not considered being landlords, are preparing vacant houses for rent. Landlords who have rented out houses, are now turning those houses into duplexes to capture the increased demand.
Also, since there are now there are more buyers, more sellers want it to be known that they are willing to sell. That is why you see more for sale signs as well.
Of course, many people here do not want to sell. People here generally love Puerto Armuelles. As a general rule, Portenos only leave Puerto if they cannot find work here.
Along with the increased demand for services comes, obviously, an increased demand for places to dine out. There have been new restaurants sprouting up all over town.
Of course, not all are of a quality that is of interest to most expats. However, there are a few good, but not great,places to eat out.
Most recently, we have a new chain restaurant, Rosti Pollo. I have not eaten there yet.
I could add many more development details. But I will close with a couple that appeal to me personally.
First, there is an expat woman, Joan, who is opening a yoga retreat center here in Puerto Armuelles. She is opening it in partnership with the Tsunami Inn, which is located in the San Vicente neighborhood.
Joan is a yoga practitioner who was looking for a retirement business, as well as a retirement location that really attracted her. She chose Puerto Armuelles.
Betsy and I have both taken yoga classes in the past, so we are especially interested in the arrival of such an opportunity. Please see Betsy’s video interview of Joan here.
I recently learned about another great development. Milton Hutto, owner of Heavenly’s Hotel, is purchasing a 30' boat for use by visitors. I did not ask him for details when he mentioned this, because we were having a planning meeting for the upcoming Flea market/artisan market on September 2 at Heavenly’s Hotel.
Which is anther sign of the times. On the 1st Saturday of every month, Puerto Armuelles will now have a artisan & flea market. The first one is in just a few days, Sept. 2nd, 2017. You can learn more about The Puerto Armuelles Saturday Market here.
I am thrilled that Milton is getting a boat as a first step to kick off a marine tourism business here in Puerto Armuelles. In addition, he will be creating a floating dining area, on the sea, just outside his hotel/restaurant. His hotel is located in the San Vicente neighborhood.
We have plans to open a small boat launch at the Corazon De Oro development. However, we are waiting to see how many people are interested. We have already heard from 5 or 6 that say they are.
Currently, we are focussed on building our first Living In Panama House. We have had nothing but positive feedback from the people who have visited the site. Click to see the 1st phase of construction of the Living in Panama House.
More recently, there has been a weather station in David.
But now, finally, there is a weather station in Puerto Armuelles!
We can thank Brenda and Don of the Tsunami Inn for it.
Brenda and Don started visiting Puerto Armuelles years ago. They even bought property.
More recently, they moved down full-time and became part-owners of the Tsunami Inn.
The Tsunami Inn is one of 2 beach hotels in the San Vicente neighborhood of Puerto Armuelles.
Brenda and Don, particularly Don, were also bothered that there was no weather station in Puerto Armuelles. They had had a weather station when they were living in Tool, Texas. So they set one up here.
You can see it in the image above. It is attached to their home, which is on the grounds of the Tsunami Inn.
Brenda made 2 observations about the weather station.
So keep that in mind when you look at the results of their weather station.
Okay, so how can you use the weather station to find out the weather in Puerto Armuelles.
I also have the widget for Puerto Armuelles's weather station on this site. Look in the sidebar on this post.
The information also appears in the sidebar of all my 'About Puerto Armuelles' pages.
If you are interested about the climate and weather in Panama, I wrote a detailed article about the weather in Panama here.
Please Comment Below
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The more formal one, followed by the more casual dog show. I have captured the causal version of the dog show in the video above.
It is only in that less stringent show, that our dog, Ziggy, could win the most obedient dog award. Which he did.
The dog show happened in the parking lot of the Romero Supermarket in Puerto Armuelles.
Romero is a major supermarket chain in Panama. They sponsor dog shows throughout Panama.
We meet a young woman at the show who had had participated at the dog show in Bugaba 2 weeks ago.
She had come down to Puerto Armuelles from David to be in our dog show as well. She has 2 dogs. She belongs to a dog club and takes it very seriously. She didn't even bother to have her dogs out during the 2nd, less formal, dog show. They stayed in the shade and in the car.
In the video, I also discuss start times in Panama. How some events start right on time and some don't.
You have to be here for awhile to figure out which type of events will start promptly and which do not. Although, you can still get it wrong when you are not a native - as you will see in the video.
You can hear me, Betsy, doing a voice over in the video. Here is what I say:
You can check out a bit of the dog show in Puerto Armuelles, Panama.
Well, this dog show was really over when we arrived. They were giving out prizes and taking photos.
But it turns out, that even though we had thought it was over, and we'd come late because we didn't think it was starting right away. There's two parts of the dog show.
And we were pulled into it, happily, for my daughter, there, with our dog Ziggy. Because she had wanted to put her dog in.
And Veronique, who is with the cast, we had told about this dog show, so she is happily there.
But Sheryl, who you see there, she was just coming over to have us help her fix something. We had told her we were going to be there so we could fix it while we were there.
But we're all pulled into the second part.
You can see there's little obedient checks. Whether the dog will come to you, whether it will sit...
They do one run of that.
And then they have the audience give their input. They base the 2nd round of prizes on how much applause each person got.
Pretty much everyone got some dog food.
Here's an interesting cultural item.
You can easily think that everything happens late in Panama. You know, its a relaxed lifestyle.
Things tend to be late, but not everything.
When my husband was at Romero's. They said the dog show was going to be starting in a few minutes.
My husband looked around and said it didn't look like it would start for about an hour. But it started right away.
When we showed up, an hour and 20 minutes later, it was pretty much over. The main part at least.
And so, that is something we should have known - that the dog show would start on time. There's certain things that start on time.
It's just one of those things you kind of have to learn over time. What things start on time and what things are likely to be very very late.
One thing I do like about Panama, is that there is no pre-registration. Maybe for the first part, people pre-registered. But I'm sure if you showed up, you could still participate in that. And here, we were completely not prepared for the second part, and it was fine.
It is not necessary to do a lot of pre-planning in your life. And I love that about Panama.
I made a slideshow type video of the 1st annual dog show. The monthly spay and neuter clinic happened on the same day last year and I included some photos of that as well. You can see that video here.
Learn more about Puerto Armuelles by starting here.
If you already love Puerto, explore our Puerto Armuelles real estate.
Updated: March 24, 2017
As of March 6th, you cannot renew your Panama Tourist Visa, unless you leave Panama for at least 30 days.
That's right you must leave for 30 days.
Don't worry, you are exempt if your residency visa application is being processed.
However, for those applying for residency, make sure you are given an ID showing that your residency is in process. Without that ID you need to comply with the new Tourist Visa regulations.
It is the steadily increasing number of people working on a perpetually renewed tourist visa that sparked the uproar.
I don't think the changes are prompted by North Americans doing this. In my opinion, it is the perpetual "tourists" from other latin american countries that caused this massive rule changes. (The government has also changed some work permit rules.)
When I was in Panama City last month, most of the waiters I talked to were from Nicaragua or Colombia. I was told that the authorities have been increasingly making surprise visits to businesses and asking to see all the workers work permit documents. The large number of illegal workers has been a growing government concern.
Given that Venezuelans were the primary subject of most of the initial border crossing stories there may even be more Venezuelans than other nationalities working illegally in Panama. But whether that is true or not, the new rules are apply to all tourists, regardless of their country of origin.
In general, Panama is very protective of jobs for Panamanians. For instance, there are 25 categories of jobs that foreigners are forbidden to hold by Panamanian law. It is also why they have also recently changed how easy it is to get a work permit for friendly nation visa holders.
So it is not surprising they are coming down hard.
There are increasing numbers of people working in Panama, illegally, on a tourist visa.
Need a residency visa? Here are 4 Panama visas you may qualify for.
Even before this rule change there was a number of reasons to get residency in Panama.
90 vs 180 Day Tourist Visa
For citizens of some countries, Panama will now only issue a 90 day tourist visa. It was President Varella's predecessor, President Martinelli, who lengthened it to 180 days.
In Varella's Executive Decree No. 590 he shortened it back to the 90 day tourist visa.
However, in Decree No. 591, of the same day, Varella made an exception to the 90 day tourist visa for citizens of countries which are not required to get a tourist visa BEFORE they arrive in Panama.
Therefore, citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and many other countries will be issued an 180 day tourist visa. This page of wikipedia has a list of all the countries which are not required to have a visa to visit Panama. If you hold a passport from any of those countries, you will be issued a 180 day tourist visa in Panama.
(Note: you can only legally drive a vehicle for first 90 days on a tourist visa, even if you have a 180 day visa.)
30 Day Exit
The biggest change to the tourist visa is its renewal policy.
Now, to renew a tourist visa (both 90 and 180 day visas) tourists are required to leave Panama for a minimum of 30 days before reentering Panama.
Legal Residents & Applicants
If you are a foreigner (e.g., American, Canadian...) with legal Panamanian residency this does not impact you. A foreigner with legal residency in Panama is not required to stay outside the country x number of days before being allowed to re-enter.
Again, if you have applied for your residency visa, but don't have it yet, you should receive an ID showing that your residency is in process. If you have that ID, you are also not required to stay outside the country x number of days before being allowed to re-enter. (Note, if you don’t have this ID, then you should leave Panama before your tourist visa ends.)
Keep in mind, that the officials at the border crossing don't always understand the rule changes themselves. Always be polite and gracious. If you need to, simply ask to see their manager.
Here is the email that the American Citizen Services department of the US Embassy in Panama sent out about these changes.
The U.S. Embassy in Panama would like to inform all U.S. Citizens in Panama that on March 6th 2017, the Panamanian Immigration Authority (Servicio Nacional de Migracion-SNM) announced new guidance for Panamanian immigration officials on the enforcement of pre-existing regulations.
According to the SNM, immigration officials have been instructed to be stricter about the enforcement of the regulation that foreigners entering Panama with tourist status prove that they are in fact entering Panama as tourists and not residing in Panama.
Since the announcement, the Consular Section has received many questions from U.S. citizens about this new guidance.
Below are the most frequently asked questions along with the responses the Consular Section received from the SNM.
Should you have further questions, please reach out to the SNM directly via phone at507-1800 or visit their website at: http://www.migracion.gob.pa
In order to re-enter Panama on tourist status, does a U.S. Citizen need to return to their country of origin (the country from which they came into Panama) or can they return from a third-country (example: Costa Rica)?
Answer: In the new guidance SNM does not specify if the tourist needs to return his/her country of origin. What is being implemented is that, in most cases, the person needs to leave Panama for a minimum of 30 days before reentering as a tourist.
In order for a person to re-enter Panama on tourist status, what is the minimum amount of time the person needs to spend outside of Panama?
Answer: The new requirement that is being implemented by SNM in reference to time spent out of Panama is a minimum of 30 days before applying for admission, in most cases.
In order for a person to re-enter Panama on mariner visa status, what is the minimum amount of time the person needs to spend outside of Panama.
Answer: According to SNM, mariner visas are valid for 90 days and must be renewed on the 90th day, or the day before, from the date of the previous mariner visa stamp. Mariner visas can only be renewed once before the visa- holder needs to exit Panama. The amount of time the person with the mariner visa needs to stay outside of Panama is not specified by SNM.
If entering Panama on tourist status, does the method of entry need to match the method of exit (i.e. can a U.S. Citizen enter Panama on a plane and use as proof of exit evidence that they own a boat in Panama and plan to exit via boat)?
Answer: The method of entry and exit into and out of Panama does not have to be the same so long as the entries and departures are met legally by using established Ports of Entry – land, maritime or air and admitted by a Panamanian immigration officer.
Do U.S. Citizens with legal Panamanian residency status also require a roundtrip ticket when entering Panama?
Answer: No. A foreigner with legal residence in Panama does not need to show proof of exit from Panama.
Is a person applying for Panamanian residency required to stay in Panama for the entire duration of time required to complete the residency process? If so, what happens if the process takes more than the allotted six months for tourist status.
Answer: If the person has an ID that shows that his/her residency is in process, the person is fine to leave and return to Panama. If there is no ID, then the person should exit as a tourist (i.e., before the sixth month approaches).
How long does the FBI Identification Record process, required for purposes of obtaining residency in Panama, take? Can this process be expedited?
Answer: For information on the FBI identification record process, individuals may visit https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. According to the FBI website, the current turnaround estimate for these records is 12 to 14 weeks plus the amount of time the results may take to arrive in the mail. Currently there is no option to receive the response electronically. For questions on this topic, individuals may call (304) 625-5590 or write an email to [email protected]
Tourists are only allowed to drive in Panama for 90 days. Is there an exception for this given that tourists are allowed to stay in Panama for 180 days?
Answer: According to the Transit authority (http://www.transito.gob.pa/sites/default/files/reglamento_decreto_640..pdf) foreigners that enter Panama as tourists are not permitted to obtain Panamanian drivers’ licenses and are only allowed to drive with a foreign license for 90 days. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Can SNM waive the FBI Identification Record process if a person does not exit Panama for two years? If so, would there be an exception to the 180 day stay limit for tourists for a person trying to obtain this waiver?
Answer: If a person stays in Panama for more than two years then the FBI requirement does not apply. The waiver of the FBI requirement applies to those people that stay in Panama two years, without exiting. In these cases, a fine is paid by the person for overstaying their tourist visa and the person is only required to present a PNM police record rather than the FBI check.
You can find all the decrees and laws that affect immigration at Panama's department of immigration (Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá or SNM). You can visit their website or call them at 507 1807 or 507-1822.
Do you want to live long term in Panama?
Explore out our affordable Puerto Armuelles real estate.
So, on Feb. 15, Reyn and I will share why and how we decided to live in Panama.
And, most importantly, what it is really like to live here in Panama.
The Live and Invest Overseas (LIO) literature about the conference is a bit over the top.
But it looks like the hype could be limited to getting people to attend the conference.
They even magnify the benefits of the accommodations. For instance, in their conference sales page, they state you save money because their special hotel rate includes free breakfast and free wifi. They assert "Internet alone can cost you US$30 a day at some hotels!" However, I have stayed in Panama City countless times and have never been charged for wifi, and almost always breakfast is included in my stay. You can see their sales page here.
However, in no way has LIO asked us to sugar coat or hype our presentation. They simply asked us to share what we would typically share about living in Panama.
So that is our plan. Our talk will be the straight scoop on our experiences moving to and living in Panama.
If possible I will tape our presentation and share it with you, our readers.
Our plan is to attend most, if not all, of the conference.
Neither of us have ever been to an event like this. I am very curious about what is presented and whether it seems realistic. Also, we want to be around to answer attendees questions.
I will write about our impressions when we return.
Although, we have never been to a LIO (or any) Panama conference, we have been in communication with them.
Back in 2013, 2 young men from Live and Invest Overseas came to do a report on our town, Puerto Armuelles. You can read about Live and Invest Overseas' visit to Puerto Armuelles, Panama.
Also, Reyn and I once interviewed Lief Simon of LIO via Skype about his Panama experiences. We put together a video in which he talks about the cost of living in Panama.
Have you been to a conference like this one before?
What was your experience? would you recommend it to a friend?
Please share in the comments below.
Jan. 26, 2017
On my very first morning, I went to the beach at Corazon de Jesus on for a swim.
I had been told that the November rains were heavy this year and that there was still a lot of drift wood on the beach. However, to my eyes it looked pristine and beautiful.
I had been away for over three months this trip. I had been spending my days in a very cold, grey, and rainy Seattle, so I was not aware of anything other than a perfect morning at the beach.
I was the only one out. The gentle curve of the beach was an empty crescent. Just the sand, nearly mirror flat, the early morning ocean, and I.
I took a short swim, which was plenty. (Note to self: I am really out of shape). But, man did I feel wonderful! The water was probably a warm 80 degrees, or so.
After swimming, I decided to go visit some of my neighbors on the beach.
There are several ex-pat residents in the Corazon de Jesus neighborhood. I was especially interested in talking to a couple of these folks who are doing construction on their homes using local contractors.
I enjoyed hearing about their experiences with the various contractors and sub-contractors. I will write about what I learned in a future post.
In the few days I've been back in Puerto Armuelles, I am noticed a number of new northern faces.
One woman, who had just ended a Panama relocation tour, made a special visit to Puerto. She said that she heard about Puerto Armuelles on our site, and wanted to check out for herself.
She says that she has "caught the Puerto bug". We’ll see if she decides to join us in Puerto soon.
Several of our visitors have visited Puerto more than once to “check it out” and are now expressing interest in buying. Most of our recent buyers are either from Canada or from northerly parts of the US.
A few folks have decided to rent homes in Puerto, rather than buying. Hopefully more rentals will continue to come on the market to meet this growing need for long-term rentals.
Some big news is that Del Monte may finally be coming to Puerto to start up banana production this June 2017. At least this is what the news media here tell us.
My most skeptical Panamanian neighbors here say they will only believe Del Monte is coming when they have peeled and eaten a Del Monte banana that was grown in the soils of Puerto Armuelles.
We all hope Del Monte really does come to Puerto. The town will benefit from the mostly working class jobs that Del Monte will provide.
However, as far as the arrival of ex-pats and any tourist industry here are concerned, I do not think that Del Monte will have much effect. I believe we have passed the “tipping point” and growing appeal of Puerto Armuelles to expats and Panamanians alike is certain. It is already happening.
But don’t believe me: Come visit and see for yourself. Who knows? You might “catch the Puerto bug” too.
You can learn more about Puerto Armuelles here.
Updated Dec 13, 2019
You can accomplish many tasks at one of these ACS travelling shows.
As I mentioned, the ACS visits David and/or Boquete every 3 to 4 months. If you are lucky, their visit will be in time to save you a trip to Panama City.
To find out when they will be in town, you can visit the embassy's website, email [email protected], or give them a call during their very limited phone-answering hours.
Unfortunately, the embassy doesn't set the date for ACS's visit to the Chiriqui province much in advance of it happening.
The ACS will only accept payment by local banker’s cashier check (known in Spanish as “Cheque Certificado”). That is, the check needs to be issued by a Panamanian bank. It must be made payable to “U.S. Embassy Panama” and have been issued within the past 5 months.
The ACS will NOT accept cash or credit card payments. The notarial fee is $50 per each signature of the Consular Officer.
Depending upon which ACS services you will be using, you will need to bring the following documents.
Passports: For adult passport renewals, in addition to the completed DS-82 application, provide one recent color photo with a white background that measures 5x5 cm (2X2 inches), your passport, and a photocopy of the photo page of your passport. The fee for an adult passport renewal is currently $110. If your previous passport was lost or stolen you will also need to bring a copy of the police report and the fee for the new passport is $135.
You will be happy to learn that you can complete adult passport renewals by mail (or Uno Express). You do not have to visit the embassy in person to renew.
For minor passport renewals, in addition to the completed DS-11 application, bring a copy of the photo page of the minor’s passport, a copy of both parents’ passports /cedulas, one recent color photo with a white background that measures 5x5 cm (2X2 inches) and a copy of the minor’s birth certificate, in addition to the original birth certificate and passport/ cedulas. The fee is currently $105.00 for a minor (under 16) passport renewal. The minor and both parents or guardians must appear in person. If only one parent is present in Panama, the “Statement of Consent from Absent Parent” Form DS-3053, notarized in the U.S., is required. Please note that the DS-3053 will not be accepted if notarized in Panama.
Notarizations: If you are requesting the notarization of your driver’s license, bring a photocopy of the front and back page of your license, as well as your license. If you are requesting notarization of benefits documents, bring the original and a copy of the document(s) showing the amount of benefits you receive monthly or annually. The notarial fee is $50.00 for each signature of the Consular Officer. Visit this US Embassy webpage to learn all the details regarding getting a document notarized there or at the visiting ACS unit.
Voting: You can submit your completed absentee ballot, no postage required, at the travelling ACS unit (or at the US Embassy in Panama City).
If you haven’t yet registered to vote or requested an absentee ballot, you can find out how to do those things by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance program's website. I also explain how US citizens can register and vote from Panama in this post: How To Vote in US Elections While In Panama.
LPR Abandonment: Bring completed form I-407 and a photocopy of your Permanent Resident Card, as well as your Permanent Resident Card. (Filling out this form means you decided to voluntarily abandon your status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States.)
The Embassy stresses that all your copies of the required documents, noted below, need to be legible.
SSA Proof of Life: If you are required to comply with this requirement, please bring your cedula or passport.
Medicare Enrollment/Cancellation: To enroll in Medicare, you should complete and sign form CMS 40B. To find out more about Medicare eligibility and how to cancel your participation, this US government Medicare page is a good place to start.
Social Security Replacement Card: Bring a copy of your valid U.S. passport and completed form SS-5FS.
Social Security Card for child under 12: Bring a copy of the U.S. passport for one of the parents, the child’s “copia integra” birth certificate, and the child’s U.S. passport (as well as copies) as well as completed form SS-5FS.
Change of Address for Social Security: Bring your current passport or cedula.
International Direct Deposit Enrollment: You should bring the necessary form and whatever other documents the form instructions requests. Before the ACS visit, e-mail the SSA Federal Benefits Unit ([email protected]) to request the enrollment form.
You can get more information on getting your Social Security checks directly deposited into your bank account (in the US or in Panama) on this US Embassy webpage.
If you live in Panama and have questions regarding Social Security, you must contact the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) located in Costa Rica. For more information on their services and how to contact them, please visit their webpage.
For comprehensive information on SSA’s services abroad, please visit SSA’s Service Around the World.
Also, I wrote a post about how to continue to receive SSA benefits while in Panama.
In fact, soon after our announcement our very first student began receiving one-on-one English conversation practice.
He appears to be advancing in his English speaking and listening proficiency at a very rapid rate. This student is highly motivated and also spends several hours each day listening to podcasts in English, as part of his self-created “English Immersion” program.
Obviously, we are still in the formulation phase of our project. We have no fixed structure in place. While we are still uncertain about the details, we are certain that there is a need for such a program. The best way to learn English is by being exposed to native English speakers.
If you are interested in participating in any way, please contact us.
Perhaps you have skills that could be useful to the program, even beyond simply tutoring in English. We are especially interested in talking with someone who is skillful in coordinating communication among the students and volunteers in the program. We are looking for volunteers to:
I am positive that I am not capable of all of the emails, texts, etc…that may be required, as the program gains momentum. However, I am available to participate in developing the process and introduce new tutors and students to the program. As the program grows, as I am sure it will, I may even be able to provide a physical space in Puerto Armuelles for holding classes, or one-on-one tutoring sessions.
Over the next year or so, it would be wonderful if we could offer English conversation opportunities to a 1 - 2 dozen motivated young people in Puerto Armuelles.
Hopefully, this program will help increase the English language proficiency in Puerto Armuelles. Fluency in English will certainly give these young people access to many opportunities in fast-developing Panama.
In recent months, we have talked with more expats who have plans to move to Panama, and Puerto Armuelles. Some of them already have a desire to help the young people of Puerto Armuelles. Many have also said they'd be interested in volunteering in the English tutoring program. Added to the longer-term expats in the area, we should be seeing a growing pool of potential volunteers.
Tutoring a young person from Puerto Armuelles in English is a great way to get involved in the community, in positive way, without making too big a commitment.
Not a Permanent Commitment
If you want want to volunteer, but don't want to commit, that is perfectly fine. You can assess as you go along. You can see if you would like to increase your participation, or back out if you discover you don't enjoy it. No worries or judgements. But for some expats, retiree or otherwise, this could be just the sort of adventure that they have been looking for.
An Exchange Program
We have also gotten requests for Spanish language lessons from local expats, particularly from retirees. For this reason, the idea of a “language exchange” program has emerged.
An exchange, or “intercambio” is a great way for an expat to share their own English language skills with a local youth. In exchange, the youth would help you to learn Spanish. This kind of program has been successful in many places. There is no reason that it couldn’t work for us here in Puerto Armuelles.
Please let us know if you are interested in participating in an intercambio.
Please let us know if you are interested or have any comments or suggestions.
