July 27, 2013
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing about 80% of the world's airlines. Their site is helpful.
It provides a list of items to consider when transporting a pet including, airline regulations, government regulations, and the pet itself. For those IATA guidelines, click here.
If you are transporting only one animal — especially if it can travel in the cabin under the seat — you shouldn’t have a lot of difficulty bringing your pet with you to Panama.
Of course, you still must do all the paperwork and your pet must be healthy. However, the process will be pretty straightforward and not very expensive.
It can get more complicated when you have larger or multiple pets.
The Government requires strict adherence to the rules.
You must have the following:
Vaccinations and their documentation
Health Ministry "Home Quarantine" process costs $130.00 per pet.
Your pet's entry into Panama will only be processed Monday through Friday from 8 am to 10pm.
If your pet arrives outside of those times, or on a holiday, your pet will be kept in an airport kennel until the office opens again.
You must check with your airline.
They all have different rules. Some of which include:
Allow your pet to spend time in its travel crate before your trip. Travel is stressful for animals. Getting familiar with its new crate is important. You may want to put a worn T-shirt, or other item, that has your scent on it in the crate with your animal. Unless advised otherwise by your vet, you should not sedate your animal. This is to avoid any unexpected health complications.
Upon leaving the airport, your animal is officially in home quarantine for 30 days. This means that your dog must stay with you at all times for the next 30 days. Sometime during the quarantine period, you will be contacted to ensure that your dog is still healthy.
Once the 30 days have passed, your dog is free from quarantine restrictions.
My older daughter is always asking to bring our dog with us when we visit the States. I have always said no because I fear it is a difficult task. I have heard that you must visit 3 different Panama Ministries and get 3 separate stamps to get the dog out of Panama and into the U.S.A
However, I have not confirmed that process. In a future post I will cover taking pets out of Panama.
FYI , for those of you simply visiting Panama for a short while (i.e., less than 31 days), you don't have to do get all those stamps to bring your pet back with you.
We have never taken a pet to or from Panama. I owe my knowledge to a number of sources, including
Please comment below.
Find out how to ship your car to Panama here.
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Updated: Nov. 14, 2017
This Summer Prove To SSA You Are Alive - Or Else No More SSA ChecksAnd you need to do it every 2 years.
That is how often the US government requires a Proof-of-Life" response from every social security recipient.
Otherwise they will stop your Social Security payments.
FYI, the official name of the "Proof-of-Life" requirement is the Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire.
However, the US Government will only send you this vital Proof-of-Life request if you have an "Acceptable Address".
If you live overseas, what SSA considers an acceptable address is strictly defined.
If you live in Panama, you must provide SSA with your mailing address in Panama. This is true even if your checks are direct deposited into a bank located in the US.
SSA's requirements for an acceptable address:
Note: These requirements are the same regardless of the country you live in. You must provide SSA with your mailing address in that country. In the example above, the country is Panama.
If you haven't provided SSA with an "acceptable address", you need to change your address.
Which means you need to fill out Form SSA-21. Send Form SSA-21 and your passport to the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) of the US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica. For more information on changing your address, visit the US Embassy's Federal Benefits page.
The FBU will inform the SSA of your new Panama address.
You must do this if you want to receive your Proof of Life form/questionnaire.
You must return the questionnaire to SSA by December. If you don't respond in time, your Social Security benefits will be suspended.
That is, you will not receive your Social Security check starting in February or March.
Don't worry. Even if your checks are stopped, you will get all your SSA checks. Unfortunately, it may take some time to restart your checks and receive your back payments.
Go to the "Contact FBU" section below, to learn how to let the FBU know you didn't get your SSA check.
The Regional Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) of the US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica is now responsible for providing Federal Benefit services to US Citizens living in Caribbean, Central and South America countries.
Which means if you live in Panama, the Federal Benefits Unit of the US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica is your "go-to" place for questions about your Social Security benefits (as well as Veterans' benefits and more).
For more information on their services and how to contact them, please visit their webpage. Tip: the best way to contact them is by e-mail:[email protected].
For comprehensive information on SSA’s services abroad, please visit SSA’s Service Around the World.
You will receive your Proof of Life questionnaire every other year. The questionnaires are mailed out in May.
Which year you get it depends upon your social security number (SSN):
If you are 90 years old or older, you will be sent a Proof of Life request every year.
Again, the SSA sends out the questionnaire in May. If SSA does not receive your completed questionnaire by September, it will send out a follow up letter in October.
You must return your proof of life form to SSA before the end of the year.
If August comes and you still haven't received your Proof of Life questionnaire, you need to take action immediately.
You must contact the FBU (see below) ASAP. Part of the mission of the FBU is to help US Citizens receive their SSA payments.
The Federal Benefits Unit in San Jose operates on an appointment-only system.
To tell the FBU about your "lost" SSA check, schedule an appointment, or to ask questions, contact them via their online inquiry form.
They don't promise a speedy reply.
On their webpage they state, "We normally respond to e-mail inquiries within 15-working days." By email inquiries, they mean inquiries made via their online inquiry form.
You can also send the FBU a letter or fax them. The FBU in San Jose, has both a Costa Rica and a USA mailing address. To get those addresses and their fax number, go to their webpage here.
Although the FBU does not provide a phone number, you can call the US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica. Their phone number is (506) 2519-2000. (506 is the country code).
There is also an office to help US citizens living overseas or planning to live overseas with their SSA benefits.
It has a very dry and bewildering name: Office of Earnings & International Operations (OEIO).
You can visit OEIO's website here.
Check out this post on whether expats need to pay into ObamaCare.
March 23, 2013
David Fair A Good Place To Look At Cows & RelaxThere are many many cows on display.
Awards are given for the largest cows and bulls.
With steady climb in cattle prices lately the owners of these cows are feeling very wealthy.
Not only are cattle prices increasing but the agricultural land that they graze on is also going up in price. However, the price of cattle is not the main reason for the increase in agricultural land prices.
The quest for land for palm oil plantations is fueling the price increases. Many investors are looking to make money in the soaring palm oil trade, especially now that your trees can produce oil in 2 to 3 years instead of the former 7 years of the older and taller oil producing palm trees.
Horses and equestrian events are also popular at the fair. It is a good place to be a cowboy.
There are not only displays of all the agriculture in Panama, but many vendors of all sorts of flowers and plants. It is a good place to get a wide variety of plants for your yard and vegetable garden.
The Fair is also a great place to visit for crafts of all sorts. Panama is not a place overflowing with crafts. However, you can find them at the fair. Crafts, paintings, hammocks, hand made chairs, and more are for sale at the David fair. In fact there are so many vendors this year that all the rides were consolidated across the street from the main fair.
Of course, a fair has to have rides. That is the main reason my children clamor to go to the fair. There are also rides on ponies and cows for young children . If you want to go on the rides, keep in mind that the rides don't start until late in the afternoon.
There is also a place to view a wide variety of animals and birds, not just those that live in Panama. The fair used to have 3 ostriches on display. Those have "disappeared" in the last 2 years. There are also lots of animals native to Panama on display like margays, and a variety of tropical birds.
Technically the fair is over on Sunday night. However, if you are looking to buy plants you can usually do so on Monday morning.
Oh, there is also alot of music at the fair. It is a party every night of its 10 day run. We usually leave before the partying starts but for many that is when they arrive.
It costs $2 to attend on the weekends, $1 if you are retired Admission is free if you are under 8 years old.
The David Fair is definitely worth a visit.
What Is The Deal WIth Panama's Pensionado Visa?
In particular, there is a lot of glowing prose written about Panama's Pensionado Visa or Retirement program.
In this post, I will delve into Panama's Pensionado Visa program
This retirement program offers many cost-saving benefits
Panama guarantees your Pensionado status.
Panama has pledged to grandfather in the rights of Pensionado residents. This means that even if Panama changes its laws regarding the Pensionado visa in the future, your status will never change!
In other countries, new laws have affected the status and perks of long-time ex-pat retirees.
It is obvious that Panama wants retirees to choose to live here. The country even makes it easy to bring your pet to live with you.
Yes, the benefits are good, but...
It may not be as wonderful as the over-the-top enthusiastic reviews of the program make it seem.
The list of cost-saving discounts above is not as rose-colored as it sounds.
It is a wonderful program, don't get me wrong.
For instance, pensionados here in Puerto Armuelles only pay $3.89 a month for water. Granted, without a discount your water bill is only $7.10 a month. But still, it all adds up.
I simply want to inject a dose of reality into the wonders of Panama's retirement discussion.
You don't need to be over 55 or 65 to qualify.
There is no minimum or maximum age.
It normally takes 6 months to get the fully approved visa once you submit the application with all the documentation. However, you are issued a temporary visa immediately upon submitting your application.
It usually costs from $1500 to $2000 per person to get this visa. This includes lawyer fees. You can sometimes get a discount if you submit the applications for your dependents or spouse at the same time.
You will also need a boatload of documents. All the documents will need to be certified, authenticated, translated, etc...
I will outline all those requirements in a future post.
Yes, you can.
All Panamanian retirees can enjoy the retirement perks of the Pensionado visa.
This means that if you are of retirement age—60 for men, 55 for women— you can enjoy most of these Pensionado Visa discounts. It doesn’t matter which type of residence visa you are granted.
So again. As long as you are a legal resident of Panama - and of retirement age - you can get the same discounts on services that Pensionados enjoy.
Want to know about other Panama residency visas you may qualify for? Check out this post for 3 other visa types.
Have you done any of these?
As you eat each one, make a wish. 12 wishes for the New Year.
They also say that the grapes will predict how your year will be. For instance, if your 2nd grape is sour, then February will be a bad month. But if you get a sweet grape, that month will be a sweet experience.
Then count the number of seeds.
You use the number of discarded seeds to determine your lucky lottery numbers.
The lottery is very popular in Panama.
Don't forget to clasp some money in your hand while you are eating your grapes!
Having money in your hands at midnight will help ensure you will have money throughout the coming year.
This will ensure a new year full of travel.
It gives you good luck throughout the new year.
It will attract love in the new year
It will attract wealth for the New Year.
Sometimes people also pour water on a pound of rice. I am not sure what this signifies. Perhaps another cleansing ritual.
This will get rid of bad energy from the old year
The benefits of doing this are 3-fold: prosperity, work and health.
One of Panama’s unique New Year traditions is that of the Muñecos.
These life sized effigies are an old Panamanian tradition. These "stuffed people" are called many names:
They are stuffed with firecrackers. Then are lit and beaten at the stroke of midnight.
According to folklore, by beating and setting the effigies aflame, the sins and evil spirits of the old year are destroyed. Making way for good fortune in the new year.
The fire crackers are said to help drive the evil forces away, since ghosts are afraid of light and noise.
The Muñecos are usually made to look like well-known politicians or movie stars from the outgoing year. For instance, Fidel Castro, Irving Saladin (Panama’s first Olympic gold medalist, 2011), Celia Cruz, Betty la Fea, etc.
Sometimes people attached strings to the Muñecos so that they can sit on their porch and have the doll "wave" its hand to passer-bys.
Muñecos are especially common along the Pan-American Highway.
This ocean swim will "clean out" the bad things of the previous year and bring in good things of the New Year.
This year we are going to try to do as many of these rituals as we can.
Although I hope doing them at midnight is not required. We are usually asleep well before then.
Please share your Panama New Year experiences in the comments below.
Did we miss a ritual?
December 31, 2012
In Panama, any holiday is considered the perfect day to enjoy friends, family, eating, and drinking - lots of drinking.
Dinner traditionally includes:
The whole family gathers to enjoy each other and to wait for midnight to arrive.
The sound of fireworks announces the midnight hour.
Then, family members embrace each other and enjoy the dinner they have prepared.
After dinner, people visit and/or call each other until the wee hours.
The young people often go out to the bars and clubs. On New Year's Eve (and during the holidays) the Zanahoria law is suspended.
The Zanahora law dictates that bars close at 3:00 am.
However, the party is just part of the New Year rituals and traditions of Panama.
Panama has a number of interesting and unique New Year rituals and traditions.
Please comment or ask questions below.
If you are considering moving or retiring to Panama, you may find this helpful.
In this video Robin Sare lists his reasons for retiring in Panama.
Transcription below
[leadplayer_vid id="547D139515FAD"]
Robin and his wife Diana bought their property in Puerto Armuelles Panama about 6 years ago.
The last 2 years they have lived here more or less full time.
Adventures and active sports for him and warm weather gardening for her.
This mean you know it will hold value. (Robin and Diana are Canadians)
Which means you don't have to worry about your house being destroyed in a storm
The temperature "ranges from 22 at night to 28 in the day. It can get hot in the sun, but with a ocean breeze or shade it is very pleasant."
Hi, my name is Robin Sare, and my wife Diana and I live here in Puerto Armuelles.
We bought land about 6 years ago and we have been living in the house pretty much full time for the past two years.
We're Canadians and I am now retired.
When we first bought the land, I was still working, but I'm now wonderfully retired, and enjoying it immensely.
We've always traveled extensively. We've probably visited about 50 countries around the world, and we've done a lot of adventure travel sea kayaking, skydiving, river rafting, hiking, mountain biking, that kind of thing, as well as cultural tours.
And so, there came a time when my wife was a little less keen on the adventure route, and I still wanted to keep it up, and my wife is a very keen gardener and loves the warmth and so we thought that Panama would be the ideal combination for the two of us.
The adventure for me and a place for a wonderful garden for her after the cold wastelands of the Canadian North. So, we ended up in Puerto Armuelles having looked at a few other areas in Panama. And really having looked back at our catalog of places through the world where we've been.
First of all, Panama was quite affordable.
Secondly, it uses the American dollar, so your money here will always have some form of value.
They don't have hurricanes here, so you know your house will be here when you get back from wherever you've been off traveling to. The climate is delightful. It goes down to about 22 at night up to about 28 in the day. If you're at noon hour in the bright sun, yes it's hot, but as long as you have a sea breeze or you are in the shade, its truly wonderful.
I do a lot of sea kayaking out in the bright sun and it's no problem being out on the sea, it's very very comfortable there.
Thanks for watching.
November 27 2012
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."
When you are dealing with banks and lawyers, one of the first items you will be asked for is your cédula. 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.
