TOURIST CARD INFO- RENEWAL AND EXP

Great article from BOQUETE FROUM ABOUT TOURSIT CARD

n several blogs and forums around the internet I have seen a lot of confusion about the changes in Panama's policy concerning the tourist card.

For starters, what is a tourist card? From the website of the National Directorate of Immigration and Naturalization in Panama: The citizens from countries that are allowed to travel to Panama with a tourist card do not need a visa, they only have to buy a tourist card within the airline, which cost is $5.00, fill it out it with the requested information and present it along with the passport when entering Panama.

In other words, a tourist card is a piece of paper that you will be given to fill out on the airplane or at the Costa Rica border, that costs $5 and that will allow you to hang out in Panama during 30 days. Citizens from Canada, U.S.A., Australia, Western Europe, Central and South America, etc. will only need a tourist card to enter Panama... no visa!

I may not be an expert, but I do know a bit because at our Spanish school () we help our students get their 30 day tourist card extended for another 60 days and it is a very simple process that only requires a visit to the Immigration offices in David and costs $15 (plus transportation to David)... you don't need a lawyer or anything complicated and expensive....

Before I go on, at Habla Ya Language Center, we ONLY do this for our students (so please don’t call or email if you just want us to help you with this), BUT my advice is that if you got a Panamanian friend, that’s all you need… have them help you out and take them out for a meal… instead of leaving the country every 30 days and spending 3 day’s money in Costa Rica.

Before the changes in immigration policies, when they entered the country, foreigners from many countries where entitled to a 90 day tourist card. Now, they are only entitled to a 30 day tourist card, BUT as I mentioned, they can easily get it extended for another 60 days (to see if you will be given a tourist card to enter Panama or if you need a specific type of visa that needs to be approved before you leave your country you can visit ).

Why did the Panamanian government make these changes? Well I haven't had a chance to have a chat with them, but I think it is obvious:
1. They want people retiring in Panama to have the appropriate Pensionado or Investor Visa or any of the other 5 or 6 types they grant (or whatever number, as I mentioned, I’m not an expert)... They want to prevent people leaving the country every 90 days and coming back after 3: ETERNAL TOURISTS…
2. They want to control immigration from countries in Central and South America. This is good for everybody because they will only grant visa's to people who will add to the country... not subtract (wanted criminals for example... following this line of though, any wanted criminal from any country can enter Panama without being checked deeply and stay for 30 days... but in the past they could wander around in Panama for 90 days, leave the country for 3 and come back in again).

This is at least what I think… I don’t know what your opinion is.

So… how do you get your tourist card extended for another 60 day?

1. Show your passport to the Migration Department. They need to see your passport stamped (for our students we arrange the transportation to David but our students pay for it… or if they have a car… cool!, we just go with them).
2. The request for extension is subject to the approval of the director office (until this moment all our student’s requests have been approved… we haven’t had students who are criminals… yet)
3. Request for extension of tourist visa duly completed & the letter of responsibility (our students fill these docs at our offices in Boquete, and we sign the letter of responsibility… any Panamanian citizen can sign it… you can download the docs at )
4. The guarantor must be Panamanian or resident of Panama.
5. The letter must include copy of identity of guarantor (this would be Carlos, our school Director)
6. Copy of return ticket (valid for 1 year)
7. Copy of passport data and last entry or tourist card.
8. The visa extension card will cost $ 15.00
9. The tourist extension process takes 4 working days upon presentation at the win