Moving to Panama: A Practical Checklist from First Decision to First 90 Days
A move to Panama has a lot of small moving parts. The people who stay calm start early and work from a list. This checklist runs from the first decision to the first 90 days, with the Panama-specific points that tend to surprise newcomers.
Six to twelve months before
- Visit first. Stay at least two or three weeks, ideally including part of the rainy season, and rent short-term in the neighborhood you are considering.
- Choose your residency route. Pensionado, Friendly Nations, and the other programs have different requirements. Hire an immigration attorney and ask for a written estimate that separates professional fees from government fees. Chapter 15 of our free guide, Why Panama?, explains the options.
- Order your documents. Typically you need a passport, a birth certificate, a marriage certificate if applicable, a police background check, and proof of income or pension. Ask your attorney which documents need an apostille and a Spanish translation. Start early, since background checks and apostilles can take weeks.
- Sort out health coverage. Compare insurance options, collect your medical records, and ask your doctor about a supply of your regular medication and about generic equivalents. Check each medication's availability in Panama by its generic name, as our guide to medications and pharmacies explains.
- Talk to a cross-border tax professional. US citizens remain taxable in the US on worldwide income wherever they live, and Panama's territorial tax system does not change that. Canadians should get advice on how leaving Canada affects their tax residency.
- If you are Canadian, check your pensions and your provincial plan. Confirm your OAS eligibility with Service Canada, since OAS follows you abroad only with 20 years of Canadian residence after age 18. Expect 25 percent withholding tax on CPP, OAS, and RRSP or RRIF payments, and know that the Guaranteed Income Supplement stops after six months abroad. Your provincial health plan ends with a permanent move, so arrange private coverage before you leave. Our guide for Canadians has the details.
Three months before
- Decide what to ship. A 40-foot container from the US costs roughly $15,000 to $20,000 according to a 2026 shipping guide. Many apartments in Panama City come with a built-in kitchen and often a washer and dryer, and furnished rentals are common. For many people, selling most of the furniture and buying locally costs less than shipping.
- Learn the duty-free rule. Residents with a qualifying visa can bring used household goods and personal effects in duty-free, one time. Common conditions: the items must have been used for at least six months, and the shipment must arrive within six months of your own arrival. For Pensionado holders, the exemption covers household items worth up to $10,000. New items are taxed at roughly 20 percent. Use a customs broker, keep an itemized inventory with values, and know that wooden furniture needs a quarantine import permit. Conditions change, so confirm them with your attorney and broker.
- Check the rules for your car before you ship it. Pensionado holders are exempt from the import duty on a car every two years. The exemption typically covers the import duty and not every tax or fee, so ask a customs broker for a written cost breakdown before you ship. Without an exemption, shippers quote import taxes of roughly 27 to 30 percent of a car's value. I brought my own 4x4 over from Europe.
- Set up a mailing address. Keep a US or Canadian address, for example a mail-forwarding or virtual mailbox service, for banks, tax authorities, and pension payers.
- Keep your home phone number active. Banks often send security codes by text. Our banking guide explains the alternatives.
- Bring your electronics. Panama uses the same 120V power and plugs as the US and Canada, so your devices work without adapters.
The last month
- Tell your banks and credit card companies about the move, and set up online banking and security devices before you leave.
- Scan every important document to the cloud, and carry the originals in your hand luggage.
- Book the first two to four weeks in short-term accommodation, so you do not have to sign a lease in a hurry.
- Notify pension and Social Security payers about address and payment details as needed.
The first week
- Pick up a local SIM card, install WhatsApp and a ride-hailing app, and get a rechargeable Metro card.
- Meet your attorney and confirm the next residency steps.
- Locate the nearest supermarket, pharmacy, and private hospital.
- Start looking at apartments for a one-year lease. Our article on renting in Panama City has a checklist.
The first 90 days
- Open a bank account. Start the paperwork early, since banks take compliance seriously.
- Plan your driver's license. As a visitor, you can drive on your valid foreign license for up to 90 days from your last entry. Residents need a Panamanian license, so start the paperwork as soon as your residency card arrives. Our driver's license guide explains the steps.
- Sign a one-year lease after a lawyer or a trusted agent has reviewed it.
- Put health coverage in place. Do not wait for the first emergency.
- Collect your residency card when your application is approved.
- Compare your spending with your budget. Adjust your plans if rent or air conditioning costs surprise you.
- Wait before you buy property. Rent first, then decide.
Takeaway |
This article is general information and not legal, immigration, or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm the details with qualified professionals.
On a Living & Relocation tour, we visit neighborhoods, supermarkets, and healthcare, so you can decide where you would land in your first months.
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