jimgh
American looking for information about Panama
Forum posts
28
About me
American
Registration: 11 February 2026
Getting around with your pet in Panama by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Living in Panama with a pet also means learning how to navigate local transport systems together. From daily commutes to occasional trips, you have to navigate betwwen local rules and real-life experiences. Whether you鈥檙e a ...
I appreciate your thoughtfulness. It seems today that not many people have much consideration for those of us who dislike dogs. Including my own family Read More
Getting around with your pet in Panama by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Living in Panama with a pet also means learning how to navigate local transport systems together. From daily commutes to occasional trips, you have to navigate betwwen local rules and real-life experiences. Whether you鈥檙e a ...
Here is some advice. Leave your pets at home or in your car. I am American and my wife is Panamanian. Neither of us like dogs. Frankly we are both sick of people in the US that think they need to take their pets everywhere they go, especially in the ... Read More
Malaria medication by mo12345
Hello,looking at taking a trip to Panama soon to check out some provinces west of Panama Cityit looks like the CDC website recommends anti-malaria medication. Doe those of you that have traveled there recently or live there, Do you think this is ...
It鈥檚 always good advice to be prepared. I always take some with me when I visit or am living there . Drugs to prevent malaria differ by country of travel. I just take Chloroquine Phosphate with me. Read More
Prerequisites to fly in as tourist by Javion7322
Hola everyone. I'm retired and want to visit a friend in Panama. Are there docs or forms I have to bring with me?
@Javion7322 https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Panama.html Read More
Prerequisites to fly in as tourist by Javion7322
Hola everyone. I'm retired and want to visit a friend in Panama. Are there docs or forms I have to bring with me?
This travel advisory is likely due to the large escape from LaJoya prison. I believe it was like 174 criminals escaped and are at large still. Most of them being narco-trafficers and gang members of the worst kind. Thanks for the link Bhavna. Read More
Prerequisites to fly in as tourist by Javion7322
Hola everyone. I'm retired and want to visit a friend in Panama. Are there docs or forms I have to bring with me?
I have never had to bring any documents with me except my passport, of course and if you are going to drive, you need to bring your current drivers license. Read More
Unauthorized occupants in property by Dr Rima
Hi, I have lived in Panama (and other countries as well) and have property in Panama. I am thinking about relocating from the US. I am a retired physician who uses non drugs, only natural and advanced treatment strategies and I am fiercely ...
It鈥檚 never a good idea to leave property unattended anywhere. It鈥檚 always best to rent it cheap on the condition that the tenants take care of it. If not, then sell it. Panama gov is usually going to side with the Panamanian. You can get ... Read More
Building a House in Panama by atomusiak
Hello everyone,I'm looking for people who have built a house in Panama, as I'm planning to do the same. Is there anyone here with that experience?
I have had good experiences with Cochez. They seem to have things that other companies do not have. If you can not find it there or Do-it Center then you will need to look for a specialty store of which you might find in David or Panama City. ... Read More
Building a House in Panama by atomusiak
Hello everyone,I'm looking for people who have built a house in Panama, as I'm planning to do the same. Is there anyone here with that experience?
@atomusiak I didn鈥檛 actually build my house, but I had one built. My mother-in-law hired out all the contractors and it was built the typical Panamanian style. It all depends on what type of house you want and what specifications you are ... Read More
Standard of living and security in Panama by nickhyde
HiI just joined here few minutes ago, am a future expat to Panama. What is the standard of living and security over there? Someone help me please
The standard of living and security is probably not much different than what you鈥檙e experiencing now. You pay for what you get regardless of where you go in the world. If you鈥檙e looking for a cheap paradise, you will not find it. And if ... Read More
Best way to ship household items from Florida to Panama by Tom Christy
What is the best way to ship household items, no vehicle, no large appliance's, no large furniture, just 3 bikes, household kitchen items (plates, small appliances, glasses, silverware, pots, etc.), normal house everyday items so you don't have to ...
I see no one has responded to your post yet. Too bad because I also would like some insight on this topic. As a Person who lives in the United States and lived in Panama for a year, My best guess is that it would probably be around the same price to ... Read More
How to meet expats in Panama by Panama_expat_DRH
I am a retiree considering moving to Panama in the Boquete or Volcan areas. How do I connect with expats already living in the area for help and guidance with the move? I also want to make new friends before I take my first trip to Panama.
@Darin&Sally It鈥檚 like a huge tranke(traffic jam) and then you drive real slow ( compared to the US ) for about 6 hours. Then you go through a checkpoint when you enter Chiriqui and drive real slow for another 2 hours to David. Then ... Read More
Getting Retirement payments by jimgh
Does anyone here care to share some details of how you get your retirement money from the United states. I spoke with my TRS Teacher Retirement System people and they said they would not deposit directly to a Panamanian bank. When I retire to ...
@ddmcghee I have USAA and they do not charge either. They are very expat friendly Read More
Quality of customer service in Panama by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Customer service can say a lot about everyday life in Panama, and for many expats, it鈥檚 something that could take time to get used to. In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats to adjust to local expectations, we invite ...
In most cases Panama is not much different from the US. You will shop in one store and they will be rude and annoying and then you go down the road a half mile and they will have the best customer service ever. For the most part I have found that ... Read More
Buying stuff online from abroad by expatslu
What is the deal in Panama with buying online? eg Amazon, Etsy type things. Do you need ID and pay taxes like in other Latam countries?
I don鈥檛 have the foggiest idea. I do know that there are Amazon stores there that you can have things shipped to. I would think that they would collect any taxes or fees upon pickup. I have always bought local and if I needed something ... Read More
Looking for land or home in Panama by Buzzblah67
Hello we are looking for a safe, affordable (by USA standards) place to retire. we are looking for land or home in Panama, but we are limited to us$250,000. We are looking to buy thus summercan anyone recommend realtors, lawyers, and areas to both ...
There is one area on Cerro Azul that has a horrible smell from a chicken farm. Other than that, I passed on some really good deals up there due to that, and the fact that up and down the hill is hard on a vehicle. Good luck there; it is a beautiful ... Read More
New members of the Panama forum, introduce yourselves here - 2026 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Panama forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
@saratogaenergy Think about it like, it鈥檚 not much different than doing the same thing here. First, you must have residency. There is also a book called Panama tax laws that you should invest in before making any business investments. they are ... Read More
New members of the Panama forum, introduce yourselves here - 2026 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Panama forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
@Morena39 There are a lot of deciding factors here. Most of the big hospitals in Panama are what they call free hospitals, but there are private ones also. of course, if you鈥檙e going to live close to a hospital, then you鈥檙e looking at ... Read More
Blocking Unsolicited Messages by GuestPoster41461
A while ago I decided to stop unsolicited messages after I received a long and meandering message in French (of all languages) critical of my posts and stating that "all countries have their negatives and positives." Since it came from someone in ...
I really appreciate this comment. I knew there was a situation in Bocas with the banana company but I sure didn鈥檛 know about martial law and the internet thing. I met a man on the airplane last month who lives there and he never mentioned ... Read More
Getting Retirement payments by jimgh
Does anyone here care to share some details of how you get your retirement money from the United states. I spoke with my TRS Teacher Retirement System people and they said they would not deposit directly to a Panamanian bank. When I retire to ...
hey, thank you for the advice. I will check into that. There are not a lot of people that want to help me out on this. My wife is Panamanian and I already own property in Panama so it鈥檚 difficult for me. I just want to get as much money as I ... Read More
ATM question by expatslu
Hi, I'm due to visit Panama soon, and will be opening a bank account. I'm told I need $5k in cash to do this. Where is there an ATM that allows larger amounts to be withdrawn, or what other suggestions would you have? Is the lawyer winding me up ...
what you said is 100% accurate. Thank you. Read More
ATM question by expatslu
Hi, I'm due to visit Panama soon, and will be opening a bank account. I'm told I need $5k in cash to do this. Where is there an ATM that allows larger amounts to be withdrawn, or what other suggestions would you have? Is the lawyer winding me up ...
@expatslu Don鈥檛 really know how to answer your questions without more details. It鈥檚 extremely difficult to open a bank account unless you鈥檙e a resident. The other expats I have spoken with say they can only withdraw $250 at a time ... Read More
Getting Retirement payments by jimgh
Does anyone here care to share some details of how you get your retirement money from the United states. I spoke with my TRS Teacher Retirement System people and they said they would not deposit directly to a Panamanian bank. When I retire to ...
Thanks for the reply. I still live in the US but am trying to get ideas for the near future when we relocate. Seems like no matter what I will need to keep a bank account open in the US in order to get my retirement. When my wife and I relocate, we ... Read More
Looking for land or home in Panama by Buzzblah67
Hello we are looking for a safe, affordable (by USA standards) place to retire. we are looking for land or home in Panama, but we are limited to us$250,000. We are looking to buy thus summercan anyone recommend realtors, lawyers, and areas to both ...
That鈥檚 great. I have a house about 57 km from there. Sometimes we visit Farall贸n or Santa Clara when we are there. Last year we rented a weekend getaway for my mother-in-law at Playa Blanca. My wife and I have family in Penonome and ... Read More
Getting Retirement payments
Does anyone here care to share some details of how you get your retirement money from the United states. I spoke with my TRS Teacher Retirement System people and they said they would not deposit directly to a Panamanian bank. When I retire to ... Read More
Looking for land or home in Panama by Buzzblah67
Hello we are looking for a safe, affordable (by USA standards) place to retire. we are looking for land or home in Panama, but we are limited to us$250,000. We are looking to buy thus summercan anyone recommend realtors, lawyers, and areas to both ...
@Buzzblah67 Best rent until you get the lay of the land. You can live/drive there for 3 months with a US driver's license. I lived there for 1 year and there are many sub-cultures there. It all depends on what you like. There is just too much ... Read More
From the horse鈥檚 mouth Expats living in Panama by SandyDreams
Hi,We are planning an exploratory trip to Panama in the fall with the intention of retiring there next year.聽 There is just too much info on the net and a lot of it appears either sugar-coated or contradictory.聽 I am looking for real ...
@manper You're right!!!! Don't go there!!!! Go to the United States instead. Life will be all roses there. Read More
From the horse鈥檚 mouth Expats living in Panama by SandyDreams
Hi,We are planning an exploratory trip to Panama in the fall with the intention of retiring there next year.聽 There is just too much info on the net and a lot of it appears either sugar-coated or contradictory.聽 I am looking for real ...
@jrod1944 Well....where to start? My wife is a Panamanian native and we lived in Panama for 1 year before moving to the US. I was going to write a long letter but I think it's best to stick to the basics. First, if you don't fancy rain for 10 months ... Read More