Panama Knows

General information

Official name: Republic of Panama

Capital city: Panama City

Official language: Spanish (official), English is widely spoken. A lot of Panamanians are bilingual.

Currency: Balboa, the Panamanian name for the U.S. Dollar

Climate: The country has comfortable tropical weather and an average temperature of 26 °C. The average annual humidity is 70%. The rainy season is during the months of May through December, while the rest of the year the summer wind from the North keeps a fresh climate. In the high lands, the average temperature is a temperate 21°c.

Visas and Immigration / Required Documents: Valid passport. Each tourist has to have a valid passport from their country of citizenship. A return ticket or documents showing you are moving to another country are also required. You must be able to show that you have enough money to stay in Panama and enough to leave, ie Economic Solvency.

Customs: The citizens from United States of America and Canada only need a valid passport and a tourism card to visit Panama. The tourism cards cost approximately five dollars and are available when you arrive in Panama from the migration authorities and also on most of the airlines. A tourism card gives to you a 30 days period to stay in Panama, and can be extended for another 30 days.

Travelers from countries other than the U.S. and Canada have to inquire with the Panamanian consulate or with the Panamanian embassy in this country to get the information about the recent changes in the requirements to enter Panama. Upon entering the country, customs limits you to bringing in a carton of cigarettes and 3 bottles of liquor, and prohibits the entry of all fruits and vegetables. Like other countries, you can be fined and charged for trying to leave Panama with products made from endangered species.

Arrival in Panama: When arriving to Tocumen airport it is good to know the particular things the airport offers. The passengers who arrive have access to a magnificent duty free zone that is open 24 hours. The duty free zone is located on the upper level, allowing you to do some duty free shopping before taking the escalator down to the lower floor and going through migration and customs. IPAT, the national bureau of tourism in Panama, has an information office at the customs area, which is open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.