r/panamaexpats

Hello! I’m planning to visit for the first time this Winter. Boquete is at the top of my list for possible relocation. I’m lucky to have a pension that might make it possible. I’m a single woman, mid 50’s and active. What is single life in Boquete like? I like music, art, nature, history, hiking, animals (I have a dog).

I don’t play pickleball, lol!

I'm planning to relocate to Panama this year. I've decided to make the drive from California. Has anyone done the drive from Cali to Panama? Any must see/avoid places along the route. Me and my partner will be traveling with my 50 lb dog so any tips on how to make border crossings with him easier? We're all super excited to make the road trip.

We’ve rented homes several times in this neighborhood over the past couple of years, but will most likely look elsewhere next time, why?

Every place we’ve rented so far has a contract stipulating that the renter must deliver the house at the end of the rental clean and orderly - which seems pretty normal. What it really means is that the owner will charge you to paint the internal walls and for every defect, including wear and tear. In short, once you turn over your security deposit to these scumbag owners, you will never see it again.

If you choose to rent a furnished place (or any place in Panama Pacífico Woodlands) you can expect a large amount or all of your security deposit to disappear at the end of your tenancy.

It’s a scam. They prey on foreigners in this neighborhood. Don’t bother making complaints to anyone, because nobody cares. Written complaints are used for toilet paper here.

Avoid this neighborhood friends. You’ve been warned.

I was there a few times during weekdays, around lunch time. I got a suspicious, what am i doing here vibe as a asian, particularly from the few white dudes in officewear.

Maybe it’s political because of all the international headquarters like UN?

Hi everyone, I’m moving to Panama soon and looking for the most affordable, rural way to live. My target is $500–$600/mo including everything (1 person).

I know this is tight, but maybe doable given this: I'm used to live in an extremely basic cabaña in the Colombian mountains with 0% western standards. I eat 100% local and only plants (grains/veg/legumes), I don’t eat out/go out, no AC, and I don't have a car or moto. In Colombia I manage with around $400-ish per month.

What I’m looking for:

• Super basic casita (0 fanciness).
• Nature, tranquility, and internet.
• Basic market reachable by foot (and hopefully locals selling fruits & veg).
• Bus connections to a larger town for bigger groceries.

In general, I don't want to live inside a village but in rural areas or the outskirt of villages.

I’ve heard of Santa Fe, the area around Volcán, and the Torio/Mariato coast. Which of these would you recommend?

Are there other "hidden" areas / mini villages with a mountain or sea vibe that fit this budget?

Thanks a lot for your help! 🙏

My room smells like mildew! I thought buying air freshener would help, but only for 2 seconds. Since I had already unpacked, didn’t want to pack and move (as the front desk suggested), and face the same situation, again. No more RIU for me. $800 for 4 nights was absolutely not worth it. Deleting The RIU app, today!

Hi! I'm under the impression that 99.9999% of expats in Panama are from the Americas. (Which is great! Thank you for coming here!)

Do we have any expats from Africa, Asia, Australia or Europe? I would love to learn more about what they (or you if it's you) think of living here, especially if you live in Panama City.

What's your life like? What do you like and what do you wish was different?

I haven't seen many of you so I wonder!

We're coming to Panama for a 6 month stay in a few months. I have a couple questions:

1. Renting a place: Let's assume we have found a place we want to live in. What is needed? Is there an Application to rent? Do I need to show income somehow? Proof of employment or something? Are you required to give first and last?

2. How do you pay rent? I expect to pay around $1000 / month. Do people just withdraw cash to pay, charge a Credit Card or bank to bank transfer?

I have set up a Wise account so I can transfer money from my Canadian account to Wise. Then to.... My landlord or Panamanian bank account?

What are the experienced people doing? Thx

I’m looking for a neighborhood with local businesses eg bars , restaurants supermarkets convenience stores etc that are easy to walk to. Here’s the thing , I don’t need to live in a ‘desirable’ neighborhood, nor do I want to live in a high crime area. Are there any neighborhoods that are somewhere in between ? I’m looking to buy and I don’t mind living in an area that sheltered wealthy people may consider ‘sketchy’ but others consider normal. For context I’m

Not new to relocating as I’ve lived in 4 continents so far, including 3 years in Cape Town. I grew up in what used to be considered a rough area in London and would frequently spend time in the west and south sides of Chicago when I lived there, so basically what I’m trying to say is I don’t mind a sprinkling of crime if I can get more square footage out of a property. I’ve travelled around Belize, Costa Rica , Mexico and Guatemala so I’m not unfamiliar with Central America, I’m brushing up on my español but my other question is how common is fluent English among Panamanians? I’m planning a recon visit next year but any info would be really helpful. 🙏🏻

Just curious as to how you all landed on Panama? I'm not planning on leaving Canada behind permanently (for now at least) but I'm interested in something along the lines of a few months a year in the winter.

I've traveled a fair bit and places I really liked would be New Zealand and South East Asia. I'm located on the east coast of Canada so those two destinations would be a huge pain in the butt travel wise. Darn close to two days of airport travel.

Latin America seems like a no brainer being closer to North America. Seems like Panama has a really good airport and healthcare as well. I have a friend who lives in Belize full time but healthcare would be a concern there. I have another friend who owns an Air BNB in Costa Rica but I heard this is good but could be a more expensive option.

I've been doing a lot of research on Panama and am going to visit regardless as this is obviously something you need to do for yourself. It seems like outside of Panama city there's not too many densely populated areas.

Where did you ultimately choose to reside and what other countries did you seriously consider before landing on Panama?

Thanks for any insight!

Hello all - I'm visiting Panama in January with my family (young teens) and have most of the trip figured out (Playa Venao and El Valle de Anton). But the last 5 days we will be in Panama City and I'm not sure what the best plan is. I was thinking a hotel in Casco Viejo but read recently a couple things about how the area around it is very unsafe.

Where would you recommend? I am a tourist now but am hoping to make a move at some point to a warmer climate... Canadian winters are rough with arthritis. :) A few months ago I was in Costa Rica and loved it and have heard Panama is similar in many ways but a tad safer for expats/longer term visitors, so January will be when I check it all out and see if it's a potential fit.

We will have a car for most of the trip but I'd like to not drive in Panama City, so a walkable, safe area is ideal. Any suggestions??

What’s the school situation like for young kids in Panama? Doing some research! Looked at EU and Costa Rica so far. Convince me ;) Panama sounds like a beautiful and relaxed place, almost too good to be true…

Has anyone else acquired dual citizenship for children? My husband and I are USA citizens. Planning to immigrate to Panama in the next 2-3 years. We’re also exploring the idea of children. Has anyone here secured Panamanian citizenship for their child by giving birth in Panama then applying for USA citizenship for said child afterwards?

We’re trying to decide which would be the best way for us to secure Panamanian residency. It will likely be via the Qualified Investor Visa, but has anyone here acquired residency through their child being born in Panama instead?

Thoughts? Suggestions? TIA

Edit: What about school options near David? I know “better” international schools are found in Panama City, but we’re really interested in the David area. We want to keep options open for our child to pursue college in the USA if they want.

My husband is at 90% but not P&T. So while we meet the $ requirement and it is for life, it doesn’t say for life. Has anyone been able to get the pensionado visa without having P&T on their VA letter?

Do you have a service (expat relocation services, exploration, transportation, or a legal/housing/expat-related business)? Post it in the comments.

• One comment per person advertising your business. Let's not make it messy in here.

• Be brief yet informative. This is your time to shine. What is your business name, what do you do, why are you better than others (don't tear them down, build yourself UP), example of your pricing, and how people can contact you.

• ONLY post a comment with your services in HERE: anywhere else, like in another post (either a post from you, or a comment in another thread) violates the rules.

• Nothing illegal (either against US, Panamanian, or your local laws, nor against Reddit sitewide rules) is to be promoted here.

• Neither Reddit or the moderation team make any representations of quality, legitimacy, or value of the services discussed here. If you're interested in them, do your own research and check out who's offering them (like independent searches for them, recommendations, etc.), to make sure they are legitimate. NEVER offer anything of value (credit card number, cash, Western Union, wire transfers, gift cards, etc.) unless you're one hundred percent sure about them and their services.

Caveat Emptor.

Has anyone here explored buying land in Panama outside of traditional real estate listings?

I’ve been noticing that a lot of opportunities don’t actually make it to public listings. Many seem to move through local connections, word of mouth, or smaller networks rather than agencies.

I’m curious how others have approached this — especially expats or foreigners looking into fincas or land.

Is it common to find better deals this way? Or is it too risky compared to going through agencies?

Would be interesting to hear experiences or insights.

Whether it's clearing a level on Duolingo. Or holding a garage sale to de-clutter. Or consulting with an immigration attorney, booking a flight for a "boots-on-the-ground" trip, or whatever. This is your place to tell us what you did, and to encourage/inspire others to do the same.

This will be weekly, as the name implies: every Monday, join us and share your progress.

Tengo una pregunta para todos los que sepan de temas de declaración de impuestos, etc. sobre si las cuentas bancarias en el extranjero se tienen que declarar o se declara el dinero como tal que está en el saldo de las cuentas o depende mucho de la cantidad que tengas o no sé, porque leyendo los impuestos son completamente territoriales, todo lo que genera de Panamá a sus fronteras dentro del país declara impuestos pero todo lo que esté fuera de sus fronteras en cualquier país del mundo no declara impuestos, no sé si me explico. Yo trabajo como freelancer y quería conocer ese tema porque se que bancos informan a la hacienda Tributaria del País?.

Hi everyone,

I’m an Italian citizen currently applying for residency under the Panama-Italy Treaty. I work remotely for US companies and receive all my income through Wise and Deel.

Has anyone successfully used statements from these digital platforms as proof of solvency to open a local bank account or satisfy immigration requirements? I am having a hard time finding a bank that doesn't require a "traditional" account.

Any specific bank recommendations or advice would be a huge help. Thanks!