When to Get a Residency Visa
We generally do not recommend obtaining a visa on your first visit to Panama. To do this, you will need to pay for an attorney before your trip and go through a lot of effort to get documentation and other things in order. This can be expensive and time-consuming. You will have lost that time and money if you visit Panama but decide not to relocate. We recommend visiting Panama first and making sure you want to relocate. Then, 30-60 days before you are ready to move to Panama, you can hire an attorney and get your paperwork in order. After you move to Panama is when we recommend officially starting the visa process.
All that said, it's not uncommon for our tour guests to apply for a visa on their first trip to Panama. If you'd like to do that, you will need to hire an attorney 30-60 days before your tour. After hiring an attorney, they will advise you on which residency visa is right for you and what documents you need to bring.
We normally only make referrals to attorneys for our tour guests during and after their tour. If you'd like to be referred to an attorney before your tour, you will first need to A) pay for your tour in full and B) agree to no longer be eligible for a refund.
Thinking of getting a residency visa on the same trip as your tour? Please read: Can I Get a Residency Visa During a Tour?
If you'd like to start the visa process on the same trip as your tour please let us know at least 60 days before your tour.
For more information, read these posts from our blog: