{"id":10688,"date":"2017-08-01T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=10688"},"modified":"2020-09-02T09:26:56","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T13:26:56","slug":"panama-cracking-residents-without-visas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/panama-cracking-residents-without-visas\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama is cracking down on residents without visas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of us are living in Panama without a proper residency visa. I did it for 3 years, leaving every few months to Colombia or Costa Rica and returning after a weekend break. There are thousands of gringos running businesses and living in Panama without a residency visa\u2026 and the government of Panama has had enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

Per the U.S. Embassy in Panama: \u201cThe US Embassy in Panama would like to inform all US Citizens in Panama that on March 6th 2017, the Panamanian Immigration Authority (Servicio Nacional de Migracion-SNM) announced new guidance for Panamanian immigration officials on the enforcement of pre-existing regulations. According to the SNM, immigration officials have been instructed to be stricter about the enforcement of the regulation that foreigners entering Panama with tourist status prove that they are in fact entering Panama as tourists and not residing in Panama.\u201d See the full text of the warning below. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bottom line, Panama is cracking down on residents without Panama residency visas.<\/a> You can no longer leave for a few days and return unnoticed. You must get a residency visa or risk being denied entry. <\/span><\/p>\n

This means <\/span>you must apply for residency immediately<\/b>. \u00a0If you delay, and overstay your tourist stamp, you won\u2019t be eligible for residency. If you leave and try to re-enter, you run the risk of being denied. It will then take months before you can get residency, if it\u2019s ever approved. You will be barred from the country for a very long time, leaving your apartment, business, and stuff untended. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are two ways for you to get residency in Panama<\/a>. You can buy a property for around $350,000 and get a residency visa. If you’re 100% locked in to Panama, and have the cash, this is the way to go. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t want to buy real estate, and you\u2019re from a \u201cfriendly nation<\/a>,\u201d then you can get residency with an investment of $20,000 in teak. For more information, see: <\/span>Best Panama Residency by Investment Program<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n