Exploratory Trip
If you're planning a trip to Panama, we will be pleased to assist in making your in-country travel and hotel reservations and suggest a custom itinerary. There is no charge for this courtesy service except from the airport to your hotel in Panama (a private shuttle service). We receive no remuneration nor are you under any obligation to purchase or build through Hemingway Hideaway. If you decide to make your own reservations, feel free to do so but they will not include the special Hemingway Hideaway discounts and you will have to provide deposits. We also make sure that our visitors are comfortable in a convenient (shopping/dining) area. Many economic hotels are located in insecure or isolated areas. We can make all the below reservations without your having to provide credit card information.

Assistance includes:

1. Being met at the airport by our Panama bi-lingual representative and taken to the hotel. ($20-25).
2. Making hotel reservations at the 4 star Sevilla Suits, (recommended) $90 per night, per couple incl. tax & continental breakfast or hotel Marbella at $50 per night (in the same area but does not include tax or breakfast). Both hotels are located in the heart of the shopping and business district and ten minutes from Albrook Field which is the National airport, and departure point for David.
3. Both Aero Perlas and Air Panamá maintain daily flights to and from David. Reservations and tickets can be made on line.
4. Thrifty car rental in David. ($35-40 per day, to include minimum insurance. Making car rental reservations on-line can be expensive. Let us handle it.
5. Hotel reservations for the lovely five star Bambito hotel in Volcan. ($99 per night per couple incl. tax & Breakfast) This is a great place to make that important first impression on the spouse. Or 4 star hotel Dos Rios $60 but does not include tax or breakfast.

International Transportation
Panama is the "HUB" of the Western Hemisphere. And there are International and National flights daily between Panama and many U.S. cities, Central/South America and Europe. It is a 2-3 hour flight from Miami or slightly more from Atlanta, New Orleans or Dallas. These flights generally arrive at Tocumen International (Panama City) in the evening and depart in the morning, so it may be necessary to spend the first and last night’s there. If you arrive by 2PM, you should have time to catch the last shuttle to David from Albrook Field, which is at a different location and only 30 minutes from Tocumen International.

Once you have your retirement pension visa, you qualify for a 25% discount. These include COPA/Continental, Delta and American as well as the national airlines. The discount apply only when purchased directly through a Panama located airline or travel agency (not on-line) for all ticketing originating in Panama.

Transportation National

1. Car rental.
   For those considering leasing a car and driving from Panama City, it is not recommended . Although it's nice to see the countryside, most get lost or enter a "shady area" (that recently happened to us) and the traffic is horrendous. It is a 7-8 hour drive and you will most likely arrive late, over exhausted and waste two precious days of exploration fun.
   
   Although the Inter-American highway is in good condition, try to avoid driving at night because of the late afternoon rains and areas of construction. A word of caution. Be alert because there may be pedestrians, bicycles and animals on or near the road. Speed limit is 100 Kph (60 Mph) on the main highway with zones of 60 Kph (40 Mph). School zones, (many with no speed signs) are 40 Kph, so slow down when you see one. They use radar so be vigilant and always stay in the right lane.
   
   (Making car reservations from the states can be costly, let us make them for you. We generally use Thrifty Car rental and their office is at the David Airport.)
   
   
2. Bus
   Panama has a extensive inter-city transportation system with a new large terminal located as part of the to the Albrook Mal. The large modern buses are comfortable and air conditioned so keep your jacket handy. They usually show two movies (English w/subtitles) and stop half way (Santiago) for lunch. Fair is about $15 and a 25% discount applies to pensioners. Once in David, take a cab to Thrifty at the David Airport to pick up your car rental. Although there are buses serving Volcan, things are spread out.
   
   
3. Air Shuttle
   By far the most convenient, two airlines serve the Panama/David route: Aero Perlas and Air Panama. Schedules and purchasing tickets can be done on-line. Remember, these one hour, three flights daily, depart from Albrook field, which is a different airport from where you arrived and ten minutes from you hotel. They charge a modest fee for over 25 pounds. If you are grossly overweight, take your luggage to the “Ecomiendas” (Air freight) desk next to the check-in counter and it will go on the same flight at a lesser rate. Since most international flights arrive late, it is best to take the next day, 9:30 - 10:30 AM, morning flight.

How to get to Volcan from David.
These directions are purposely made large so you can print them out and put them on your seat.

As you leave the airport (North), take a left. Proceed 2-3 Km curving to the east and stay in the left lane.
When you reach the traffic signal, turn left.
Continue straight (north) 2-3 km (past the McDonalds and a good place to stop for a snack) to the 4 lane divided inter-American highway and turn left (west). Be cautious, this is a difficult exit.
Continue about 25 km (15-20 minutes) until you come to the town of Concepcion and turn right (North). You will have some warning of your upcoming turn as there will be light post in the median and a series of three gas stations on your right. One block after the Shell station turn right. There will also be a sign "Volcan 34K".
It is a scenic 30 minute drive up the mountain over an newly paved road. Once in Volcan, stop at Romero’s Market right across the street from the Shell gas station and give us a call 771-5948 or 6-625-8988 cell, on the public phone on the wall near the left and we will come down and lead you to your hotel.

Visas
As a member or our Hemingway Hideaway team, our resident visa experts mentioned in the Legal services section, saanglaw@cwpanama.net can obtain your visa in the shortest time and the least costly way. There are many kinds of visas so please contact them directly for exact information. Not only were they recommended by the US embassy, they are bilingual and have done many hundreds of visas besides providing a host of other services (offshore). A pension visa takes 90+ days and self solvency and other visas that require extensive documentation may take longer.

By law, visas can only be started in Panama and not through a foreign consulate. Use the consulate services only for authenticating documents recommended by you legal representative and nothing more. Do not ask about visas, it will only confuse them and you may be charged for service they are not allowed to make.
Arrive in Panama on a tourist card and then start the visa process. Even though you have been granted a visa, you will need to get a "Multiple exit stamp" in your passport to leave the country. This allows you to come and go as you please at anytime and obtained at the immigration office without the use of a lawyer and is valid for two years. The information below is subject to change. Please check with your legal consul for updated information.

Tourist Card
Pick up a tourist card at your international port of departure. (or may be issued on the flight for $5.00.)

1. Pensioners
   You can apply for a retirement visa by showing you have a pension of at least $1,000 per month (plus $100 for each dependent) from a government entity such as military, employee social security or from a private company. If your pension is from a private company, you must obtain a pension statement and it must be certified by the company and authenticated by a consulate. Stocks, bonds of other proven assets do not qualify.
   
   
2. Self Solvency
   By depositing $200,000 in the National Bank of Panama and an investment of $80,000 in property for a minimum of one year, you can obtain a "self Solvency" visa. The interest from this account is proof to the government that you will be guaranteed a steady monthly income for subsistence.
   
   
3. Investment visas
   You must establish a Panamanian company showing that you have invested at least $10,000 have at least three Panamanian employees.
   
   
4. Marriage
   By marrying a local, you can obtain a resident visa but you must still obtain a work permit if you plan to be employed. Then it is a ten year battle to maintain the permit and residency.
   
   
5. Work
   Please do not waste your or our time by asking. Next to impossible.
   
   

What to bring
What to sell, what to ship and what to throw out. Our recommendation, eliminate the most you can as everything is available in Panama at usually lower prices than the states. Name brand refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers, TV's, sound/video systems, etc. are all available. Things to consider shipping are, your keep sakes, clothes, favorite furniture and good quality tools.

Make a complete inventory with estimated cost for custom and number the cartons so can find what you want without unpacking everything later. Ccustoms will generally open a few and skim over the rest. You are exempt up to $10,000 worth of merchandise but They don't keep an accurate account as long as you're reasonable.

Although you may wish to ship your vehicle, life is not that easy. Import duty is still vague. Although immigration says it is free of import tax, customs follow other regulations and they do not talk to each other. Make sure you have your pension card!

Do not put the car in the shipping container! It will not only hold up clearing your household effects until the car’s papers and tax have been paid (3-4 weeks), the fee is $50 a day for storage. Even if the import duty is exempt, you still have to pay 5% sales tax! So, if you consider shipping cost, storage, documentation and services , it can be over whelming it’s simply not worth it. Beside warranties are not honored nor parts available for cars not supported in Panama. It gets worse driving down from the states and the car can be confiscated simply because the import grace period for expired.

Gas runs about the same as in the states but diesel is 30 cents less per gallon. There is a wide selection of American and Asian (gas & diesel) cars, 4X4's and pickups to choose from. Generally, prices are less than in the states. Besides being cheaper, you have warranty and parts. Bottom line, buy one here. Used cares are also available but have to be checked thoroughly.

If shipping a container, you might want to buy it and use for storage or shop. Look in the yellow pages for "International Freight Forwarder" (nearest seaport) or international movers. These people provide complete "door-to-door" service. They prepare all documents and recommend/have a Panama import agent. They make the arrangements to have it declared and you should be there to show your pension card and make sure you have it before you ship! The two major ports in Panama Las Minas near Colon (50 miles from Panama City) on the Atlantic and Balboa on the Pacific near Panama City.

Pets
There is no reason why you have to abandon that lovable mascot. Contact bocasfrog@yahoo.com and he can advise on what documents to have and authenticate and meet you upon your arrival. If you arrive late, the animal will most likely have to remain at the airport overnight. It will be released the next day after inspection by a government veterinary and them that the pet will remain isolated from other animals for 90 days. This is called, "in-house quarantine." The charge per animal by the health authorities is about $100 each.

Importation and exportation of birds is prohibited. However, many exotic birds like canaries and parrots are available along the road side, or at Melo that have many locations including Panama City and David.