Daily life in Panama for retirees: the Panamanian way

The days the country stops

Article 46 of the Labour Code sets twelve days off a year for everyone, in private jobs as well as in government: nine national celebrations and three days of national mourning. There is one more in the year a new president takes office. Four of the twelve fall in November.

November, the month of the homeland

November tells the story of the country in four days off: the first cry against Spain in a town of Azuero in 1821, the independence that followed, and the separation from Colombia in 1903. Two more days around them are not days off by law, but many public offices close. If you have an appointment at Immigration or a notary in November, check the date first.

Day off by law
Not a day off, many public offices close

November 2026

1
2All Souls
3Separation
4Flag Day
5Colón Day
6
7
8
9
10First Cry
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28Independence
29
30

Nov 2All Souls’ Day, not a day off
Nov 3Separation from Colombia, 1903
Nov 4Flag Day, not a day off
Nov 5Colón Day, 1903
Nov 10First Cry of Independence in La Villa de Los Santos, 1821
Nov 28Independence from Spain, 1821

Law 55 of 2001, Labour Code, article 46

The twelve days off in 2026

Date	2026	What it marks	Kind
January 1	Thursday	New Year’s Day	Celebration
January 9	Friday	The events of January 9, 1964, over the flag in the Canal Zone	Mourning
Carnival Tuesday	February 17	Carnival	Celebration
Good Friday	April 3	Holy Week	Mourning
May 1	Friday	Labour Day	Celebration
November 3	Tuesday	Separation from Colombia, 1903	Celebration
November 5	Thursday	Colón Day, 1903	Celebration
November 10	Tuesday	First Cry of Independence, 1821	Celebration
November 28	Saturday	Independence from Spain, 1821	Celebration
December 8	Tuesday	Mother’s Day	Celebration
December 20	Sunday	The victims of the 1989 invasion	Mourning
December 25	Friday	Christmas Day	Celebration

When a holiday moves to a Monday

November 28

Falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday: you rest the Monday before. On a Thursday or Friday: the Monday after. The law calls it automatic. In 2026 it is a Saturday, so nothing moves.

January 9

Always on its own date. It used to move to a Monday until Law 118 of 2013 fixed it.

Bridge days

The government may join other holidays to a weekend by decree, moving them to a Monday. The original date becomes a working day. These decrees come out shortly before, so check the news that week.

On a Sunday

We found no rule that moves a holiday that falls on a Sunday, like December 20 in 2026.

What is not a public holiday

November 2: All Souls’ Day. Many public offices close.
November 4: Flag Day, in the middle of the patriotic week.
Holy Thursday: Some public offices close.
December 24 and 31: Some public bodies close their own offices, such as the Superintendency of Banks.
District days: Each district has its foundation day, and public offices in that district close. The Ministry of Government sets them every year.

Private banks decide for themselves whether to open on a national holiday, under a rule of the Superintendency of Banks, so check your branch.

Money, Yappy and paying

Panama uses the US dollar and has no banknotes of its own. Prices are written in balboas, worth exactly one dollar each. Day to day, people pay each other by phone with Yappy, which only works linked to your own account at a Panamanian bank.

The dollar

Legal tender in Panama since a monetary agreement with the United States signed on June 20, 1904.

No Panamanian banknotes

The Constitution forbids paper money of compulsory circulation. The State does mint coins, in balboas.

B/. on the price tag

B/. 5.00 means five dollars. In your change, US and Panamanian coins of the same size and value travel together.

What Yappy is

Yappy is the phone payment you will hear about first. It moves dollars from one mobile number to another: to a friend, to the plumber, to the stall that sells you mangoes. Banco General says more than 34,000 businesses accept it. It is run by Yappy, S.A., a company that is not a bank: your money stays in your own bank account and Yappy only moves it.

Three steps to pay by phone

1
Open a local bank account
Yappy only works linked to an account in your own name, and it checks that you are the holder.
Its terms publish no rule about foreigners without a Panamanian ID card: what decides is whether your bank opens the account.
2
Sign up
In your bank’s own app or in the Yappy app, depending on the bank, see the table.
3
Pay by phone number
Type the number or pick a contact, enter the amount in dollars and send.

The eight banks with Yappy

Bank	Where you sign up
Banco General	The bank’s own app
St. Georges Bank	The bank’s own app
Banisi	The bank’s own app
Banistmo	Yappy app or the bank’s app
Caja de Ahorros	Yappy app
Credicorp Bank	Yappy app
Davivienda	Yappy app
MetroBank	Yappy app

What it costs

Sending as a person: no Yappy fee. Your bank may charge for its own channels.
Receiving a lot: more than 50 payments adding up to more than US$10,000 over several months and Yappy treats you as a business: 1 percent plus ITBMS, the sales tax, on each payment received, minimum US$0.02.
Running a business yourself: a foreigner needs a business notice and, with a personal account, a savings account at Banco General.

Opening a bank account

Everything above starts here. The rule for banks changed in 2026: Acuerdo 1 of the Superintendency of Banks, which replaced Acuerdo 10 of 2015, makes the passport the identity document for a foreign client, with copies of the photo page and of the entry stamp. A foreign resident may use the residence card or the E cédula instead. Every foreign client also gives the tax number of the country where he pays taxes, and the bank needs proof of income, such as a pension statement. The rule asks for no bank reference letter; if a bank wants one, that is its own policy.

Superintendency of Banks, Acuerdo 1 of 2026, articles 16, 18, 20 and 54

Bank	For a foreigner	To open
Banco General	Passport or E cédula, a link with Panama if you have no cédula, proof of income	From US$1
Banistmo	Non-resident: original passport with the entry stamp; proof of income as assessed; branch only	US$10
BAC	Passport and an Immigration card or work permit, proof of income	US$50
Caja de Ahorros	Passport or E cédula, provisional Immigration card, proof of income, a lease and a utility bill in your name	US$100 for foreigners
Banco Nacional	Ask at a branch: the requirements are given in person	B/. 5,000 for foreigners

Paying with your phone

Tapping your phone at the till is normal in Panama. Apple and Google both list Panama among the countries where their wallets work, and Panamanian banks have signed up one by one. Visa has told the press that most in-person card payments here are now contactless, though its figures measure different things and are not published on its own site. The Metro takes contactless Visa and Mastercard cards at the turnstiles, and since 2024 phones too; leave with the same card or phone you came in with.

Bank	Apple Pay	Google Pay
Banco General	Visa and Mastercard, credit and debit	All Visa credit cards; Mastercard and Visa debit coming
BAC	Listed by Apple	Credit and debit cards
Caja de Ahorros	-	Visa and Mastercard, credit and debit; purchases only
Global Bank	-	Credit cards
Credicorp Bank	-	Credit, debit and prepaid
St. Georges Bank, Banesco, Ficohsa, CMF	Listed by Apple	-

Tipping, on its own line

Tipping is voluntary by law. A restaurant may suggest one, usually 10 percent, but the bill must show the total without it and the suggested tip on a separate line. A compulsory tip is only allowed for services contracted in advance, like a catered party. If you are charged one anyway, you can complain to Acodeco, the consumer protection authority, with your receipt.

Keep some cash for markets, small fondas, taxis and the “biencuidado”, the man who watches parked cars for a coin. We found no official figure on how many shops take cards.

Law 45 of 2007, article 56, as replaced by Law 34 of 2016

Fonda example · B/.

Sancocho6.50

Patacones3.00

Chicha de tamarindo2.50

Total12.00

Suggested tip, 10 %1.20

With tip13.20

The tip goes on its own line, and you decide.

Getting around

Panama City has two Metro lines and a branch to Tocumen airport. A Line 1 ride costs B/. 0.35, or B/. 0.24 for retirees and pensioners with a personalized card. Long distance buses leave from Albrook, next to the first Metro station, and small planes fly to David, Bocas del Toro and Chitré.

Line 1

AlbrookSan Isidro

14 stations · about 16 km · about 26 minutes

Starts at the national bus terminal

Line 2

San MiguelitoNuevo Tocumen

16 stations · 21 km, elevated

Change here from Line 1

Airport branch

Corredor SurAeropuerto

A train every 10 minutes

Then a bus to Terminals 1 and 2

Line 3, a monorail to Panamá Oeste, is under construction.

Fares and the retiree fare

Ticket	Price	Note
Line 1 ride	B/. 0.35	Executive Decree 367 of 2014
Line 1 ride, retirees, pensioners, seniors and people with disabilities	B/. 0.24	Needs a personalized card
Metro card	US$2.00	From the machines at any station
Ride using both lines, to the airport	US$0.85	Airport guide of March 2023

Top up the card at the station machines or at outside top-up points; the Metro also takes the MetroBus and RapiPass cards. At the turnstiles with the Visa and Mastercard logos you can just tap a contactless bank card.

Hours

Monday to Friday: 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday: 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sundays and holidays: 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Metro de Panamá, questions

The retiree card, step by step

The B/. 0.24 fare needs a personalized card, which costs US$4.00 with its registration. Bring a copy of your current Metro, MetroBus or RapiPass card with its number showing, and your address and phone number. What else you bring depends on how you qualify:

Retiree: Copy of your cédula and of your Social Security card, both sides
Pensioner: Copy of your Social Security pensioner card and of your cédula
Senior: Copy of your cédula, or of your residence card if you are a foreign resident, both sides

MetroBus

The city buses run on a card too, bought empty at sales points and topped up at ticket offices or from your online banking. One tap lets you travel for 150 minutes in total, with two free transfers, 24 hours a day. MiBus publishes a school fare but no fare for retirees, pensioners or seniors.

Corridor buses: B/. 0.75
Trunk buses: B/. 0.25
Transfer from trunk to corridor: B/. 0.50
Under 4: Free

To and from the airport by Metro

1
Line 2
Ride towards Nuevo Tocumen and get off at Corredor Sur.
2
Airport branch
Change trains. One leaves every 10 minutes.
3
Bus to the terminal
At Aeropuerto station, a bus takes you to Terminals 1 and 2.

Metro de Panamá, airport branch guide, March 2023

Buses to the interior

The national bus terminal is at Albrook, by the first station of Line 1, so you can arrive by Metro with your bags. Buses leave for David, Bocas del Toro, Santiago, Penonomé, El Valle de Antón, Las Tablas and most towns of the interior. We found no official timetable for the terminal, so ask at each company’s counter.

Metro de Panamá, Line 1

Taxis and ride apps

We could not read an official taxi fare table: the Transit Authority’s fare lookup was not reachable from outside its network when we checked. Ask the fare before you get in. In March 2026 the Authority said no fare increase is allowed and any unilateral increase has no legal value; complaints go to 311. The rules for ride apps such as Uber and InDrive are being rewritten: a 2026 decree on them was repealed four days later, so we cannot tell you their legal status today.

Ferries to the islands

Two operators publish their own fares and times. The Maritime Authority checks each boat’s sailing permit and safety certificate, but it publishes no list of authorized operators, and other boats, such as Barcos Calypso from La Playita, have no published timetable.

Taboga

US$24 round trip

Taboga Express, from the Fuerte Amador shopping centre on the Amador Causeway

From Amador 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.; extra 5:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays

About 30 minutes

Contadora

US$118 round trip, adult

Sea Las Perlas, offices on Isla Flamenco and at Albrook Mall

Daily, out 7:30 a.m., back 3:30 p.m.

Domestic flights

Airline	From	Scheduled flights to	Charter only
Air Panama	Albrook, Marcos A. Gelabert	David, Changuinola, Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro, Chitré	Contadora, Pedasí, Guna Yala, Isla San José, Bahía Piña, Jaqué, Puerto Obaldía
Copa Airlines	Tocumen	David	-

Renting a home

Leases follow Law 93 of 1973. For new leases of homes, most of it gave way to what the parties agree in 1995, but some rules still protect every tenant: a written lease filed with the Housing Ministry, a one-month deposit lodged with the State, the right to leave early with 30 days’ notice, and no landlord may turn you down for your nationality or your age.

Law 93 of 1973 governs leases and created the Directorate of Leases of the Housing Ministry, MIVIOT. In 1995, Executive Decree 7 took new leases of vacant private homes out of most of that law and left them to what you and the landlord agree. Only articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 19, 65, 66 and 68 still apply to them, and the Supreme Court upheld the decree in 2000. So for many terms, your contract is the rule: read it slowly.

Five rules that protect every tenant

Article 5

In writing

On the Directorate of Leases form.

Article 6

Filed in five days

The landlord files a copy with the Housing Ministry within five business days. If not, he faces a sanction, but the lease stands.

Article 13

One month of deposit

Lodged with the State, not kept by the landlord.

Article 10

You can leave early

At any time, with at least 30 calendar days’ written notice.

Article 4

No discrimination

Not for nationality, age, race, sex, marital status, belief or for having children.

Law 93 of 1973 on leases, consolidated text

How the deposit travels

1
You lodge it
A sum equal to one month’s rent, as the law requires of every tenant.
2
The State holds it
Through Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros, not in the landlord’s pocket.
3
The lease ends
If the landlord claims it, he must prove unpaid rent or damage before the Directorate of Leases.
4
It comes back
If he proves nothing, the deposit returns to you, with interest.

Law 259 of 2021, article 13 of Law 93, the deposit

Leaving early

The length of the lease binds the landlord, not you. Give written notice at least 30 calendar days before you leave; without it, the landlord may keep part or all of the deposit. A dated, signed letter, with a copy you keep, is the safest way.

Law 93 of 1973 on leases, consolidated text

Power, water, phone and internet

You can put the electricity, the water and a prepaid phone line in your name with your passport. Once you qualify, the law gives you 25 percent off electricity up to 600 kWh a month, off water up to B/. 30 of consumption, and off the fixed charge of one home phone line.

25%

Electricity

On monthly consumption up to 600 kWh. Above that, the normal rate.

25%

Water

On consumption up to B/. 30, for your home, with the account in your name.

25%

Home phone

On the fixed charge of one residential line in your name. The law does not mention mobiles or internet.

The discounts are for Panamanians and foreign residents who are women of 55 or over or men of 60 or over, and for all retirees and pensioners.

Internet

69.9%of occupied homes with internet, 2023 census
96%of people within mobile coverage, 68% of the land
287 Mbpsmedian fixed download, September 2026
51 Mbpsmedian mobile download, September 2026

Seven in ten occupied homes in Panama had internet in the 2023 census, but the share falls as you leave the capital. Mobile coverage reaches 96 percent of the population, yet only 68 percent of the territory: a beach house or a farm in the hills can sit in a gap. In the cities, fixed internet is fast; about a quarter of fixed connections are fibre, and most of the rest run on cable. Full commercial 5G has not launched: the regulator expects it at the end of 2026 or early 2027, and Más Móvil already offers a 5G layer on its 4G frequencies in most of Panama City, according to the press.

Homes with internet, by province

Province	Homes with internet, 2023	Where
Panamá	80.4%	Panama City
Panamá Oeste	78.2%	Coronado, partly
Chiriquí	69.7%	Boquete, David, Volcán
Los Santos	59.8%	Pedasí, Las Tablas
Coclé	56.3%	El Valle, Coronado, partly
Bocas del Toro	49.4%	Bocas town

Our own division of two census tables: homes with internet over occupied homes.

Putting the services in your name

Service	Who	What a foreigner brings
Electricity	Naturgy or ENSA, depending on the area	Naturgy: valid passport or Immigration card, proof of ownership, or the owner’s cédula and your lease, and a guarantee deposit. ENSA: passports or cédulas of both people for a change of name; a good payment history or recent credit references can replace the deposit
Water	IDAAN, the national water company	The published requirements are for the owner: title deed or Public Registry certificate and the owner’s cédula or passport
Mobile phone	Tigo or Más Móvil	Tigo prepaid: your passport. Keeping your number when you change operator: your passport, and for a contract line your last bill paid

Digicel switched off its network in April 2024, under a migration order of the telecom regulator, ASEP, so older guides that list it are out of date.

ASEP, Digicel customers migration, 2024

Claiming the water discount

1
Go to the retirees’ window
Customer Relations, ground floor of the IDAAN head office on Vía Brasil. The account holder goes in person.
2
Bring
Your last bill, a copy of your cédula and of your Social Security card, and your pension resolution if you are a pensioner.
3
Wait a month
The discount shows up on your bill about a month later.

IDAAN, questions

Mail, shopping and deliveries

Panama has a national post office, Correos y Telégrafos, but almost nobody lives by it: in 2025 it had 94 offices, fewer than 6,000 private post office boxes in use, and outside Panamá province it delivered barely a thousand items to homes all year. What people use instead is a “casillero”, a courier box with your own address in Miami.

Shipments worth up to B/. 100 enter without duties or taxes.

94post offices in 2025, down from 108 in 2021
5,892private PO boxes in use, out of 52,943
1,077home deliveries outside Panamá province in 2025

Of the 276,716 items the post office delivered to homes in 2025, 275,639 were in Panamá province. In Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Colón, Chiriquí and Darién it delivered none to homes, and Darién has no post office boxes at all. Postal codes are new: the post office and the census office launched a national system in May 2026, with a code for every home. So do not plan on letters reaching your door, and give your bank and pension office an email or a casillero address instead.

How a casillero works

1
Sign up for a casillero
Free with most companies. You get an account number and a personal address in Miami.
2
Shop with that address
Amazon, eBay, Walmart or any US store ships to your Miami address like any other order.
3
Pay by the pound
The courier flies or ships it to Panama and charges by weight, plus insurance and, if you want it, home delivery.
4
Pick it up or receive it
At a branch or at home, usually two to seven business days by air.

What casilleros charge

Company	Air, per pound	Time by air	Note
Airbox	US$3.15 to US$5.15 in the city	2 to 4 business days	Sea option from US$1.85 a pound; home delivery from US$1.50
PGT Logistics	US$3.50, sales tax included	2 to 3 business days	Free home delivery up to 25 pounds by air
Blue Cargo	B/. 2.50 to B/. 3.00	2 to 7 business days	Minimum B/. 4.00 to B/. 5.00
Tracking Box	US$2.50	48 to 72 hours	No volume charge, they say
Tulogy	US$2.65	3 to 5 business days

Prices published on each company’s site on October 26, 2026. Large parcels may be charged by volume, not weight.

Customs: what you pay

Up to B/. 100

No duties, no taxes

Small shipments of goods that are not restricted, valued at B/. 100 or less, pay no taxes.

B/. 100 to 2,000

Taxes due

The courier files the declaration through a customs broker and passes the taxes on to you. Sales tax on imports is 7 percent of the CIF value plus duties.

B/. 2,000 or more

A normal import

Also anything restricted, whatever its value, such as weapons or dual-use goods.

Amazon, Shein and Temu

Amazon lists Panama among the countries it ships to, and you pay the duties and taxes. Many US sellers do not ship abroad, which is why the casillero is the usual route; couriers list Amazon and Shein among the shops people use with their Miami address. We could not confirm that Temu ships directly to Panama.

Phones and computers outside the city

There is no Apple Store in Panama. Apple’s own locator lists 94 resellers, all third parties, and 59 of them are in Panamá province; of its 8 authorized repair centres, 6 are in Panama City, one in Colón and one in David. If you live in Boquete, Pedasí or Bocas, a repair or a special model usually means a trip to the city or an order through a casillero, so bring a spare charger and think twice before arriving with a device you cannot service here.

Apple resellers by province

Panamá59

Chiriquí11

Colón8

Veraguas4

Herrera3

Panamá Oeste3

Bocas del Toro3

Coclé2

Los Santos1

Apple, find a reseller or repair centre, Panama

How Panamanians talk

Panamanian Spanish has its own words, and some came from English: “fren” is a friend and “priti” is pretty. Start with “usted”, and remember that “ahorita” means in a while, not right now.

In the towns of the interior people say “usted” more often than in the capital, even with friends and family; in Panama City both forms live side by side. The easy rule: start with usted, and follow the other person when they switch.

Teixeira and Leal, Travessias 14, 2017, on usted in Panama

Words you will hear every day

¿Qué xopá?What’s up?“Qué pasó”, turned around
FrenFriendFrom English
PritiPretty, nice; also a boyfriend or girlfriendFrom English, young people
ChantinHome
BucoA lot
OfiOK, sureFrom “oficial”, young people
PelaoA kid, a young personPelada for a girl
PintaA bottle of beer
¡Chuleta!Wow!Surprise, the polite way
La gran vainaSomething amazing, for good or bad“Ni de a vaina”: no way
PifiosoShowy; of a thing, really good
ChivaA small bus with facing seats
BiencuidadoThe man who watches parked cars for a coin
AhoritaIn a while, laterNot right now

Diccionario de americanismos, ASALE, 2010, entries marked Pa.

Diccionario de americanismos, ASALE, 2010, entries marked Pa.

Before you settle in

Mark November 3, 5, 10 and 28 before booking any appointment that month.
Open a local bank account in your first weeks, with your passport and proof of your pension, then sign up for Yappy.
Put the electricity and water in your name, then ask for the 25 percent retiree discount.
Ask for the personalized Metro card for the B/. 0.24 fare.
Ask for the lease on the Housing Ministry form, and where the deposit will be lodged.
Open a casillero before you need one, and give your bank an email instead of a postal address.
Start with usted, and hear “ahorita” as later.

Questions people ask

How many public holidays does Panama have?

Twelve days off a year set by article 46 of the Labour Code: nine national celebrations and three days of national mourning, plus the day a new president takes office in an election year.

Is November 4 a public holiday in Panama?

No. November 4, Flag Day, is not in article 46 of the Labour Code, although many public offices close. November 3, 5, 10 and 28 are days off.

Can I use US dollars in Panama?

Yes. The US dollar has been legal tender in Panama since 1904, and Panama has no banknotes of its own. Prices in balboas, B/., are the same amount in dollars.

Can a foreigner use Yappy?

Yappy works only linked to a bank account in your own name at one of eight Panamanian banks. Its terms publish no rule about foreigners without a Panamanian ID card, so it depends on whether your bank opens an account for you.

How much is the Panama Metro for retirees?

B/. 0.24 a ride on Line 1 for retirees, pensioners, seniors and people with disabilities, with a personalized card. The normal Line 1 fare is B/. 0.35.

Can I open a bank account in Panama with only a passport?

The banking rule allows it: since Acuerdo 1 of 2026 of the Superintendency of Banks, the passport is the identity document for a foreign client, with proof of income and the tax number of your home country. Each bank adds its own requirements: Banco General and Banistmo publish a passport route for non-residents, while BAC and Caja de Ahorros ask for an Immigration card.

Do retirees get a discount on electricity in Panama?

Yes. Law 6 of 1987, as amended by Law 37 of 2001, gives 25 percent off the monthly electricity bill up to 600 kWh to retirees, pensioners, and women of 55 or over and men of 60 or over, Panamanian or foreign residents.

Do Apple Pay and Google Pay work in Panama?

Yes. Apple and Google both list Panama, and banks such as Banco General, BAC, Caja de Ahorros, Global Bank and Credicorp offer one or both. The Metro also takes contactless cards and phones at the turnstiles.

How good is the internet in Panama?

Fast in the cities: the median fixed download was 287 Mbps in September 2026, Ookla. Coverage thins outside the capital: 80 percent of homes in Panamá province had internet in the 2023 census, against 49 percent in Bocas del Toro, and mobile signal covers 96 percent of people but 68 percent of the land.

Is there postal service in Panama?

There is a national post office, but it barely delivers to homes outside Panamá province: in 2025 it delivered 1,077 items to homes in the rest of the country. Most people use a casillero, a courier box with a Miami address.

How much can I import to Panama without paying tax?

Courier shipments of unrestricted goods valued at B/. 100 or less pay no taxes, under Resolution 049 of 2025 of the National Customs Authority. Above that, duties and the 7 percent sales tax apply.

Is tipping compulsory in Panama?

No. By law tipping is voluntary. A restaurant may suggest a tip, usually 10 percent, on a separate line of the bill.

Who keeps the rent deposit in Panama?

The State. By Law 93 of 1973, article 13, the tenant lodges one month’s rent as a deposit, managed through Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros. It comes back with interest unless the landlord proves unpaid rent or damage before the Housing Ministry.

Can I end a lease early in Panama?

Yes, at any time, with at least 30 calendar days’ written notice. Without notice, the landlord may keep part or all of the deposit.

Settling in and not sure how something works here? Write to us, and we will tell you how it is done in Panama.