# Daily life in Panama, the Panamanian way Your visa is the paperwork. Daily life is everything else: which days the country stops, how people pay each other, how you get across town, what the law says when you rent a home and what your neighbour means by “ahorita”. Here it is, one thing at a time, with the rule or the official source behind every fact. [Free consultation](/contact/) - 12 days off a year by law - US$ the currency since 1904 - B/. 0.24 Metro ride for retirees - 25% off power and water for retirees [01Holidays](#holidays)[02Money and banks](#money)[03Getting around](#transport)[04Renting](#renting)[05Power, water, internet](#home)[06Mail and shopping](#shop)[07How people talk](#words) ## 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 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun - - - - - - - 1 - 2 All Souls - 3 Separation - 4 Flag Day - 5 Colón Day - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 First Cry - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 Independence - 29 - 30 - Nov 2 All Souls’ Day, not a day off - Nov 3 Separation from Colombia, 1903 - Nov 4 Flag Day, not a day off - Nov 5 Colón Day, 1903 - Nov 10 First Cry of Independence in La Villa de Los Santos, 1821 - Nov 28 Independence from Spain, 1821 - [Law 55 of 2001, Labour Code, article 46](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2001/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_24431_2001_11_14_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_55.pdf) The pollera, Panama’s traditional dress Photo: [Elvis A. Mora](https://unsplash.com/@elvismora?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· Unsplash· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license) ## 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 | - [Law 55 of 2001, Labour Code, article 46](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2001/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_24431_2001_11_14_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_55.pdf) - [Law 291 of 2022](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2020/2022/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_29507-B_2022_3_31_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_291.pdf) ## 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. - [Law 118 of 2013, article 6](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2010/2013/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_27443-A_2013_12_30_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_118.pdf) - [Law 70 of 2007, bridge days](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2007/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_25950_2008_1_2_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_70.pdf) ### December 20, a quiet day Since 2022, the day that remembers the victims of the 1989 invasion is a day off, and the law asks for quiet. From 12:01 a.m. on December 20 to 12:01 a.m. on December 21, no alcohol may be sold or served, and radio and television may not play loud music. The fine runs from B/. 500 to B/. 5,000. - [Law 291 of 2022](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2020/2022/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_29507-B_2022_3_31_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_291.pdf) ### 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. - [Superintendency of Banks, Resolution SBP-ADM-R-2026-00003](https://www.superbancos.gob.pa/documentos/leyes_y_regulaciones/resolucion/2026/Resolucion_2026-00003.pdf) - [Law 55 of 2001, Labour Code, article 46](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2001/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_24431_2001_11_14_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_55.pdf) ## 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. - [US Department of State, on the monetary agreement of June 20, 1904](https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1935v04/d889) - [Constitution of Panama, articles 261 and 262](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2004/TEXTO%20UNICO/Administrador%20Legispan_25176_2004_11_15_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_1.pdf) Casco Viejo, Panama City Photo: [Azzedine Rouichi](https://unsplash.com/@rouichi?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· Unsplash· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license) ## 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. - [Yappy, terms and conditions](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/terminos-y-condiciones/) - [Banco General, Yappy](https://www.bgeneral.com/yappy/) Send to 6xxx-xxxx $12.00 Mangoes, Saturday market ## Three steps to pay by phone - ### 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. - ### Sign up In your bank’s own app or in the Yappy app, depending on the bank, see the table. - ### Pay by phone number Type the number or pick a contact, enter the amount in dollars and send. - [Yappy, terms and conditions](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/terminos-y-condiciones/) - [Yappy, help centre](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/centro-de-ayuda/) ### 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 | - [Yappy, banks with Yappy](https://www.yappy.com.pa/bancos-con-yappy/) - [Yappy, help centre](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/centro-de-ayuda/) ### 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. - [Yappy, help centre](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/centro-de-ayuda/) - [Yappy for businesses, questions](https://www.yappy.com.pa/comercial/preguntas-frecuentes/) ## 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](https://www.superbancos.gob.pa/documentos/leyes_y_regulaciones/acuerdos/2026/Acuerdo_01-2026.pdf) | 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 | So a newcomer with only a passport has more doors at Banco General and Banistmo, and the others open once you hold your Immigration card. Banco General does not explain what it counts as a link with Panama: ask at the branch. - [Banco General, savings account](https://www.bgeneral.com/cuentas/cuenta-de-ahorros/) - [Banistmo, regular savings account](https://www.banistmo.com/personas/depositos/cuenta-de-ahorros/regular) - [BAC, accounts](https://www.baccredomatic.com/es-pa/personas/cuentas) - [Caja de Ahorros, regular savings account](https://www.cajadeahorros.com.pa/ahorro-cuenta-regular/) - [Banco Nacional, savings account](https://www.banconal.com.pa/productos/cuentas/cuenta-de-ahorro/) ## 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. ### Cards from home A card from home usually works in your phone too, but ask your own bank about foreign transaction fees, and keep a physical card for places without a reader. We found no published limit for contactless payments without a PIN. | 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 | - | - [Apple, Apple Pay countries](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102775) - [Apple, Apple Pay banks in Latin America](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109524) - [Google Wallet, countries](https://support.google.com/wallet/answer/12060037?hl=en) - [Banco General, Apple Pay](https://www.bgeneral.com/apple-pay/) - [Banco General, Google Pay](https://www.bgeneral.com/google-pay/) - [BAC, digital wallet](https://www.baccredomatic.com/es-pa/personas/banca-digital/billetera-digital) - [Caja de Ahorros, Google Pay](https://www.cajadeahorros.com.pa/canales-digitales/google-pay/) - [Global Bank, Google Pay](https://www.globalbank.com.pa/banca-personal/tarjetas-de-credito/beneficios/google-pay) - [Credicorp Bank, Google Pay](https://www.credicorpbank.com/google-pay/) - [Revista E&N, phones at the Metro turnstiles, press, 2024](https://www.revistaeyn.com/empresasymanagement/usuarios-metro-de-panama-pueden-pagar-con-sus-dispositivos-CA20132257) - [La Estrella de Panamá, Visa on contactless payments, press, 2025](https://www.laestrella.com.pa/economia/panama-avanza-hacia-una-consolidacion-en-pagos-sin-contactos-KH13142954) - [Mastercard, contactless on the Metro, 2023](https://www.mastercard.com/news/latin-america/es/sala-de-prensa/comunicados-de-prensa/pr-es/2023/enero/metro-de-panama-sonda-y-mastercard-habilitan-pago-sin-contacto-para-beneficiar-a-usuarios-del-metro) ## 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](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2010/2016/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_28088-A_2016_8_3_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_34.pdf) Fonda example · B/. Sancocho 6.50 Patacones 3.00 Chicha de tamarindo 2.50 Total 12.00 Suggested tip, 10 % 1.20 With tip 13.20 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 Albrook San Isidro 14 stations · about 16 km · about 26 minutes Starts at the national bus terminal Line 2 San Miguelito Nuevo Tocumen 16 stations · 21 km, elevated Change here from Line 1 Airport branch Corredor Sur Aeropuerto A train every 10 minutes Then a bus to Terminals 1 and 2 Line 3, a monorail to Panamá Oeste, is under construction. - [Metro de Panamá, Line 1](https://elmetrodepanama.com/linea-1/) - [Metro de Panamá, Line 2](https://elmetrodepanama.com/linea-2/) - [Metro de Panamá, airport branch guide, March 2023](https://elmetrodepanama.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Guia-de-Bolsillo-Ramal-EN.pdf) Panama City from Cerro Ancón Photo: Envato Elements· Envato Elements· [Envato Elements license](https://elements.envato.com/license-terms) ### 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. - [Metro de Panamá, fares](https://elmetrodepanama.com/tarifa-del-metro/) - [Metro de Panamá, airport branch guide, March 2023](https://elmetrodepanama.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Guia-de-Bolsillo-Ramal-EN.pdf) ### 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](https://elmetrodepanama.com/preguntas-frecuentes-2/) ## 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 ### If you came on the Pensionado visa The Metro’s list does not mention the Pensionado card issued by Immigration. For a foreign retiree, the route the Metro publishes is the senior one, with the residence card. Under Law 6 of 1987, seniors are women from 55 and men from 60, Panamanian or foreign residents. - [Metro de Panamá, requirements for the special fare](https://elmetrodepanama.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/requisitos-tarifa-especial.jpg) - [Law 6 of 1987, article 1, as amended](https://mici.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/01-03-ley-6-1987.pdf) ## 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 - [MiBus, user guide](https://www.mibus.com.pa/guia-del-usuario/) - [MiBus, questions](https://www.mibus.com.pa/preguntas-frecuentes/) ## To and from the airport by Metro - ### Line 2 Ride towards Nuevo Tocumen and get off at Corredor Sur. - ### Airport branch Change trains. One leaves every 10 minutes. - ### Bus to the terminal At Aeropuerto station, a bus takes you to Terminals 1 and 2. - [Metro de Panamá, airport branch guide, March 2023](https://elmetrodepanama.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Guia-de-Bolsillo-Ramal-EN.pdf) ### 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](https://elmetrodepanama.com/linea-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. - [Transit Authority, ATTT, notice of March 20, 2026](https://transito.gob.pa/2026/03/20/comunicado-sobre-tarifa-del-pasaje/) - [Transit Authority, ATTT, other lookups](https://transito.gob.pa/otras-consultas/) ## 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. Law 6 of 1987 gives retirees, pensioners and seniors, Panamanian or foreign residents, a 30 percent discount on launches and boats. Neither operator publishes a retiree fare, so ask for it when you buy, with your card in hand. - [Taboga Express](https://tabogaexpress.com/) - [Sea Las Perlas](https://ferrypearlislands.com/) - [Law 6 of 1987, article 1, 2.c](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/1980/1987/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_20827_1987_6_22_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_6.pdf)· [Full text](https://iurispa.com/legislacion/ley-6-de-1987/) ## 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 | - | - [Air Panama, destinations](https://www.airpanama.com/en/destinos) - [Copa Airlines, flights from Panama](https://www.copaair.com/es-pa/vuelos-desde-panama/) ## 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. - [Executive Decree 7 of 1995, article 1](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/1990/1995/DECRETO%20EJECUTIVO/Administrador%20Legispan_22709_1995_1_24_MINISTERIO%20DE%20VIVIENDA_7.pdf) - [Law 93 of 1973 on leases, consolidated text](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/1970/1973/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_17456_1973_10_22_CONSEJO%20NACIONAL%20DE%20LEGISLACION_93.pdf) Casco Viejo waterfront, Panama City Photo: [Ignacio Hernandez](https://unsplash.com/@ignacioh01?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· Unsplash· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license) ## 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](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/1970/1973/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_17456_1973_10_22_CONSEJO%20NACIONAL%20DE%20LEGISLACION_93.pdf) ## How the deposit travels - ### You lodge it A sum equal to one month’s rent, as the law requires of every tenant. - ### The State holds it Through Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros, not in the landlord’s pocket. - ### The lease ends If the landlord claims it, he must prove unpaid rent or damage before the Directorate of Leases. - ### 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](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2020/2021/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_29427_2021_12_2_ASAMBLEA%20NACIONAL_259.pdf) ### 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](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/1970/1973/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_17456_1973_10_22_CONSEJO%20NACIONAL%20DE%20LEGISLACION_93.pdf) ### Guarantors and rent in advance Guarantors and rent in advance are not among the rules that still apply to new home leases, so they are whatever the contract says. A guarantor, if you agree to one, falls under the guarantee rules of the Civil Code. Ask the landlord what he expects before you sign, and have your lawyer read those clauses. Since October 2025 the Directorate of Leases has procedures online, and some of its services are free. [miviot.gob.pa](https://www.miviot.gob.pa/) ## 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. - [Law 37 of 2001, amending Law 6 of 1987, article 1, items 19, 21 and 22](https://w3.css.gob.pa/wp-content/wdocs/LEY%2037%20DE%202001%20NORMAS%20PROTECTORAS%20PARA%20LOS%20JUBILADOS%20Y%20PENSIONADOS.pdf) - [Law 6 of 1987, article 1, as amended](https://mici.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/01-03-ley-6-1987.pdf) ## Internet - 69.9% of occupied homes with internet, 2023 census - 96% of people within mobile coverage, 68% of the land - 287 Mbps median fixed download, September 2026 - 51 Mbps median 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. ### Outside the city Before you sign a lease outside the city, ask the landlord which company serves the house and test the phone signal in every room. Where there is no cable or fibre, Starlink is licensed in Panama and publishes home plans from US$45 a month. The State also runs free public wifi at about 1,500 sites, according to its innovation authority. - [INEC, 2023 Census, table 20, homes with internet](https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P053342420231215115040Cuadro%2020.pdf) - [INEC, 2023 Census, table 2, occupied homes](https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P00140176420231009161825CUADRO%202.pdf) - [ASEP, statistics: fixed internet by technology, mobile coverage](https://asep.gob.pa/?page_id=13119) - [Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Panama, measured, September 2026](https://www.speedtest.net/global-index/panama) - [Starlink, Panama](https://www.starlink.com/pa) - [La Prensa, Más Móvil 5G in Panama City, press, 2024](https://www.prensa.com/economia/mas-movil-lanza-red-5g-en-mas-de-360-puntos-de-la-ciudad-de-panama-y-asep-prepara-licitacion-para-2025/) - [Panamá América, free public wifi sites, press, January 2026](https://www.panamaamerica.com.pa/sociedad/internet-para-todos-llegara-1900-puntos-en-todo-el-pais-1257121) ## 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 | - [Naturgy Panamá, contract requirements](https://www.naturgy.com.pa/hogar/distribucion-de-electricidad/contratos-de-condiciones-generales/) - [ENSA, change of name](https://ensa.com.pa/clientes/residencial/cambio-de-nombre/) - [IDAAN, questions](https://www.idaan.gob.pa/preguntas-frecuentes-idaan/) - [Tigo, prepaid line](https://ayuda.tigo.com.pa/hc/centro-de-ayuda/articles/109175189810111-personaliza-tu-linea-movil-prepago) - [ASEP, number portability](https://asep.gob.pa/direcciones/telecomunicaciones/portabilidad-numerica/preguntas-frecuentes/) 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](https://asep.gob.pa/asep-dicta-medidas-para-migrar-los-clientes-usuarios-de-digicel-panama/) ## Claiming the water discount - ### Go to the retirees’ window Customer Relations, ground floor of the IDAAN head office on Vía Brasil. The account holder goes in person. - ### Bring Your last bill, a copy of your cédula and of your Social Security card, and your pension resolution if you are a pensioner. - ### Wait a month The discount shows up on your bill about a month later. IDAAN’s list names the cédula and the Social Security card, not the Pensionado card from Immigration, and we found no published procedure for Naturgy, ENSA, Tigo or Más Móvil. Ask each one which card they accept before you go. - [IDAAN, questions](https://www.idaan.gob.pa/preguntas-frecuentes-idaan/) ## 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. - 94 post offices in 2025, down from 108 in 2021 - 5,892 private PO boxes in use, out of 52,943 - 1,077 home 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. - [INEC, Communications 2025, tables 1, 7 and 12](https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P0705547520260814123850.Informe%20completo,Comunicaciones%202025.pdf) - [La Estrella de Panamá, postal codes launched, press, May 2026](https://www.laestrella.com.pa/panama/nacional/habilitan-codigos-postales-en-panama-con-el-apoyo-de-google-ED22212688) ## How a casillero works - ### Sign up for a casillero Free with most companies. You get an account number and a personal address in Miami. - ### Shop with that address Amazon, eBay, Walmart or any US store ships to your Miami address like any other order. - ### 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. - ### 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. - [Airbox, conditions](https://www.airbox.com.pa/condiciones/) - [PGT Logistics](https://www.usapgt.com/casillero-panama) - [Blue Cargo Panamá](https://bluecargopanama.com/) - [Tracking Box Panamá](https://www.trackingboxpanama.com/) - [Tulogy](https://tulogypty.com/) ## 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. - [National Customs Authority, Resolution 049 of 2025, articles 11, 26 and 27](https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/30234_A/110871.pdf) - [DGI, sales tax, ITBMS, basics](https://dgi.mef.gob.pa/itbms/Generalidades) ### Medicines by courier Medicines for your own use can come by courier without a Panamanian health registration, under Executive Decree 27 of 2024: you need the prescription, the detailed invoice, a copy of your passport or cédula, a release letter for the health authority and the air waybill, and no more than six months of treatment. Cosmetics are limited to six units a person and 500 ml a month. Medicines and food pay no sales tax. - [Executive Decree 27 of 2024, article 358](https://minsa.gob.pa/sites/default/files/general/decreto_ejecutivo_27_de_10_de_mayo_de_2024.pdf) - [DGI, sales tax, ITBMS, basics](https://dgi.mef.gob.pa/itbms/Generalidades) ### 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. - [Amazon, AmazonGlobal countries](https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GCBBSZMUXA6U2P8R) - [Airbox](https://www.airbox.com.pa/) ## 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 provincePanamá 59 Chiriquí 11 Colón 8 Veraguas 4 Herrera 3 Panamá Oeste 3 Bocas del Toro 3 Coclé 2 Los Santos 1 - [Apple, find a reseller or repair centre, Panama](https://locate.apple.com/pa/es/) ## 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](https://periodicos.ufs.br/Travessias/article/download/9150/7168/25910) The main square of Las Tablas, Los Santos Photo: [SportingVVE](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parque_Belisario_Porras_Barahona,_Ciudad_de_Las_Tablas,_Provincia_de_Los_Santos_(2025).jpg)· Wikimedia Commons· [CC0](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en) ## Words you will hear every day - ¿Qué xopá? What’s up? “Qué pasó”, turned around - Fren Friend From English - Priti Pretty, nice; also a boyfriend or girlfriend From English, young people - Chantin Home - Buco A lot - Ofi OK, sure From “oficial”, young people - Pelao A kid, a young person Pelada for a girl - Pinta A bottle of beer - ¡Chuleta! Wow! Surprise, the polite way - La gran vaina Something amazing, for good or bad “Ni de a vaina”: no way - Pifioso Showy; of a thing, really good - Chiva A small bus with facing seats - Biencuidado The man who watches parked cars for a coin - Ahorita In a while, later Not right now - [Diccionario de americanismos, ASALE, 2010, entries marked Pa.](https://www.asale.org/damer/) ### Juegavivo One word says a lot about how people talk about each other: “juegavivo”, the person who looks for a shortcut at every chance, and the attitude itself. You will hear it about a driver cutting the queue, sometimes with a little admiration. Knowing it helps you follow half the conversations about traffic and politics. ### Ahorita When the plumber says he is coming ahorita, plan your afternoon around it. We found no study on punctuality in Panama, so we will not give you rules we cannot back up. - [Diccionario de americanismos, ASALE, 2010, entries marked Pa.](https://www.asale.org/damer/) ## 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. Free 15-minute call ## Planning your retirement in Panama? Book a free 15-minute call. We will check your pension and tell you exactly what you need. - A signed contract - An invoice for every expense - Licensed attorneys [Book your free call](/contact/) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238?text=Hi%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20consultation%20about%20the%20Panama%20Pensionado%20visa%2C%20from%20panamapensionado.com.) [contacto@iurispa.com](mailto:contacto@iurispa.com) A Panamanian lawyer replies within one business day, in English.