Retire In Panama Archives | Panama Relocation Tours

Last Updated on September 6, 2020 - by Jackie Lange

BREAKING NEWS! Panama’s Plans to Open the Borders

(Updated September 5th)

FINALLY we have some dates!!

Tuesday, August 25, the National Government announced the new dates of the national reopening plan based on health indicators against COVID-19. The number of new cases and number of deaths has been going down recently!

Panama will reopen the construction industry and related activities such as engineers, architects, project managers, contractors, moving and hauling services. They will also open free zones such as the Panama Pacific Special Economic Area and the Colon Free Zone, as well as tailors, dressmakers, shoe stores and car washes.

On September 14, the mobility restriction will be lifted but a curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am will be required.

On September 21 sports activities will be reopened, but without public spectators.

On September 28, retail stores open with in-person shopping, restaurants will open with in-person dining (no restrictions mentioned), professional services, administrative and general services, domestic flights, family activities on the beach, rivers and natural parks, and the racetrack without the public.

On October 12, the curfew will be lifted! International flights can resume, hotels, motels, rural hostels, lodging sites and complementary services, tourist activities, non-essential transport (recreational and tourist), creative and cultural industries, music and art academies, libraries, swimming pools, and the National Charity Lottery.

With the PanamaPlan to reopen economic activities, the authorities emphasize that businesses must operate in strict compliance with the security measures established by the Ministry of Health.

CAVEATS

The government of Panama has a few caveats in place in order to keep the October 12th reopening date. They will only reopen on that date IF, hospital beds are only at 20% occupancy, the respiratory care unit is only at 15% capacity, and the death rate is under 3% (it is currently at 2.2%).

If those above criteria determined by the Ministry of Health are not met, Panama will once again push back the reopening of the country.

WHAT WE DO KNOW…

Panama still has very strict mask requirements in place and plans to keep the regulations during reopening. Any person in public spaces without a proper mask covering both nose and mouth can be detained and/or fined. When you enter a store you will be required to step in a disinfectant, use hand sanitizer or alcohol which they provide and they will take your temperature before you can enter. If your temperature is high, they will not let you in.

NEW COVID TEST RULES- On September 4th, Panama issued new guidelines for anyone coming in to Panama. To get on the plane and to come in to Panama, you will be required to show a negative Covid PCR or antigen test that is not more than 96 hours old. The new directive does not mention a quarantine requirement.

Panama will also take your temperature when arriving and it must be less than 37c (98.6f) to enter the country. You cannot have any signs of being sick, like coughing, sneezing, fever to enter Panama.

Something that you need to be aware of, if there is a spike in Covid cases after Panama opens their borders, they could shut down the country again. So, my recommendation is to wait for a few weeks after the borders open before planning a trip to Panama.

CAN YOU MOVE TO PANAMA?

If you’re planning to MOVE to Panama, you should start getting your paperwork ready to get a Visa and contact/hire an immigration attorney. You may want to wait until November or December to move to Panama to see if there are any changes after October 12th.

Our Online Panama Relocation Guide has recommendations for reliable immigration lawyers, lists of paperwork that you’ll need to get a Visa, details about apostile and authentications of documents and honest real estate agents/property managers to help you find a rental. The Online Guide contains other important information that you need to know to relocate to Panama.

If you just want to come to VISIT Panama, we would suggest that you wait until December when more businesses will be open and there is less rain. Traditionally, October and November are very rainy months. The Online Panama Relocation Guide will have information about how to plan a self-guided tour in Panama and include where to stay, who to contact to show you rentals, popular places, shopping and much more.

I will keep you informed as I get more information.

This is good news! At least we have a date… finally!

Last Updated on August 14, 2020 - by Jackie Lange

Finding The Best Place to Live in Panama

Moving to Panama is an amazing adventure. Depending on where you live, and how you live, you may be able to significantly reduce your cost of living while also increase the quality of your lifestyle! One of the first things you’ll need to do is to determine the best place to live for you. Everyone has different wants and needs so there is not one right answer to the question of where is the best place to live in Panama. There are four main criteria that you need to take in to consideration when looking for the best place to live in Panama include:

1. Weather
2. Your Budget
3. Amenities
4. Social activities

WEATHER

In the coastal areas in Panama it is about 90 degrees (32 celsius) during the daytime, all year. Temperatures drop about 10 degrees at night. Panama’s weather is consistent all year because it is only 9 degrees from the equator. If you like warm to hot weather, the coastal areas would be ideal for you. For every 1000 feet increase in elevation, the temperatures drop about 4 degrees. So, if you do the math, you can pick the ideal location based on the weather criteria. I prefer living in a place where I don’t need an air conditioner. My house is at 4600 feet and the day time temperatures are in the mid-70s (23 celsius) every day. If mid-70s is too cool for you, but 90s is too hot, then you need to find a town at an elevation that is about half way between the two.

If you hate humidity then you’ll want to look in the Azuero Peninsula or elevations above 3500 feet. Any other place in Panama will have high humidity levels.

YOUR BUDGET

Once you determine what kind of weather you want to experience every day, the next major factor is your budget. Some areas in Panama are much more expensive than others. And some areas are super affordable. You need to determine how much money you will have to work with every month. See this Cost of Living article to help you determine what a typical budget might be. Even if you can afford to spend $1500 on rent you should start looking at rentals in the $900 range if they are available in the area you like best. There is no need to push your rental budget to the limit. If you know that your budget is $2000 a month, that will eliminate living in place like Panama City or Coronado but there are plenty of other places where you can have the ideal weather and stay within your budget.

If you are moving to Panama on a tight budget you can significantly reduce your cost of living if you move about 15-20 minutes outside of the popular expat communities. Today on Craigslist Panama I saw a cute furnished two bedroom two bath for rent for $350 in Dolega. Dolega is about 15 minutes to David or Boquete in Chiriqui province. The same rental in Boquete would be at least $700 a month.

Most rentals in the coastal areas do not include electricity. If you run your air conditioner a lot, you will need to add $150 to $250 to your monthly budget for your electric bill. If you life in the highlands electricity is usually included in your rent but if it’s not you can count on an electric bill that is less than $25 a month.

AMENITIES

Before you move to Panama, it’s a good idea to make a list of the things that you “must have” to be comfortable in your new live in Panama. For most that is having hospitals, doctors, grocery stores, restaurants and other amenities within 15 minute drive of their house. If you like to shop, you’ll probably want to have a mall close by too. Some areas have more amenities close by than others. If you live on the western side of the Azuero, Santa Fe, Playa Vaneo, Boca Chica or Las Lajas you will need to drive at more than an hour to the closest hospital or decent grocery store. Some people are ok with driving an hour to go grocery shopping, but others are not. So you’ll need to do some research about what amenities are close to the area where you are considering living.

Some areas in Panama have plenty of organic produce available but others don’t have any organic produce. Some areas in Panama have a large selection of products from North America but others don’t have any. If these a variety of shopping choices are important to you, then you will need to move to a town that has what you need or you’ll quickly get frustrated.

Some areas have fiber options with 100+mbps internet speed, some areas only have satellite internet with 5-10mbps internet. If higher speed internet is important to you, then you will certainly need to investigate that before you move to an area in Panama.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

The easiest and fastest way to have a smooth transition to a happy life in Panama is to get involved in social activities so you can meet other expats and Panamanians. Getting involved in social activities like attending live music events, art classes, cooking classes, hiking groups, beach volley ball, pickle ball, theater, golf, tennis, etc etc. are available in some areas but do not exist in other areas. Some areas in Panama have a lot of volunteer opportunities like spay and neuter clinics, handicap foundations, delivering food to needy families, tutoring students, etc. If you’re a social butterfly, you’ll definitely want to relocate to an area in Panama that has a lot of social activities.

Meet Expats During the PanamaRelocationTours.com — Expats attend fund raiser for a Charity

Some areas in Panama have a high concentration of expats but some areas don’t have many expats at all. There tends to be more social activities in areas with more expats. Also, if the town has a high concentration of expats English will be more widely spoken If you move to an area that has few expats, like Puerto Armuelles, you’ll definitely need to learn a lot more Spanish fast.

WE CAN HELP YOU DO RESEARCH!

You really need to take all four of these things in to consideration when you’re looking for the best place for YOU to live in Panama. There’s a perfect place for you to live in Panama but sometimes there are trade offs too.

Our Online Panama Relocation Guide will help you do research about the best places to live in Panama. You’ll learn about the weather, the costs of living, amenities and social activities to help you determine the best place for you to live in Panama. The Online Panama Relocation Guide will help you narrow down the place that you want to visit when you come to check out Panama. The Online Panama Relocation Guide has the same information that you’d get on a Panama Relocation Tour including information about where to buy health insurance for 40% less, reliable immigration lawyers, honest real estate agents/property managers, how to get your pets in to Panama, important questions to ask before renting and much much more.

Last Updated on July 13, 2020 - by Jackie Lange

There’s Something For Everyone In Panama

It is hard to follow social media and news outlets without thinking that our world has been turned upside down. Some places have rioting, fighting, looting and how could we forget this horrible thing called Covid-19. Because of all this, some have begun to do some deep reflection and even started wondering if now is the time to move to a different country to start a new adventure away from the madness.

This is the perfect time to seriously consider moving to beautiful Panama. You may even be able to retire early because the cost of living is so much more affordable in Panama. Life is much more tranquil in Panama.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIVE

Because of Panama’s diversity, there is something for everyone. Whether you prefer the warmer weather of the beaches or the cooler temperatures of the highlands, you can find it in Panama.

If a vibrant nightlife is what you are looking for, the capital city of Panama may be a perfect fit for you. There are many different residential communities in Panama City and each one has their own vibe. Belle Vista and El Cangrejo are especially popular with expats.

If you’re looking for a more upscale beach community, you should check out Coronado and the surrounding beach towns like San Carlos. Coronado has a thriving expat community, a lot of amazing restaurants and just about every amenity that a North American would need to feel at home. Rental prices for a high rise condo facing the Pacific Ocean start at about $1200 a month for a furnished two bedroom. That price does not include electricity which could be from $50 to $350 a month depending on how much you use your air conditioner.

Perhaps you’d like a town with Spring like weather (no air conditioner needed) where you can walk almost everywhere. Boquete would be a perfect fit. It is also a town with a lot of social activities, great restaurants and many places where you can listen to live music at multiple venues. Boquete is in the mountains where the temperatures range between 65 at night to a high of 80 during the day. Boquete has a population of about 25,000 with an estimate that 4,000 are people from other countries. A nice furnished two-bedroom rental will start at about $700 in Boquete.

If you’re looking for a slower pace of life, then Volcan in the highlands would be ideal. Or, if you prefer warmer weather and beaches, the towns between Chitre and Las Tablas in the Azuero Peninsula would be a good fit for you. Both of these areas are super affordable too! You can get a nice furnished one bedroom house with all utilities included for less than $350 a month and a furnished two-bedroom will be $500 a month.

HOW TO MOVE TO PANAMA

If you make at least $1000 a month in lifetime income (like Social Security), you can retire in Panama. A couple would need to have $1250 per month in lifetime income. There are plenty of places you can live on that income. The famous Pensionado Visa will help your income go even further because you’ll be able to take advantage of discounts on restaurants, pharmacies, airfare, doctors, hotels and utilities. The Pensionado Visa also entitles you to live in Panama indefnitely. We have more details about getting a Visa in our FREE Living and Retiring in Panama 12-part email series which you can get here.

If you have more income to work with you’ll have more choices when you move to Panama.

Since 2010, we’ve been helping people relocate to Panama the stress-free easy way.

THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE… IN EVERY BUDGET!!

Regardless of where you relocate to in Panama, you will meet some of the friendliest and most helpful people in the world who are truly proud of their country and eager to share it with you.

After going on a Panama Relocation Tour or getting the information in the Online Panama Relocation Guide, you may decide to take that leap of faith to move to Panama and be “all in.”

But some decide to give Panama a “test drive” for three to six months to make sure Panama is right for them before making a permanent move. You may even want to try out several different areas in Panama before you make your final decision.
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