move to Panama Archives | Panama Relocation Tours

Last Updated Jun 10, 2019 - by Jackie Lange

Who Can You Trust About Relocating To or Retiring In Panama?

A few days ago I was on an expat forum to answer questions about relocating to Panama. One person expressed an interest in a certain town in Panama. Then several people told her what a terrible place it is. So, she said she decided not to even go visit that area. That’s a big mistake. The 200 expats who live in that town in Panama absolutely love living there. Just because one or two people don’t like it, does not mean that you won’t like living there.

You need to see a variety of areas in Panama to decide what’s right for you. Of course, we think a Panama Relocation Tours is the best way to see a variety of different areas in Panama and learn about the pros and cons of each area.

You cannot trust information on expat forums, yahoo groups or facebook groups. You’ll get a lot of conflicting information. Some of it is accurate but some of it is definitely false. Just yesterday someone on facebook was talking about a Panama Visa you can get that only cost $100. It is simply not true.

You can’t trust information in books about living in Panama that were written 5 or 10 years ago. That information is very dated. Panama is changing so fast.

You can’t trust websites about living in Panama because some of the people who run those sites don’t even live in Panama! But they will fly to Panama to sell you a lot if you are interested.

Last week, I was listening to a conference call that a new tour company did. He gave out false information five times during the call. It’s scary to think that anyone would rely on his information.

Sadly, you can’t trust websites about residential developments in Panama either. Some of those websites show artists renditions of what they neighborhood “could” look like but it is absolutely not what it really looks like today. You need come check it out yourself. What you see today is what you are buying. That marina or club house that the developer promises may or may not become a reality. Never buy, or rent, anything in Panama without seeing it first!

Your well-meaning friends and family will probably tell you that you are crazy for even considering relocating to Panama. But it’s YOUR life so only you can decide if relocating to Panama is right for you.

It’s not just Panama. This information applies to every country!

So, who can you trust about moving to Panama?

Panama Relocation Tours did our first relocation tour in 2010. So, now in 2019, we have ten years of experience educating people about relocating to and living in Panama. We exclusively do relocation tours every month and sometimes twice a month.

Every day during the tour, we’re joined by a 49 year old Panamanian who was born in Panama and who has lived in Panama his whole life. He’s been working with Panama Relocation Tours for 8 years. He will will share his tips about what you need to do to be well respected by Panamanians and what you should not do too.

So, combined we have 59 years of experience living and working in Panama!

The May 31st 2019 tour was our 102nd Panama Relocation Tour.

We’ve had thousands of relocation tour clients from all over the world. About 60% relocate to Panama and we hold their hand throughout the entire process of relocating to Panama after the tour.

See testimonials from previous tour clients on our WEBSITE and on FACEBOOK and on YOUTUBE!

In the 10 years that we’ve been doing Panama Relocation Tours, we’ve been asked every question there is about relocating to and living in Panama. We know all the answers to your questions! And if a question should come up that we don’t know the answer to, we know exactly who to call (or whatsapp) for the answer. We have friends and contacts throughout Panama.

We get weekly updates from Panamanian lawyers and other experts so I can pass the information on Panama Relocation Tour clients.

No one has more experience about relocating to and living in Panama than Panama Relocation Tours!

And finally… TRUST YOU!

You need to come see Panama for yourself. Only YOU can decide if relocating to Panama is right for you. Only YOU can decide which area of Panama is right for you.

Join us for a Panama Relocation Tours to see Panama and get information you can trust.

Last Updated Apr 24, 2019 - by Jackie Lange

2 New Tours Added for 2019

You asked, we listened! We just added TWO New Panama Relocation Tours dates for 2019:

♦ May 31 to June 7
♦ July 5-12

This is a 6-day, 7-night ALL-INCLUSIVE Panama Relocation Tour which will take you throughout Panama to visit the most popular expat destinations! You’ll learn how to relocate to Panama the EASY way, plus how to get super affordable health insurance, the most affordable Visa options, how to find a rental, how to get your pet and household goods in to Panama. Plus, you’ll get to meet expats who live in each area we visit to hear first hand why they picked the area where they live (and pros and cons), see rentals in a variety of different price points and much MUCH more… all with NO SALES PITCHES. We do not sell real estate or take you to see properties for sale.

Our tours are so popular that we were sold out through August! That’s why we added two more tour dates in 2019. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR OTHER 2019 AND 2020 TOUR DATES

We have very limited space on these tours so you need to book ASAP to reserve your spot. We only require a $500 deposit per person to reserve your spot. The remainder of the tour fee is not due until 30 days before your tour. If you need to cancel for any reason, just let us know 30 days before you tour for a full refund.

Panama Relocation Tours is THE Retire in Panama Expert with 9 years of relocation tour experience, 100+ relocation tours and more than 2000 relocation tour clients, AND many hundreds of relocation tour testimonials on our website, on reviews on Facebook too and on YouTube.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE about Panama Relocation Tours!

You don’t just get a 7-day tour around Panama! You also get support for months and years AFTER the tour. When you get ready to move to Panama, and after you move to Panama, you will still need some extra hand holding. Rest assured, that we will be there for you long after the Panama Relocation Tour! Here’s what some tour clients, aka now great friends, have to say:

After my January 2016 Panama Relocation Tour, my life changed forever! I moved to Boquete in April 2017 and life has been amazing ever since. After purchasing my home, I needed to find people to work on my house. Every time I asked Jackie for help or a referral, she always had a name for me. She always has an answer for me no matter what the question was that I asked. She was sick recently and I sent a message asking if she could do something for me at my house because I had broken my wrist. She was unable to come because she was not feeling well, but she did send somebody to help me! She is there for you every step of the way, no matter what. I am so thankful to Jackie for being there for me whenever I need her.
Laura Kasparian

Our January 2018 tour was amazing! We learned so much in such a short time and loved Panama as much as we had hoped we would. Both Jackie and Melissa were so helpful and responsive to our many questions, before during and after the tour. I was most impressed with the many examples their generous “after tour support” and look forward to taking advantage of all of their knowledge, experience and local connections as we navigate towards becoming snowbirds! The other participants were lovely and fun and we made many great new friends. The tour alumni expats we met were also super helpful and friendly and we look forward to “paying it forward” to future tour participants once we get there. I would highly recommend this tour. It was definitely one of the best travel decisions we have ever made. Thanks Jackie and team!
Lisa White

The Panama Relocation Tour gave us the information and guidance that we needed to fulfill our dream of retiring and moving to Central America. During the tour Jackie was personally available for all of our questions and concerns and made it clear that she was available even after the tour, which she was and continues to be after we have moved here to Panama. We can’t thank her enough for continuing to be there for us with answers to both important and mundane questions. Thanks Jackie.
Lee+Dense Dumont

Jackie Lange does it all: she offers a tour of what she feels are the best places to live in Panama, offering personal advice throughout the tour; then when the tour is over, she keeps in touch, offering advice and tips for making the move. When you get to Panama, she’s still there, advising the best places to live, do business, and meet fellow travelers. She goes out of her way to make your move to Panama as effortless as possible. If Panama is on your radar, Jackie should be, too.
Sharon McIntire

Join us for a Panama Relocation Tour to see how you can live BETTER for LESS in Panama!

To a Better Life in Paradise,

Jackie Lange

P.S. We just received this review from April 2019 tour clients and friends:

Astoundingly well-organized, informative and fun!

Jackie Lange’s Panama Relocation Tour is an astoundingly well-organized, information-packed and exceptionally useful way to learn whether Panama can work for you as an ex-pat destination. We were on the April 2019 tour. It was one of the most enjoyable and mind-opening vacations we’ve ever taken!

Be prepared — this tour is a non-stop immersion course about thriving in Panama. Jackie’s encyclopedic knowledge, wealth of personal contacts and many, many years of on-the-ground experience is laid out for you in riveting detail. You’ll learn all of the details and tricks that are key to making your move to and your life in Panama work out as you’ve dreamed. You’ll be fully informed about common ex-pat problems, pitfalls, and misconceptions, and you’ll get step-by-step instructions on how to avoid, minimize or embrace them. And you’ll get a book filled with every useful morsel, so you need never worry about taking notes. Perhaps most important, Jackie teaches and models a focused but laid-back mindset that is essential to ex-pat success.

The tour includes everything — rooms, meals, transportation, and of course Jackie’s amazing information. And from start to finish, it’s a consummately professional operation. As soon as you sign up for a tour, you’ll experience Melissa Lange’s (Jackie’s daughter) mastery of travel minutiae. You’ll get a series of emails describing every aspect of your tour, including the specifics of your hotel arrangements, airport pickups, and suggested packing lists. On arrival in Panama, you’ll be delighted by the charming, personal attention of Jackie’s English-speaking drivers.

On the tour, a comfortable, air-conditioned bus becomes your moving classroom. As you drive through a good fraction of Panama, Jackie will deliver her engaging, free-wheeling lectures from the front of the bus. From sandy beaches to verdant mountains, you’ll experience the full gamut of Panama’s climate, meet residents, and explore typical rental units. Unlike real estate sales trips, Jackie’s tour lays out in detail everything you need to fully consider before buying property in Panama. Her repeated mantra — rent first!

Besides Jackie and her endless knowledge, it’s the people you’ll encounter that makes this such an enjoyable and worthwhile trip. You’ll meet many ex-pat residents at lunches and dinners. The breadth and detail of their personal experiences provide wide-ranging and endlessly fascinating perspectives on life in Panama. Plus, you’ll love the delightful company of your fellow tour-attendees. We finished the tour with a couple of dozen new close friends!

If you want a tour of available Panama real estate, this is not the tour for you. But if you are considering whether Panama can work for you as an ex-pat destination, this certainly is the tour for you. If you are sure about Panama, but not sure where or how to make the move, this absolutely is the tour for you. And if you want to see a lot of Panama but aren’t even considering an ex-pat move, this will be an amazing vacation that really will get you thinking.

Marne Coggan & Debbie Friedenberg
Sonoma County, California

Last Updated Mar 14, 2019 - by Jackie Lange

Why Retire in Panama?

Panama offers a lower cost of living than North America or Europe. The lower cost means your pension will go much further in Panama and you will not need to dip in to your savings during retirement. A couple can live well on $2000 per month in most areas in Panama including rent.

My average monthly expenses are only about $1000 a month, including international health insurance. I purchased my house, so I don’t pay rent. Because my house purchase price was only $120,000, I will never have any property taxes. My house insurance is less than $200 a year. And my average electric bill is about $25 a month. My water bill is only $100 a year!

Even if you pay rent, you should be able to keep your monthly living expenses well under $2000 for a couple. In many areas in Panama, you can get a nice furnished 2-bedroom 2-bath rental house for about $700 a month. That price includes all utilities and a weekly gardener. Some areas are even more affordable but some areas will cost more. During a Panama Relocation Tour, I show you a variety of different areas, in a variety of different price points to help you find the ideal place to live in Panama.

Many say, including me, that it is a better quality of life in Panama too. Fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available at very affordable prices. It’s quite possible that your health will improve when you move to Panama. Some people have been able to get off all medications after moving to Panama.

There’s so much to do in Panama too! Because you’re retired, you’ll finally have time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. There are hiking groups, cooking classes, gardening groups, birding, live music and dancing… the list goes on and on of things you can do in Panama. If you live at the beach, you may decide to spend a day in the mountains for a change of scenery – it’s only a 1 hour drive. If you live in the mountains it is a 1 hour drive to the Pacific Ocean or a 3 hour drive to the Caribbean Sea.

When you retire in Panama, you’ll meet some very interesting people who come from all over the world to live in beautiful Panama. Your life in Panama will be a totally new experience and adventure.

Every day will be a new and interesting day with places to go, things to do, and people to meet. Or, you can just sit back and relax while enjoying the spectacular views in Panama.

Compared to many other countries, Panama has better roads and infrastructure like internet water and electricity.

Panama is known for it’s excellent health care and hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic affiliate Hospital Paitilla and the Johns Hopkins affiliate Punta Pacifica Hospital. Panama’s doctors are well trained and many speak excellent English. A doctor visit is only $12 in Boquete or $40 for a specialist (these prices are not co-pays).

Panama’s Retiree Discounts

A big bonus for retirees in Panama is the world famous Pensionado Visa. This residency Visa will allow you to live in Panama indefinitely if you want to. And it also entitles you to many discounts like

• 50% off on recreation and entertainment such as movies, theaters, sports, etc.
• 50% off hotels Monday through Thursday (30% off on weekends)
• 50% off passports
• 30% off public transportation like buses, trains, and boats
• 25% off airfare
• 25% off restaurants (15% off fast food)
• 25% off electrical, telephone, and water service
• 20% off doctors and specialists
• 20% off prosthetics and other personal assistance devices
• 15% off hospitals and private clinics
• 15% off dental and optometry services
• 10% off prescription medications
• tax-free importation of household goods, up to $10,000

These retiree discounts add up to BIG SAVINGS for you.

There’s even a special line at the bank for retirees so you don’t need to wait in long lines ever again.

Now that you can see the many benefits if you retire in Panama, let’s talk about HOW you actually do it!

How to Retire in Panama?

A Panama Relocation Tours is the fastest and easiest way to explore Panama and determine where you’d want to live while also learning about Visa options, affordable health insurance, how to find a rental, how to get your pet to Panama, how to buy a car in Panama, and much more. This is a 6-day, 7-night, all-inclusive tour which will take you all over Panama to help you find the city where you want to live. We’ll also introduce you to expat retirees in each area. Most of our tour clients retire in Panama within 6 months of taking a Panama Relocation Tour!

Why Panama Relocation Tours?

This is NOT a touristy tour. It’s not about zip lines or visiting rum factories.

Since 2010, my ONLY focus with Panama Relocation Tours, is to teach people what they need to know to relocate and retire in Panama the EASY and most AFFORDABLE way. Because I’m retirement age too, and semi-retired, I fully understand what your needs and concerns are. During a Panama Relocation Tour, you’ll even learn about the unique customs in Panama so you never have an awkward moment.

Panama Relocation Tours has hundreds of testimonials from satisfied customers. You can see the the testimonials on my website HERE, on Facebook HERE and on Youtube HERE. I’ve helped hundreds of people retire in Panama. I am confident that I can help you retire in Panama too. I’ll take all the guesswork out of how to retire in Panama.

No one knows more about how to retire in Panama than I do!

I moved to Panama in 2010. But before that, I lived in three other counties including the United States, Germany and Puerto Rico. Plus, I have spent time in 26 other countries. All this, plus 60+ years of life experiences, helped me compare Panama with the pros and cons of other retiring in other countries. Panama won hands down!

Come see how you can live BETTER for LESS in Panama. You will be amazed!

To Life in Paradise,
Jackie Lange

P.S. I do a Panama Relocation Tour every month except November. SEE THE TOUR DATES HERE We only require a $500 deposit per person to reserve your tour. Book your Tour early because we sell our months in advance