What paperwork do you need after moving to Panama in 2026?

Confirm the residence category that fits you, usually Friendly Nations or Pensionado for self-funded movers, then file with counsel at the Servicio Nacional de Migración: Apply for a residence permit, Friendly Nations, and Pensionado. Apostille civil and police records, arrange certified Spanish translations, and complete the Panama medical certificate close to filing.

Secure housing the bank will accept as address proof: How to rent a home. Buy a local mobile number early for OTP SMS. After Migración issues the provisional carnet, treat it as your daily foreigner ID: Get a residence card. Open a Panamanian account once fund-origin papers and address match, especially if a deposit track needs the local account early.

Keep private or travel medical cover until any CSS affiliation is real; Pensionado and remote workers paid abroad usually stay outside CSS: Enrol in public health and Choose health insurance. Convert a foreign licence through SERTRACEN homologation once the carnet exists; tourists only drive briefly on a home licence: Convert a driving licence.

Import dogs or cats through MIDA and MINSA notices on a parallel calendar so the pet does not stall at Tocumen: Bring pets. Apostilles, lawyer fees, deposits, and first clinic buffers sit outside thin living bands: How expensive is Panama and Monthly budget. Most filings concentrate in Panama City even if you will live in Boquete or Coronado.