# Living and working in Panama, day by day Your Friendly Nations permit gets you in the door. After that come the everyday questions: how you are paid, which days the office is closed, how you get to work, what a family lease looks like and what your new colleague means by “ahorita”. Each answer below comes with the law or the official page behind it. [Free consultation](/contact/) - 48 h longest legal work week on day shifts - 30 days of paid vacation for each 11 months worked - 12 paid days off by law each year - US$ the money you earn and spend [01Work and pay](#work)[02Days off](#holidays)[03Banks and paying](#money)[04Your commute](#transport)[05A family home](#renting)[06Power, water, internet](#home)[07Mail and shopping](#shop)[08How people talk](#words) ## Work and pay A day shift can last up to eight hours, and a work week up to 48. Overtime costs your employer a 25 percent surcharge by day and 50 percent at night. After every 11 months with the same employer you earn 30 days of paid vacation, and on top of your salary comes the thirteenth month, paid in three parts during the year. ### Overtime Time beyond those limits is overtime. Your employer adds 25 percent to your hourly pay for daytime overtime and 50 percent at night. ### Vacation Thirty days of paid rest for each 11 months in a row with your employer, one day for every 11 days on the job. If you end up in hospital while on vacation, those days do not count as vacation. ### Your contract Read your contract slowly: the Labor Code sets the floor, and a contract can only improve on it, never take it away. - [Labor Code, articles 31 and 33, compilation published by the Judiciary](https://www.organojudicial.gob.pa/uploads/wp_repo/uploads/2016/11/c%C3%B3digo-detrabajo.pdf) - [Labor Code, articles 52 and 54, compilation published by the Judiciary](https://www.organojudicial.gob.pa/uploads/wp_repo/uploads/2016/11/c%C3%B3digo-detrabajo.pdf) Paitilla, Panama City Photo: [Sol Cerrud](https://unsplash.com/@wasabiden?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· Unsplash· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license) ## Your hours, by the Labor Code | Shift | Longest day | Longest week | | --- | --- | --- | | Day | 8 hours | 48 hours | | Night | 7 hours | 42 hours | | Mixed | 7.5 hours | 45 hours | Seven night hours, or seven and a half mixed hours, are paid as eight day hours when the minimum wage is worked out. - [Labor Code, articles 31 and 33, compilation published by the Judiciary](https://www.organojudicial.gob.pa/uploads/wp_repo/uploads/2016/11/c%C3%B3digo-detrabajo.pdf) ### The thirteenth month Panama pays a thirteenth month: one extra month of salary a year, split into three payments. The usual dates are April 15, August 15 and December 15. Each payment covers the four months before it, so if you start mid year you receive a share for the months you worked. First part April 15 Second part August 15 Third part December 15 - [Cabinet Decree 221 of 1971 on the thirteenth month, as explained by La Estrella de Panamá, press](https://www.laestrella.com.pa/economia/como-calcular-el-decimo-tercer-mes-en-panama-guia-y-ejemplos-BP21487372) ### Minimum wage Panama has no single minimum wage. Executive Decree 13 of 2025 sets dozens of rates by activity, job, company size and region, in force since January 16, 2026. The Labor Code asks for a new review at least every two years. If your offer is close to the floor, ask your lawyer to check the exact rate for your job. - [Labor Code, articles 172 and 174, compilation published by the Judiciary](https://www.organojudicial.gob.pa/uploads/wp_repo/uploads/2016/11/c%C3%B3digo-detrabajo.pdf) - [Executive Decree 13 of December 31, 2025, minimum wage, Official Gazette 30438, as reported by La Prensa, press](https://www.prensa.com/economia/salario-minimo-2026-en-panama-estas-son-las-nuevas-tarifas-por-actividad-y-region/) ### Who gets hired first The Labor Code asks every employer to keep at least 90 percent of its ordinary staff Panamanian, or foreigners married to a Panamanian or with ten years of residence. Specialists and technicians from abroad may make up to 15 percent of the staff. That is why a job offer comes with a work permit from the Ministry of Labor, MITRADEL, and why your employer files it, not you. - [Labor Code, articles 17 and 18, compilation published by the Judiciary](https://www.organojudicial.gob.pa/uploads/wp_repo/uploads/2016/11/c%C3%B3digo-detrabajo.pdf) ### What comes off your pay slip Every employee pays into the Social Security Fund, CSS. The worker share is 9.75 percent of salary and, since April 2025, the employer pays 13.25 percent, rising in steps to 15.25 percent in 2029. Being on the payroll is what opens the CSS clinics and hospitals to you and your family. We read these rates in the press and in the CSS announcement it quotes; the consolidated text of Law 51 of 2005 with the 2025 reform is not yet in our hands. - [TVN, the CSS on employer contributions after Law 462 of 2025, press](https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/reformas-a-la-css-aumento-escalonado-cuota-patronal-caja-de-seguro-social_1_2182102.html) ## The days the office is closed Article 46 of the Labor Code gives every worker twelve paid days off a year, in companies and in government alike: nine celebrations and three days of mourning. An election year adds the day the new president is sworn in. November alone has four of them, so plan deadlines and trips with care. ### November, a short work month Four paid days off land in November, and two more days in between are working days on which many public offices still close. If you need a signature from Immigration, the Ministry of Labor or a notary that month, book it for the first or the last week. - Paid day off by law - Working day, but 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, a working day - Nov 3 Separation from Colombia, 1903 - Nov 4 Flag Day, a working day - 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, amending article 46 of the Labor Code](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 paid days off in 2026 | Date | 2026 | What it marks | Kind | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | January 1 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Celebration | | January 9 | Friday | The flag protests of January 9, 1964, in the Canal Zone | Mourning | | Carnival Tuesday | February 17 | Carnival | Celebration | | Good Friday | April 3 | Holy Week | Mourning | | May 1 | Friday | Labor 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 | Victims of the 1989 invasion | Mourning | | December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Celebration | - [Law 55 of 2001, amending article 46 of the Labor Code](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 day off jumps to Monday ### November 28 If it lands on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, the day off moves to the Monday before; on a Thursday or a Friday, to the Monday after. This year it is a Saturday, so the calendar stays as it is. ### January 9 It stays on its date every year. Law 118 of 2013 ended the old habit of moving it to Monday. ### Long weekends by decree The government can move other days off to a Monday by decree, and the original date turns into a normal working day. These decrees usually come out a few days ahead, so watch the news. ### A day off on Sunday No rule we found moves a day off that falls on a Sunday, as December 20 does 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, no music and no alcohol Since 2022, December 20 is a paid day of mourning for the victims of the 1989 invasion. For those 24 hours, from 12:01 a.m., bars and shops may not sell or serve alcohol, and radio and television keep loud music off the air. Breaking the rule costs from B/. 500 to B/. 5,000, worth keeping in mind for an office party. - [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) ### Days that look like holidays but are not November 2 All Souls’ Day. Many public offices close. November 4 Flag Day, in the middle of patriotic week. Holy Thursday A working day, but some public offices close. December 24 and 31 Working days. Some public bodies, such as the Superintendency of Banks, close their own offices. District days Every district celebrates its founding, and public offices there close. The Ministry of Government publishes the dates each year. Each private bank decides whether to open on a national day off, under a Superintendency of Banks rule, so look up your branch before you go. - [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, amending article 46 of the Labor Code](https://s3-legispan.asamblea.gob.pa/legispan/NORMAS/2000/2001/LEY/Administrador%20Legispan_24431_2001_11_14_ASAMBLEA%20LEGISLATIVA_55.pdf) ## Banks, Yappy and paying Your salary is paid in US dollars, the money Panama has used since 1904, and price tags say balboas, worth one dollar each. Most employers pay into a local bank account, and once you have one you can join Yappy, the phone payment everybody uses. ### Dollars on your pay slip The US dollar has been legal tender here since a monetary agreement with the United States signed on June 20, 1904. ### Coins, never notes The Constitution bans paper money that people must accept, so Panama has no banknotes of its own. It does mint balboa coins. ### Reading a price B/. 20.00 is twenty dollars. US coins and Panamanian coins of the same size share the same value and mix freely in your change. - [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) ## Yappy, the way people pay each other Yappy sends dollars from one phone number to another in seconds. Colleagues split lunch with it, landlords collect the rent with it and the school bake sale takes it too; Banco General counts more than 34,000 businesses that accept it. The company behind it, Yappy, S.A., is not a bank: your money never leaves your own account, Yappy just moves it for you. - [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 Team lunch, Friday ## Paying by phone in three steps - ### Get a local account Yappy only links to an account in your own name and checks that it is yours. Its terms say nothing about foreigners without a Panamanian ID card, so the real question is whether your bank opens the account. - ### Activate it Some banks do it inside their own app, others through the Yappy app; the table shows which. - ### Send Choose a contact or type a mobile number, write the amount in dollars and confirm. - [Yappy, terms and conditions](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/terminos-y-condiciones/) - [Yappy, help center](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/centro-de-ayuda/) ### The eight banks that offer Yappy | Bank | Where you activate it | | --- | --- | | Banco General | In the bank’s app | | St. Georges Bank | In the bank’s app | | Banisi | In the bank’s 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 center](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/centro-de-ayuda/) ### What Yappy costs - Personal payments carry no Yappy fee, though your bank may charge for its own channels. - If you receive more than 50 payments worth over US$10,000 across several months, Yappy treats you as a business and keeps 1 percent of each payment plus ITBMS, the sales tax, with a minimum of US$0.02. - If you open a business, Yappy asks a foreigner for a business notice and, with a personal account, a Banco General savings account. - [Yappy, help center](https://www.yappy.com.pa/personas/centro-de-ayuda/) - [Yappy for businesses, questions](https://www.yappy.com.pa/comercial/preguntas-frecuentes/) ## Opening your bank account Start by asking your employer which bank it pays salaries into, since that is where your money will land each month. The national rule changed in 2026. Acuerdo 1 of the Superintendency of Banks replaced Acuerdo 10 of 2015 and made the passport the identity document for a foreign client, with copies of the photo page and the entry stamp, or the residence card or E cédula once you have it. Banks also ask for the tax number of the country where you pay taxes and for proof of income, such as your job contract or pay slips. The rule itself requires no reference letter; if a bank asks for 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 | What it asks a foreigner | To open | | --- | --- | --- | | Banco General | Passport or E cédula; a tie with Panama if you have no cédula, such as your job; proof of income | From US$1 | | Banistmo | Non-residents: original passport with the entry stamp; proof of income as assessed; at a branch | US$10 | | BAC | Passport plus an Immigration card or a 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 | Requirements given in person at a branch | B/. 5,000 for foreigners | With a work permit in hand, BAC opens its doors too; with only a passport, Banco General and Banistmo are the published routes. If you are applying through the fixed term deposit route, the deposit is a separate product with its own paperwork: ask the bank for its time deposit requirements before you transfer anything. - [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/) ## Your phone at the till In Panama City you can pay for coffee, groceries and the Metro by tapping your phone or card. Apple and Google both list Panama as a country where their wallets work, and local banks joined one by one. Visa has told the press that contactless payments are now most in-person card payments here, though it does not publish those figures itself. At the Metro turnstiles marked Visa or Mastercard, tap in and out with the same card or phone. ### Your card from home The card you bring from home usually works in your phone wallet too. Ask your bank at home about foreign transaction fees before you use it every day, and carry a plastic card for places without a reader. We found no published limit for tap 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/) - [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) ## Tips go on a separate line By law a tip is your choice. A restaurant can suggest one, normally 10 percent, but the bill has to show the total first and the suggested tip below it on its own line. Only services hired in advance, such as catering for a work event, may include a fixed tip. If one is forced on you, keep the receipt and complain to Acodeco, the consumer authority. Carry a few dollars in cash for the market, the corner fonda, taxis and the “biencuidado” who keeps an eye on parked cars. We found no official count of shops that 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) Lunch near the office · B/. Arroz con pollo 7.00 Patacones 3.00 Chicha de maracuyá 2.00 Total 12.00 Suggested tip, 10 percent 1.20 With tip 13.20 The tip has its own line, and the choice is yours. ## Your daily commute Panama City runs two Metro lines and a branch to Tocumen airport, and a Line 1 ride costs B/. 0.35. If you live near a station, the train beats the traffic on most mornings. If you drive, expect the roads in and out of the city to be busiest from about 6 to 8 a.m. and again after 2 p.m. Line 1 Albrook San Isidro 14 stations · about 16 km · about 26 minutes Begins at the national bus terminal Line 2 San Miguelito Nuevo Tocumen 16 stations · 21 km, elevated Transfer to Line 1 at San Miguelito Airport branch Corredor Sur Aeropuerto A train every 10 minutes Then a shuttle bus to Terminals 1 and 2 Line 3, a monorail to Panamá Oeste across the Canal, is being built, which matters if you look for a home in Arraiján or La Chorrera. - [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 | Ticket | Price | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | Line 1 ride | B/. 0.35 | Executive Decree 367 of 2014 | | Line 1 ride, seniors, retirees, pensioners and people with disabilities | B/. 0.24 | With a personalized card | | Metro card | US$2.00 | Sold by the machines at every station | | Ride on both lines to the airport | US$0.85 | Airport guide, March 2023 | Top up your card at the station machines or at outside sales points. The Metro also reads MetroBus and RapiPass cards, and at turnstiles with the Visa and Mastercard logos a contactless bank card works on its own. - [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) ### Metro 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 days off 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. - [Metro de Panamá, questions](https://elmetrodepanama.com/preguntas-frecuentes-2/) ## A reduced fare for your parents Friendly Nations residents can bring dependent parents. Once they hold a residence card and reach the senior age set by Law 6 of 1987, they can ride Line 1 for B/. 0.24 with a personalized card, which costs US$4.00 with registration. They bring a copy of a current Metro, MetroBus or RapiPass card showing its number, plus their address and phone number, and: Senior, foreign resident Copy of the residence card, both sides Senior, Panamanian Copy of the cédula, both sides Retiree or pensioner in Panama Copy of the cédula and the Social Security card ### If your parents come as dependents The Metro’s published route for a foreign senior is the residence card. Law 6 of 1987 covers Panamanians and foreign residents alike. Its senior age has been changed by later laws, and published sources do not agree on today’s figure, so ask at the Metro office before your parent goes. - [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 City buses take a prepaid card, bought empty and topped up at ticket offices or from online banking. One tap gives you 150 minutes of travel with two free transfers, day and night. MiBus publishes a school fare, useful if your children ride to class. Corridor buses B/. 0.75 Trunk buses B/. 0.25 Trunk to corridor transfer B/. 0.50 Children under 4 Free - [MiBus, user guide](https://www.mibus.com.pa/guia-del-usuario/) - [MiBus, questions](https://www.mibus.com.pa/preguntas-frecuentes/) ## Rush hour by car The busiest stretches are the bridges and highways that join Panamá Oeste to the city, and the coastal roads into the business districts. To ease them, the Transit Authority turns some lanes around at peak hours. In February 2026 it announced lanes reversed on the Bridge of the Americas from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m., on the Arraiján to La Chorrera highway from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., and on Vía Israel between Atlapa and Multiplaza from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. These plans change often, so check the latest notice before you sign a lease far from work. - [Telemetro, ATTT plan for Panamá Oeste traffic, February 25, 2026, press](https://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/desde-el-2-marzo-attt-implementara-plan-reducir-el-tranque-panama-oeste-n6070928) ## To the airport by Metro - ### Line 2 Take it towards Nuevo Tocumen and step off at Corredor Sur. - ### Airport branch Switch trains; one comes every 10 minutes. - ### Shuttle bus From Aeropuerto station, a bus runs 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 rest of the country Long distance buses leave from Albrook, beside the first station of Line 1, for David, Bocas del Toro, Santiago, Penonomé, El Valle de Antón, Las Tablas and most of the interior. There is no official timetable for the terminal; each company posts its own times at its 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 did not open from outside its network when we checked. Agree the fare before you get in. In March 2026 the Authority said fares may not go up and that any unilateral rise has no legal effect; complaints go to 311. The rules for apps such as Uber and InDrive are being rewritten after 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/) ## 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 family home Home leases fall under Law 93 of 1973, although since 1995 most terms of a new lease are whatever you and the landlord agree. A short list of rules still protects every tenant: a written lease filed with the Housing Ministry, a one-month deposit held by the State, the right to leave early with 30 days’ notice, and no refusal because of your nationality or because you have children. Law 93 of 1973 is the lease law, and it set up the Directorate of Leases inside the Housing Ministry, MIVIOT. Executive Decree 7 of 1995 freed new leases of empty private homes from most of that law, so your contract decides most things. Only articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 19, 65, 66 and 68 still bind, and the Supreme Court confirmed the decree in 2000. Read every clause before you sign, above all the ones about repairs, renewal and the rent increase. - [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 ### A written lease On the form of the Directorate of Leases. Article 6 ### Filed within five days Within five business days the landlord must file a copy at the Housing Ministry. Late filing brings him a sanction, but your lease is still valid. Article 13 ### One month of deposit Held by the State, not by the landlord. Article 10 ### Leave when you need to Any time, with at least 30 calendar days of written notice. Useful if your job moves you. Article 4 ### No discrimination A landlord may not turn you away for your nationality, your age, your race, your sex, your marital status, your beliefs or your 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) ## Where your deposit goes - ### You pay it One month of rent, as the law asks of every tenant. - ### The State keeps it Through Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros, never in the landlord’s account. - ### The lease ends To keep any of it, the landlord has to prove unpaid rent or damage before the Directorate of Leases. - ### You get it back With interest, unless he proves his claim. - [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) ### Moving out early The term you sign binds the landlord, not you. If a transfer or a new school changes your plans, send written notice at least 30 calendar days before you leave, or the landlord may keep part or all of the deposit. A signed and dated letter, with a copy for you, is the safest proof. - [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 advance rent Guarantors and months of rent in advance are not among the rules that still apply, so they depend on your contract. Ask the landlord what he expects before you sign. If you agree to a guarantor, the Civil Code rules on guarantees apply, so let your lawyer read those clauses. Since October 2025 the Directorate of Leases handles procedures online, and some of them are free. [miviot.gob.pa](https://www.miviot.gob.pa/) ## Power, water, phone and internet With your passport you can put the power, the water and a prepaid phone line in your name. Fast fixed internet is normal in the cities, which helps if you work remotely part of the week, but check the signal before you rent a beach house or a farm. If your parents live with you, Panamanian law gives seniors 25 percent off several bills. 25% ### Electricity On up to 600 kWh a month; anything above is billed at the normal rate. 25% ### Water On up to B/. 30 of water a month, for the home, with the account in the senior’s name. 25% ### Home phone On the fixed charge of one home line. The law says nothing about mobile or internet plans. These discounts are for seniors as Law 6 of 1987 defines them, Panamanian or foreign residents, and for retirees and pensioners. A dependent parent with a residence card fits; you, at working age, usually do not. The bill has to be in the parent’s name. - [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 for remote work - 69.9% occupied homes with internet, 2023 census - 96% people in mobile coverage, 68% of the land - 287 Mbps median fixed download, September 2026 - 51 Mbps median mobile download, September 2026 The 2023 census found internet in seven of every ten occupied homes, and far fewer outside the capital. Mobile signal reaches 96 percent of the people but only 68 percent of the land, so a house in the hills can sit in a dead zone. In the cities fixed internet is quick: about a quarter of fixed connections are fibre and most of the rest are cable. Commercial 5G is still on its way; the regulator expects it at the end of 2026 or early 2027, while Más Móvil already runs a 5G layer over its 4G network in much of Panama City, the press reports. ### Homes with internet, by province | Province | Homes with internet, 2023 | Where people settle | | --- | --- | --- | | Panamá | 80.4% | Panama City, Costa del Este, Clayton | | Panamá Oeste | 78.2% | Panamá Pacífico, Arraiján, Coronado | | Chiriquí | 69.7% | David, Boquete | | Los Santos | 59.8% | Pedasí, Las Tablas | | Coclé | 56.3% | Penonomé, El Valle | | Bocas del Toro | 49.4% | Bocas town | We divided two census tables ourselves, homes with internet by occupied homes. ### Before you sign outside the city Ask the landlord which company serves the building, and run a speed test in the room you will work from. Where there is no cable or fibre, Starlink is licensed in Panama with home plans from US$45 a month. The State also offers 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 provides it | What you bring as a foreigner | | --- | --- | --- | | Electricity | Naturgy or ENSA, by area | Naturgy: valid passport or Immigration card, proof of ownership or the owner’s cédula with your lease, and a guarantee deposit. ENSA: passports or cédulas of both people for a change of name; good payment history or recent credit references can replace the deposit | | Water | IDAAN, the national water company | Its published list is for owners: title deed or Public Registry certificate and the owner’s cédula or passport | | Mobile phone | Tigo or Más Móvil | Tigo prepaid: your passport. To keep your number when you switch: your passport and, for a contract line, your last paid bill | - [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 shut down its network in April 2024 under a migration order from ASEP, the telecom regulator, so any guide that still lists it is 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 for a parent - ### Go to the senior window The window is in Customer Relations, on the ground floor of IDAAN’s main office on Vía Brasil. The account holder, your parent, goes in person. - ### Bring The last bill and a copy of the cédula and of the Social Security card; pensioners also bring the pension resolution. - ### Allow a month The discount shows on the bill about a month later. IDAAN lists the cédula and the Social Security card, not the residence card a foreign parent holds, and Naturgy, ENSA, Tigo and Más Móvil publish no procedure at all. Ask each one which card it accepts before your parent makes the trip. - [IDAAN, questions](https://www.idaan.gob.pa/preguntas-frecuentes-idaan/) ## Mail, shopping and deliveries Panama has a national post office, Correos y Telégrafos, but home delivery is rare: in 2025 it ran 94 offices, fewer than 6,000 private boxes were in use, and outside Panamá province it brought barely a thousand items to people’s doors. Most families shop online through a “casillero”, a courier account with a Miami address. Parcels worth up to B/. 100 come in free of duties and 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 276,716 items delivered to homes in 2025, 275,639 stayed inside Panamá province. Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Colón, Chiriquí and Darién got no home deliveries at all, and Darién has no PO boxes. A national postal code system started only in May 2026, with a code for every home. Give your employer, your bank and your school an email or casillero address, not a street address for letters. - [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 - ### Open an account Most couriers do it for free and give you an account number and your own Miami address. - ### Shop online Use that address at Amazon, eBay, Walmart or any US store, as if you lived in Florida. - ### Pay by weight The courier brings it to Panama by air or sea and charges by the pound, plus insurance and home delivery if you want it. - ### Collect it At a branch or at your door, 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 | By sea 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, it says | | Tulogy | US$2.65 | 3 to 5 business days | | Prices as published on each company’s site on October 26, 2026. Bulky parcels may be charged by volume rather than 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 ### Free Small parcels of unrestricted goods valued at B/. 100 or less pay no duties or taxes. B/. 100 to 2,000 ### Taxes apply The courier declares it through a customs broker and bills you the taxes. Import sales tax is 7 percent of the CIF value plus duties. B/. 2,000 or more ### A full import The same for restricted goods of any value, such as weapons or dual-use items. - [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 personal use can come by courier without a Panamanian health registration under Executive Decree 27 of 2024. You need the prescription, the itemized invoice, a copy of your passport or cédula, a release letter for the health authority and the air waybill, for up to six months of treatment. Cosmetics are capped at 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 ships to Panama directly, with duties and taxes charged to you. Many US sellers do not ship abroad, which is why people use the casillero; couriers name Amazon and Shein among the stores their customers order from. We could not confirm that Temu ships straight to Panama. - [Amazon, AmazonGlobal countries](https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GCBBSZMUXA6U2P8R) - [Airbox](https://www.airbox.com.pa/) ## Your work laptop and phone Panama has no Apple Store. Apple’s locator lists 94 resellers, all third parties, 59 of them in Panamá province; of its 8 authorized repair centers, 6 are in Panama City, one in Colón and one in David. If your job depends on one machine, bring a spare charger and keep a backup, because a repair outside the capital can mean a trip into town or a wait for parts by casillero. 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 center, Panama](https://locate.apple.com/pa/es/) ## How Panamanians talk Panamanian Spanish borrowed a few words from English, like “fren” for friend, and invented many of its own. At work, begin with “usted” and switch to “tú” when your colleague does. And when someone promises something “ahorita”, it means soon, not this minute. Outside the capital, people use “usted” far more, even among friends and family; in Panama City both forms are heard. In a first meeting, a call with a client or an email to a ministry, usted is the safe choice. Let the other person invite you to “tú”. - [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 at work and at home - ¿Qué xopá? What’s up? “Qué pasó”, back to front - Fren Friend From English - Priti Pretty, nice; also a partner From English, young people - Chantin Home - Buco A lot - Ofi OK, got it From “oficial”, young people - Pelao A kid, a young person Pelada for a girl - Pinta A bottle of beer - ¡Chuleta! Wow! The polite way to be surprised - La gran vaina Something huge, good or bad “Ni de a vaina”: no way - Pifioso Flashy; of a thing, excellent - Chiva A small bus with facing seats - Biencuidado The man who watches parked cars for a tip - Ahorita Soon, in a while Not right now - [Diccionario de americanismos, ASALE, 2010, entries marked Pa.](https://www.asale.org/damer/) ### Juegavivo You will hear “juegavivo” about the driver who skips the line or the contractor who finds a loophole. It names the person who always looks for a shortcut, and the attitude too, said with a mix of complaint and grudging admiration. Knowing it explains a lot of talk about traffic, politics and business. ### Ahorita If a supplier says the delivery comes ahorita, ask for a time. We found no serious study of punctuality in Panama, so we will not sell you rules about it; a friendly “¿a qué hora, más o menos?” works better than any rule. - [Diccionario de americanismos, ASALE, 2010, entries marked Pa.](https://www.asale.org/damer/) ## Before your first day - Ask your employer which bank pays salaries, and open your account there in your first weeks. - Read your contract against the Labor Code basics: hours, overtime, vacation and the thirteenth month. - Mark November 3, 5, 10 and 28 before you plan deadlines or trips that month. - Test the Metro or drive the route at rush hour before you sign a lease. - Ask for the lease on the Housing Ministry form, and where the deposit will be held. - Put power and water in your name, and in a parent’s name if they qualify for the senior discount. - Open a casillero before your first online order. - Start with usted, and hear “ahorita” as soon, not now. ## Questions people ask ### How many hours is a work week in Panama? Up to 48 hours on day shifts, with a maximum of eight hours a day, under article 31 of the Labor Code. Night shifts top out at seven hours a day and 42 a week, and mixed shifts at seven and a half hours and 45 a week. ### How much is overtime paid in Panama? Article 33 of the Labor Code adds a 25 percent surcharge to the hourly wage for daytime overtime and 50 percent at night. ### How many vacation days do workers get in Panama? Thirty days of paid vacation for every 11 months in a row with the same employer, under article 54 of the Labor Code. ### What is the thirteenth month in Panama? An extra month of salary each year, paid in three parts, usually on April 15, August 15 and December 15. It comes from Cabinet Decree 221 of 1971. ### Is there a single minimum wage in Panama? No. Executive Decree 13 of 2025, in force since January 16, 2026, sets different rates by activity, occupation, company size and region. ### How many public holidays does Panama have? Twelve paid days off a year under article 46 of the Labor Code: nine celebrations and three days of mourning, plus the presidential inauguration in an election year. ### Can I open a bank account in Panama with a work permit? Yes. Since Acuerdo 1 of 2026 of the Superintendency of Banks, the passport is the identity document for a foreign client, and BAC, for example, publishes passport plus work permit as its route. Each bank adds its own requirements, such as proof of income. ### Can a foreigner use Yappy? Yes, if a Panamanian bank opens an account in your name. Yappy only works linked to your own account at one of eight local banks, and its terms publish no rule about foreigners. ### How much does the Panama Metro cost? B/. 0.35 for a Line 1 ride and US$0.85 for a trip on both lines to the airport. Seniors, retirees, pensioners and people with disabilities pay B/. 0.24 on Line 1 with a personalized card. ### Do my parents get discounts on bills in Panama? If they are residents and have reached the senior age, Law 6 of 1987, as amended by Law 37 of 2001, gives 25 percent off electricity up to 600 kWh, water up to B/. 30 and the fixed charge of one home phone line, with the bill in their name. ### How fast is the internet in Panama? In the cities it is fast: the median fixed download was 287 Mbps in September 2026, according to Ookla. Outside the capital it thins out: 80 percent of homes in Panamá province had internet in the 2023 census, against 49 percent in Bocas del Toro. ### Who keeps the rent deposit in Panama? The State. Under article 13 of Law 93 of 1973, the tenant lodges one month of rent through Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros, and it comes back with interest unless the landlord proves unpaid rent or damage before the Housing Ministry. ### Can I break a lease if my job moves me? Yes. Article 10 of Law 93 of 1973 lets a tenant leave at any time with at least 30 calendar days of written notice; without notice the landlord may keep part or all of the deposit. ### How much can I import into Panama tax free? Courier parcels of unrestricted goods valued at B/. 100 or less, under Resolution 049 of 2025 of the National Customs Authority. Above that, duties and the 7 percent import sales tax apply. Starting a job in Panama and not sure how something works here? Write to us, and we will tell you how it is done. Free 15-minute call ## Not sure where to start? Book a free 15-minute call. We will confirm your eligibility and the route that fits you best. - 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%20Friendly%20Nations%20Visa%2C%20from%20friendlynationspanama.com.) [contacto@iurispa.com](mailto:contacto@iurispa.com) A Panamanian lawyer replies within one business day, in English.