EXPAT TO PANAMA: HOW WE DID IT, AND HOW YOU CAN TOO!

This post details our move abroad to Bocas del Toro, Panama. You’ll learn how we did it, the mistakes we made, and why you should also consider to Expat to Panama!

BEING AN EXPAT IN PANAMA AND LIVING ABROAD IS NOT EASY

It’s not all fun and games being an Expat in Panama.

Living abroad is not an easy feat no matter where you decide to move. So many things to put on your moving checklist and such little information is out there.  Panama is ranked as one of the best countries to expat to. But even so, there were so many questions we had unanswered:

• How do we get our stuff there?
• What are pet-friendly airlines?
• Where will we be living while we build our house?
• How could we get International Health Insurance?

Throw in having to learn a new language (Kurt’s biggest nightmare), as well as not having a clue on how to live off-grid and you’d probably turn around and head for the hills! 

No matter how rough things get out here, the breathtaking views and simple beauties of living on an island always seem to bring everything back into perspective. 

Many factors will come into play for you when deciding to travel or live abroad. Here are the top ones that affected us the most!

EXPAT TO PANAMA CHALLENGE NUMBER 1: THE ART OF DOWNSIZING

We won’t lie to you. Selling all of our first-world commodities, showing up with a few suitcases, and a pocket full of dreams was terrifying.  

To boast and say that saying goodbye to our belongings was liberating, cathartic, or freeing would be a complete fabrication of the truth. 

In fact, It sucked.  

For the first year, simple living came with fits of frustration.   Many of the things we believed we could get when we got to Bocas Del Toro, were either nonexistent, overpriced, or the quality was not on par with our expectations.

But the more we got a feel for things, the easier it was to let go and embrace minimalistic habits. 

FIRST, SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR CAR!

Our Panga Boat, our primary means of transportation as expats in Bocas del Toro!

Unless you live on Isla Colon, the primary mode of transportation is a boat or, “Panga.”  It’s also worth mentioning that the preferred method of transport on the islands with roads are bicycles. 

Next, figure out and make a moving checklist of essential and nonessential items.  Although Bocas offers a surplus of mini-marts, supermarkets, and novelty stores, you won’t find a Walmart or furniture store. The closest thing is a Pricemart in the City of David, located on the mainland, and that’s about a four-hour car ride.

Your next destination to find home goods similar to what you are accustomed to in the U.S.A  is in Panama City. Many services do personal shopping for you both in David and Panama City and arrange transport to get your items to you in Bocas Del Toro. 

Our Advice?  If you can get it shipped, go for it! Below is a list of local shipping companies as well as a Personal Shopping Company we know and trust, essential contacts for when you expat to Panama!. 

Here are the Facebook Pages for the two shipping companies that offer services from Florida to Bocas Del Toro: 

• Bocas Containers
• Florida 2 Bocas
• Simplify Panama

THE TRUE COST OF LIVING IN BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA 

Here’s Linda, learning how to make coconut bread with the Indigenous Ngäbe people.

Based on our initial research, one of the things that appealed to us about living in Panama was that the cost of living was pretty affordable. The country even uses the American Dollar ($.)  Because of this, it is common for Expats from the US to choose to retire here.

On the other hand, when living on the islands, you don’t always share those same low living costs as on the mainland.  Although many things are pretty inexpensive (basically anything that is locally grown or made here), the cost of living on an island is downright expensive unless you learn to live frugally.  

Being on an island, everything is imported either by air or sea. These kinds of transport methods are not cheap and with it comes additional costs that as a consumer we pay for.

On the upside, our utilities are incredibly low here. Internet is about $80 per month, and for the most part, it is actually pretty good. Which for Linda, it is essential as she works remotely as an online English teacher. 

Our cell phone bill is about $80 a month for both our plans combined, and we are completely off-grid, so our water and electricity are provided by mother nature, and she’s pretty affordable… (a bit inconsistent during the rainy and dry seasons, but, hey, you get what you pay for). 

SO YOU WANT TO EXPAT TO PANAMA, BUT HOW DO YOU GET THERE?

Air Panama, everyone’s favorite airline!

“Just a hop, skip, and jump away!”…. Well, kind of.  Traveling to Panama is quite simple.  There are two main ways to get to Bocas Del Toro: 

FLYING (50 MINUTES FROM PANAMA CITY):

• Catching a flight from your home country to arrive at PTY Tocumen Airport is a cinch. But, a faraway island is, well, far away!
• Once you arrive in Panama City, you will have to add another leg to your destination by traveling from Tocumen Airport to Albrook Airport and catching a regional plane to Bocas Del Toro. Air Panama is the main airline that travels continuously to and from and you can check out their prices and times they travel (here). 
• Even though this is theoretically the fastest way to get here if you are on a time crunch,  be warned.   Small Caribbean airlines are not known for punctuality nor are they attentive when it comes to notifying you of flight changes, so be sure to plan enough time to catch any connecting flights on your way back home. 

DRIVING (10-HOUR BUS RIDE FROM PANAMA CITY):

• There are many busses and shuttle services that not only get you to Bocas but can take you pretty much anywhere around the country.  The downside is the discomfort of the actual busses and the travel time. Most of us only get a week or two off to vacation, and we want to spend that time wisely. Personally, being the adventurous people we are, unless we are against time, we prefer this method. The scenery going through the mountains will take your breath away, and you are saving tons of money if you’re trying to get around on a budget. Once you arrive at the Port of Almirante, you just need to catch a 30-minute water taxi and you have arrived and let the adventures begin. 
• Additionally, there are shuttle services that come from Costa Rica, but ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit back in March 2020, we can’t say what’s out there. 
• For more information to plan different travel options, feel free to check out the official Tourist website,  BocasDelToro.Com where you will find more details. 

AFTER YOU EXPAT TO PANAMA, YOU’LL NEED YOUR PANAMA RESIDENCY 

The Bocas del Toro Sign!

Another major factor in our decision for choosing Panama to move to from the U.S.A was the immigration process. We planned to live here full-time, we planned to find work and we planned to create a Panamanian corporation to hold our home and catamaran, Wanderlust. 

These stipulations resulted in the decision for us to move forward with the Friendly Nations Visa option.  This Visa allows people from select nations friendly to Panama to become a resident in a short period, and if you want to work in Panama it facilitates the entire process. 

Many people choose to live here without immigration paperwork or a simple tourist visa. To that, we say “to each their own.”  If you get caught overstaying your tourist visa, you will be deported. We have witnessed tragic stories of people who have experienced immediate deportation.

You lose your business, your home, your money, everything.  This risk was too high for us.  If you don’t own property, or have any financial obligations, as long as you leave the country every three months for 30 days, you are legally allowed to re-enter.  But again, in our case, this was not an option.  

The long process of getting all this done is not something we recommend you try to do on your own. 

You will need a lawyer to help move things along sooner or later.  You will quickly learn that EVERYTHING is a long process here with no shortage of red tape to negotiate. Having to deal with legalities is a headache in itself, and if you don’t speak Spanish it’s not worth putting yourself through the turmoil. 

THESE ARE THE GENERAL THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR VISA:

• You will have to go through a background check, fingerprints, and all. The background check needs to be apostilled and all original copies need to go to your lawyer. 
• You will need to open a bank account and the amount of money you need to put in is contingent on how many dependents you bring, and if you are married, single, etc. To open up the account, you will need a notarized letter from your current financial institution stating you are a responsible person and that your accounts have been in good standing with no outstanding loans or balances. 
• You will need to write several affidavits saying your a standup citizen, and your reason for living in Panama. 
• You will need to go to Panama City several times to handle business in the immigration office, as well as the labor departments. All major legal and government-related business will usually require a trip to the city to resolve. 
• When you are handling your affairs, please keep in mind that Dress Code is taken extremely seriously. NO shorts, short sleeve shirts, flip-flops, hats, etc.  Think “Business Casual.” 

All in all, our residency process took about 6 months to complete, and our work permit process took another 6 months. 

For a wealth of knowledge, check out the POLS Attorneys website concerning which method you choose:

https://www.panama-offshore-services.com/how_to_obtain_permanent_residency_in_panama/

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things the decision to leave our friends and family behind was tougher than any of the hardships we faced when first moving here.  Leaving the first-world life optimized our chances of success to go from living abroad to Living Aboard our new adventure. The ultimate downsize.

Follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter, to keep up on our upcoming blogs where we go deeper into the off-grid life, living and experiencing the archipelago, gardening tips, and our journey to our next Bucket List dream of buying our sailboat SV Gypsea!