Everything We Know About Moving to Panama

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Panama Residency Options for U.S. Citizens

Pensionado, Friendly Nations, and Qualified Investor visas compared — what each requires and who each is right for.

Visa

The Panama Pensionado Visa: Simpler Than You Think

Income requirements, exact documents, attorney process, timeline, and what same-sex couples need to know.

Legal

Finding Your Panama Attorney: The Right Firm Changes Everything

Why the attorney you choose matters, what to look for, and our experience with Morgan & Morgan and Carolina Tejada Vaprio.

LGBTQ+

Legal Protections for Same-Sex Couples in Panama

What Panamanian law does and doesn’t protect — property rights, medical decisions, visa implications, and the honest gaps.

Cost of Living

Cost of Living in Panama

Groceries, rent, utilities, transport, and dining — real April 2026 prices, not estimates from a blog post three years old.

Housing

Neighborhoods in Panama City

Where gay expats actually live — walkability, safety, rent ranges, and our honest take on each area.

Home & Renovation

Complete Guide to Remodeling in Panama

Contractors, materials, pricing, permits, and the specific mistakes expats make when renovating in Panama.

Home & Renovation

The Complete Electrical Guide to Panama

Voltage, outlets, appliances that work, what to replace, and why the wiring situation is more complicated than it looks.

Daily Life

Panama Has No Home Mail Delivery — Here’s What Expats Do Instead

No street addresses, no home delivery, an unreliable national postal service. Here’s how mail, packages, and directions to your front door actually work.

Daily Life

Can Men Wear Shorts in Panama? Yes. Here’s the Actual Rule.

Every blog post says long pants are required. We spent a full day sweating through khakis on the Metro before we figured out what’s actually true — and what isn’t.

Daily Life

Smoking & Vaping in Panama: What’s Legal, What’s Not, and Where

Panama’s tobacco laws are stricter than most expats expect. Where you can smoke, where you can’t, and what the vaping rules actually say.

Overview

Healthcare in Panama: The Good & The Bad

Private clinics, specialists, insurance options, the Pensionado health certificate, and where the system genuinely falls short.

Insurance

Health Insurance & Costs in Panama: An Honest Guide for U.S. Expats

The age windows close earlier than most people expect. What coverage costs, which doors are still open at 65, 70, and 75 — and the one option with no age limit.

Emergency Planning

If Something Goes Wrong: Medical Emergencies, Medicare, and What Every Expat Needs to Plan

What Medicare does and doesn’t cover, the legal issues with Advantage plans abroad, Medigap’s 60-day rule, and the legal documents every gay couple needs before arriving.

By Region

Healthcare by Location in Panama: A Region-by-Region Guide

Panama City’s hospitals would not embarrass Miami. Bocas del Toro’s would. An honest map of what’s available — and how far you are from what you might actually need.

Aging Well

Aging Well in Panama: Assisted Living Options for Expats

The question nobody wants to ask — but everyone planning a real retirement abroad eventually has to face. Facility types, costs, and what to look for.

Aging Well

Assisted Care in Panama by Location: A Region-by-Region Guide and Hiring Checklist

You’ve decided Panama is where you’re aging. Now the practical question: where, and with whom? Options by region plus a full checklist for hiring in-home care.

Hard Questions

When Do You Go Back? The U.S. vs. Panama Healthcare Decision Every Expat Will Eventually Face

What triggers the conversation, when Panama’s hospitals are genuinely enough, when they aren’t, and the discussion every couple should have before they need to have it.