The building is packed when you arrive — people outside, people inside, movement in every direction. It looks overwhelming. It isn’t. Brian went through his Pensionado filing appointment in April 2026 and here is exactly what happens, step by step, from leaving your hotel to walking out holding a residency card.
We sat down with Carolina Tejada Vaprio at Morgan & Morgan in Panama City to talk through the Pensionado visa process — and came away with a longer checklist than we expected. Here’s every cost you need to ask about upfront, every question worth putting to any attorney before you hire them, and why a same-sex couple in Panama needs more than just a visa lawyer.
Panama requires apostilled documents for the Pensionado visa — but most Americans have never heard of an apostille before they start this process. Here’s what it is, where the requirement comes from (a 1961 international treaty with 125 member nations), and the three ways to get your documents authenticated: in person at the Tampa consulate, by mail to Washington D.C., or through a third-party service.
Pensionado Visa — Step 2 No, you can’t just fly to Panama and file your Pensionado visa yourself It comes …
We flew home. Being back felt more comfortable than expected — more than Brian was prepared for. Kent noticed, asked the question, and they talked it through: Panama, or back to Spain? Here’s how that conversation ended, and why the answer is still Panama.
Our last full day in Panama: one more visit to Albrook, a long breath in the hotel room, and an honest accounting of what twelve days of walking, pricing, and neighborhood research actually produced. The groceries, the hardware, the restaurants, the neighborhoods — what’s cheaper, what isn’t, and what we’re still figuring out.
Brian’s temporary Panama residency day finally arrived — long pants, packed immigration offices, musical-chair lines, and all. After leaving with residency card in hand, we celebrated the moment the way Panama City has started to feel familiar to us: coffee at Tim Hortons, dinner at Concolon, and happy hour at Mangle.
April 2026 Trip · Day 8 Day eight — a pre-sunrise climb, the Canal Museum, and three Uber attempts in …
Our Journey We’re going to Panama — and you’re coming with us On April 10, 2026, Brian and Kent pack …
Our Story · Part 1 of 2 Almost 40 years, 12 homes, one bar in Spain — and we’re doing …