Expat Life in Panama. Why I Love Living Here.
El Valle de Anton
Gamboa Resort
How do I love Panama? Let me count the ways.
I knew I was going to move out of the United States in order to find a lower cost of living country that was in alignment with my values.
Those values are: Time freedom, inner peace, beauty, nature and personal growth.
I made several international exploratory trips starting in 2017 to Thailand, Dominican Republic and Romania. I even bought a 24’ RV and did an 8 month journey across the United States to see if RV life would be right for me, or if there was a town where I could see myself living that offered a high quality of life on my self-employment income and eventual minimal Social Security (now at risk).
My first visit to Panama was a bit like love at first sight. I loved how friendly the Panamanian people were and I sensed an air of festivity and a joy for life. I was amazed by the natural beauty; the mountains, jungles and beaches where you could walk for miles and not see another soul.
And the ocean water was warm enough for me to enjoy swimming in! Even the waterfalls had water that was cool and refreshing, not frigid like I experienced growing up in Connecticut.
I can’t express why I like this, but I appreciate that Panama is a small country and only has a population of around 4 million people. And for such a small country, it offers an incredible amount of diversity. From the cosmopolitan Panama City to quaint villages, volcanic mountains to Atlantic and Pacific Coast lines, a healthy Indigenous People’s population and a wide range of cultural diversity, Panama has so much to offer.
At the time when I moved, I was able to get residency through the Friendly Nations Visa. The requirements in 2019 were much more affordable than they are today.
Many people get residency through the Pensionado Visa. That requires a guaranteed income (not interest off investments) of $1,000 for one person over 18 years of age. You don’t have to be a certain age to qualify for the Pensionado Visa. I have friends in their 40’s who had pensions that qualified them.
There are many options for residency here in Panama and you must work with a Panamanian attorney who will file for you. Some of the larger law firms such as Kraemer and Kraemer, PGS and NDM have information on their websites about the different visa options for residency in Panama.
Keep in mind that business is done a little differently. Emails may not get answered in a timely manner, or at all. Be persistent and use WhatsApp, which seems to be a preferred method of communication.
One of the best ways to find a reputable attorney is to search the FB groups for Panama by ‘immigration attorney’ and take note of which names pop up consistently and with excellent praise.
The longer I live here, the more stories I hear about people getting taken advantage of. I had the unfortunate circumstance of dealing with a scammy realtor from the US when I made my first trip. He was eventually kicked out of the franchise he was associated with but set up shop and still conducts business.
People will say that Panama is a bit like the Wild West, and I have to agree. And while there are obvious negatives to this aspect, as a bit of a rebel myself, I find some advantages to this as well.
Panama is much less regulated than the United States. You can park freely along the beach roads without the fear of being ticketed or towed, you can even park facing the opposite side of the road. Rules can be bent and the value of personal freedom is high. People don’t want to be told what to do; by the government or other people. There are good and bad things about this. For me, the benefits outweigh the negatives.
This wild aspect of Panama creates many opportunities for personal growth. You either have to find ways to adapt and adjust or you’ll go crazy. Your patience will be tested here in Panama. I had a car accident in October of 2023 and I am still waiting to be reimbursed by the at-fault parties insurance company. And that’s just one fraction of the story!
People who observe the way of life and adapt to it seem to fare better than people who want to replicate their life from their country of origin. Yes, there are frustrations, but only you can determine the significance of those frustrations.
Toucan in my yard.
I have definitely adapted to a more ‘tranquilo’ style of life, much more so than when I first moved here and power outages rattled me. I do have 2 Internet services, which gives me peace of mind because I do rely on having Internet access for my writing and publishing and YouTube content creation.
Some of the things that made Panama an easy Yes:
Lower cost of living compared to where I lived
Fantastic climate
Not too far from Maryland where I have family
Spanish ‘should’ be easier to learn
Police aren’t militarized
No mass-shootings
Stable government
Financial stability due to the Panama Canal
US protection if required
Pollera Festival in Las Tablas
Confederate Rose
I enjoy living in the mountains of El Valle in a cooler climate. When there are power outages, I don’t feel overheated because I rarely ever use air conditioning here; the permanent spring climate is perfect for me.
If I lived in a house in a hotter part of Panama, I would need a generator and a reserve water tank. Some parts of Panama are prone to more frequent outages than others.
At some point I may opt to invest in both a whole house generator and a back up water tank, but for now, it doesn’t seem to be too big of an issue.
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“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing”
