Do you want to be treated like royalty as a retiree? – You need to verify the Panama pensioner visa
There’s a reason Panama consistently ranks in the top ten best countries in the world to retire. Your pensionado (retired) visa provides one of the most advantageous retirement programs in the world. Panama wants you to retire to its country and has provided benefits through this retiree visa that more than demonstrate its desire. The list of benefits of this visa far exceeds that of most other retirement destinations. I know from experience. The Panama pensionado visa is my retirement option.
Since its creation in June 1987, Panama Guest visa has continued to improve. The amount of qualifying annual retirement income has increased (it’s now $1,000 per month for a single person and $1,250 for a couple), but so have benefits. It is basically a lifetime visa for foreign retirees that is available to people who are eighteen years of age. Once your application is approved and you receive your visa, you start receiving discounts ranging from 10% to 50% on everything from doctor visits to movie tickets, simply by showing your Guest Visa. There are special lines reserved strictly for pensioners in banks. This is even better than the Retired Retiree program for native Panamanians.
Where else could you get the following benefits simply by showing an ID card?
- 25% discount on airline tickets for flights within the country or if purchased with COPA airline from Panama
- 20% discount on medical consultations
- 15% discount on services in hospitals and private clinics
- 30% to 50% discount on hotel stays, depending on the day of the week
- 50% discount on mortgage loan closing costs
- 15% discount at fast food restaurants and 25% discount at seated restaurants
- 30% discount on urban buses, boats and trains in Panama
- 15% discount on dentist fees (fees are already low compared to many other countries)
- 25% discount on your electricity bill up to 600KW’s
- 25% on basic home phone service charges
- The right to buy a car every two years free of import duties
- The right to bring up to $10,000 in personal property without import duties
Please note that this is not a complete list of the benefits that come from having a Guest visa in panama
Also, the application process is complete but simple.
- By law, the request must be processed through a Panamanian lawyer
- Minimum age to apply is 18, minors under 18 must be dependents
- Applicant must receive a lifetime documentable pension of at least $1000 per month
- Application must be made in person in Panama
All required documents must be certified by a Panamanian Consulate/Embassy or certified by the internationally approved agency. apostille method. The following documents are required and none may be dated more than 90 days prior to application. Passports must have at least 8 months remaining before they expire.
Required documents include:
- a valid passport
- 6 passport size photos
- letter or certification from your pension provider documenting income
- copy of a police report for you, your spouse, and any dependents over the age of 18 from your local law enforcement agency
- a marriage certificate if your spouse is listed as a dependent
- birth certificate of dependent children
- a medical report (to be done by a Panamanian doctor)
Most attorneys suggest having all your documents on hand and duly notarized before you have your application appointment with them. They also say that you have to wait about 4 days to complete the process. In my case, I was able to apply to the attorney, get the physical, and register for immigration all in one day. The documents must be translated into Spanish before the attorney submits the complete application. This service is usually included as part of the attorney’s fees.
If the above information interests you, start looking for a Panamanian lawyer and start the process. The sooner you start, the sooner you can retire to Panama and be treated like royalty.