Frequently Asked Questions

• What Is The Cost Of Living In Panama?
• 2018 Cost of Living – by an expat living in Puerto Armuelles, Panama
• 3 Questions To Determine A Realistic Budget
• Actual budgets of 25 expats living in Panama
• How much does it cost to live in Panama City?
• What is the cost of living in towns popular with expats?
• Interview on Cost of Living in Panama with Lief Simon of Live & Invest Overseas

• Take our quiz: should I move to Panama?
• 22 Things To Know BEFORE You Move To Panama

• Panamanian Secret to Happiness & More
• Pursue New & Old Hobbies & Other Happiness Tips
• 4 Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle in Panama

• How Can I Make Money In Panama?
• Video of an expat on his job teaching English online
• Don’t wait to retire – live in Panama & earn
• 5 Ways To Find A Real Job in Panama
• Caution: 25 Professional Jobs You Cannot Work In Panama
• How To Get A Work Permit In Panama

• About Health Care in Panama
• The health care systems in Panama
• Do you need health insurance in Panama?
• What are your health insurance options and more
• Which health insurance is right for you?
• How to apply for Panama health insurance plus some advice
• Our health care experiences in Panama

• What about Obamacare?

Does living in Panama make me exempt from Obamacare? (US Citizens only)

• Do I Qualify For Panama’s Pensionado Visa?

What is the Pensionado Visa program · What age do I have to be to qualify? · Are its benefits and discounts mostly hype?

• 4 Options For Your Panama Resident Visa

4 most common visas, including the Pensionado and Friendly Nations Visa

• What Do I Need To Do To Move To Panama

What should you do with all your stuff? · What should you bring with you? · How about my mail, my pet, and my taxes?

• What Cell Phone To Use & How To Set It Up

What type of cell phones function in Panama? · What cell services are available? · Apps to use & more

• How Do You Buy Property In Panama?

A detailed guide to the process

• Is It Safe To Buy ROP Property?

What precautions can you take?

• What To Do To Safeguard ROP Real Estate?

Do these 3 things IMMEDIATELY after buying ROP property

• How To Title Property In Panama?

You must complete a number of steps. But none of them is difficult. You will need a good lawyer.

• Why Buy Property From Us
• Our Financing Offer on Property
• Reserve Property for 60 Days

Pay for Airfare

• Perfect House Design for the Tropics
• How Much Does It Cost To Build A House?
• Which Building Material Should I Use?
• Why Use Concrete To Build Your House
• Should You Use M2 Panels for Your House Construction?
• Pros and Cons Of Building A House Of Wood
• Shipping Container Housing in The Tropics
• Building A Bamboo House
• Is Remodeling An Existing Home A Good Choice?
• Tiny Homes May Be A Good Option in Panama
• An Expat Talks About Building In Panama (video)

• Panama’s National Dish: Sancocho
• Panama’s Culantro vs. Cilantro
• Panamanian Tamales
• All About Almonds in Panama

• Part 1 – Virtual Mailboxes & Getting Your Mail
• Part 2 – About the Panama Postal Service
• Part 3 – Domestic Mail Service Options
• Part 4 – Getting Online Orders Delivered & More

• Homeschooling in Panama-Part 1
• Our initial experience with schools in Panama
• Expat teen writes about Schools in Puerto Armuelles

• Panama Property Taxes – Rates, Exemptions & Tips
• Updated Property & Real Estate Transaction Costs

• US Taxes & International Real Estate – requirements, loopholes & exclusions

• 18 Ways To Finance Real Estate In Panama

Self-directed IRAs, Cash-out Refinancing, and other ways

• How To Get A Mortgage Loan In Panama?

What are the 2 factors that determine if you will get a loan · What documents will you need? · Do you need to be a resident?

• How To Open A Bank Account In Panama?

Can Americans open a bank account? · What documents do I need to bring from “home”?

• How Can I Transport My Pet To Panama?

• Should I Bring My Car To Panama?

The pros and cons

• How To Buy A Used Car In Panama?

There are 7 steps to buying a car in Panama

• What Is It Like To Drive In Panama?

What are the rules? · Is it safe to drive in Panama?

• New Years Day Rituals and Customs
• New Years Eve In Panama: meal, traditions, etc
• Carnival in Panama – where, what happens, traffic
• Easter in Panama – more religious than secular
• Mother’s Day In Panama – Is It Collective Guilt?
• Make Your Own Halloween In Panama
• November Holidays In Panama – 5 of ’em
• Privacy in Panama – Does it exist?
• Corruption in Panama – how bad is it?

• How Do I Get To Puerto Armuelles?

How to drive from David to Puerto Armuelles? · Do I need to go thru Costa Rica? · What do I need to show at Police checkpoints?

• Where can you eat in Puerto Armuelles?
• Musicians in Puerto Armuelles
• Where to go for help with cell phone problems in Puerto
• Art classes and workshops in Puerto
• Where to get art supplies in Puerto (+David & Panama City)
• Ocean swimming in Puerto Armuelles for beginners
• Does Puerto have a big colorful 3-D town sign?
• Are there any good hardware stores in Puerto Armuelles?

• Is Panama Safe?

How safe is Panama? · Is the crime rate high in Panama? · Is the government & currency stable?

• Guns In Panama

Can I bring my guns into Panama? · Do I need a permit? · What are the rules about gun ownership in Panama?

• Where To Live in Panama?

What are my choices?

• What Is Panama’s 10 Kilometer rule?

Is Puerto Armuelles inside or outside 10K line? · Can you buy property within 10K of the border?

• What Is The Weather or Climate Like?
• Are There Hurricanes in Panama?

Did you know Panama has hundreds of microclimates?

• 3 recommended books to learn Spanish faster
• Our experience learning Spanish
• Online Spanish Language Programs – A good option?
• Rocket Language Spanish – A Review