Panama visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

Panama is famous for its canal, its skyline in Panama City and the islands of Bocas del Toro and San Blas. Pakistani passport holders need a visa to visit. Pakistan is on Panama's authorised-visa list, which means your application is checked and approved by the Servicio Nacional de Migración in Panama City before a visa is issued. Panama has no embassy in Pakistan. Its official classification by passport suggests applying through the Embassy of Panama in the United Arab Emirates, so plan for that step before you book anything.

There is an important shortcut for experienced travellers. Panama lets visa-required nationalities enter without a Panamanian visa if they hold a valid visa or residence permit from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, an EU member state, Australia, Japan, South Korea or Singapore. Since Executive Decree 196 of 2024, that visa simply has to be valid when you arrive. The Embassy of Panama says this route allows a stay of up to 30 days, and you must show at least US$500 and a passport valid for three months. A visa from an EU country counts, but one from a non-EU Schengen state such as Switzerland or Norway is not on the list.

If you do not have one of those visas, apply for a tourist visa. The Servicio Nacional de Migración asks for the signed application form, your passport and a full copy with at least three months' validity, a confirmed onward or return flight, a copy of your ID card, three photographs and proof of funds of at least B/.500. The balboa is tied one-to-one to the US dollar. Funds can be shown with a bank certificate and recent statement, a credit card statement, an employment certificate with your latest payslip, a pension slip, or last year's tax return if you are self-employed. Add a hotel booking or an invitation letter if you have one.

The immigration service fee for a tourist visa is B/.50, set by the Servicio Nacional de Migración. The embassy that takes your file may also charge its own consular fee, so ask the Embassy of Panama in the UAE for the full amount and the accepted payment method before you send anything. A tourist visa allows a stay of up to 90 days. For authorised visas, the Embassy of Panama warns that approval can take up to 60 working days while documents are checked, and it advises travellers not to finalise plans until the visa is granted.

Transit is stricter than many people expect. Panama's boarding rules allow Pakistani nationals to transit only in set cases, for example when they hold a Panamanian visa, a qualifying US, Canadian, UK, EU, Australian, Japanese, South Korean or Singaporean visa or residence, or are flying on to a country where they have a visa or residence. Airlines apply these rules at check-in. Panama does not publish an approval or refusal rate for Pakistani applicants. A complete file with clear proof of funds and a firm return ticket is your best friend here.