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Costa Rica, a Paradise for Eco-Tourism
For those who would like a destination for eco-tourism, Costa
Rica is hard to beat. For a little country in Central America
that's only 19,730 square miles, there's definitely a lot to see
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Desiya Pitches Luxury Tent At Pushkar
Come November and the desert of Rajasthan is all abuzz with the biggest cattle fair on earth, the Pushkar Fair. Pushkar Fair is celebration of life and during this time of the year millions of people from all over India as well as from across the...
Make Your Safari the Best Vacation of Your Life
Where to go in Tanzania? Many visitors want to climb Kilimanjaro, drive across the endless pains of the Serengeti and swim in the clear warm waters around the Spiced Islands of Zanzibar. This can be a problem as the ever increasing numbers visiting...
Siebert Realty and RentJillsHouse.com to Bring More Tourism to Sandbridge Virginia Beach
September 22, 2004, Norfolk, VA. – Siebert Realty is one of the newest Broker firms to list their vacation rentals on Trader Publishing Company’s new website for finding vacation rental homes, RentJillsHouse.com. This new match should drive more...
Zambia, What An Amazing Country!
When you travel abroad, especially far away from home you want to have peace of mind. The same applies if you’re on an African safari. If your desire is to meet friendly, warm people then travel to Africa’s peace haven, Zambia. In...
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Want to retire at 18? Panama might be the place for you
Panama’s program for retirees is said to be the best in the world. There is no age limit to qualify for the Tourist Pensionado Visa Program. You need only to be able to prove a monthly pension or retirement income of US$500 from a government or corporation, plus US$100 for each dependent. Legally, you could be as young as 18 to retire in Panama.
You will need documentation proving your pension income, certified and stamped by the Panamanian embassy in your country of origin, plus a valid passport and a clear police record for the past five years.
If you don’t have a pension, you can still qualify by depositing sufficient funds in the National Bank of Panama to generate $750 a month. This amount covers any number of dependents. Alternatively, you could start a qualified tourism-related business, or invest in a forestry project.
You must use a Panamanian immigration lawyer, pass a medical on arrival in Panama and be tested free of HIV. Your legal representative will shepherd you through the immigration office, once to register various documents and a second time to have your photograph taken and be presented with your identity card (carnet).
Carry this card with you at all times. You can be fined for not doing so. Prior to receiving your carnet, carry your passport or a photocopy of it.
Legal expenses and fees can vary depending on size of family and complexity, but should be around $1,500 for one person, or $2,000 for a couple.
The immigration process must be started before you leave your home country. Once
you arrive in Panama as a tourist, you will be able to stay for up to 90 days. This can be extended for a further 90 days if needed.
Qualifying for permanent residence takes from 30 to 60 days, depending on the time of year and the availability of certain key immigration officials. Given all the public holidays, November and December are good months to avoid.
Although not required, it will be helpful for you to obtain letters of good standing from your bank or banks and any other financial institutions. Do not close your bank accounts. You will need at least one, and preferably two, open bank accounts somewhere in the world before you will be able to open an account here.
Also, keep at least some credit cards. Getting credit cards in a new country ranges from difficult to impossible. One bank here, HSBC, offered the writer a card with a $5,000 credit limit provided $10,000 was placed on deposit.
Finally, go to your local automobile association and get an international driver’s license. Your own license is good here for 90 days, but there is no limit on an international license. (Expect lots of puzzled looks from local traffic police as they thumb through the multi-page document written in several languages.)
About the Author
Sydney Tremayne publishes http://www.yourpanama.com, a leading website for tourists and for potential ex-pat retirees in Panama. His team of experts gives regular Q&A teleseminars that can save costly mistakes. To find out more, go to http://www.yourpanama.com/fear.html
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