From Colorado...2005
Move to Panama Corp. helped me find a condominium in Panama City. I am a very cautious
person and am a 42-year old attorney in Colorado. They made the whole
process very easy for me and certainly had great knowledge of the
neighboorhoods and was able to advise me as to the best area for my needs.
They also helped me negotiate the price of the condominium and helped me
save $9,000.00. They even took me to an import tile store so that I could
change the flooring in the new condominium. Move to Panama Corp. certainly goes above and
beyond to help their clients and I highly recommend them to anyone that is
thinking of relocating to Panama. Mario and Move to Panama Corp. made the process fun and
easy for me and now I also have a good friend in Panama City.
Douglas Allen
Attorney at Law
From Massachusetts...2005
Mario,
First, thank you and Mariela for your very efficient, pleasant, and enjoyable service in planning
and executing our Move to Panama 8-day "get to know" visit. You both, along with your legal,
tax, and real estate advisors did a very thorough and impressive job of helping us get to know
what is required to participate in the Panama Pensionado program. I personally saw so many
opportunities, residential and business, that it is difficult to sort and prioritize them. I'll be in
touch!
Walter G. (Buzz) Luttrell
From California...2005
Mario and Karina
You two are just THE BEST!
When the word came from NYC that we would be moving to Panama in September, we were
prepared in many ways. We knew Panama; we know the bishop who is fabulous; we know
some US folks and some Panama folks.
But the PRIMARY worry was getting our two cats in to the country with as least trauma as
possible. Both were emotionally traumatised feral kittens that we rescued. We first went online
and found all sorts of information and misinformation. One day in high anxiety, I was surfing the
web and came across "Move To Panama." I had not a clue what this organisation was about,
but I emailed anyway. I blathered on and on about these spoiled precious kitties that are not
unlike the children I could never have, etc etc. And Mario's response to me was so affirming
and conforting that I felt all would be okay.
As the time moved closer to departure and we were rushing back and forth to vets and USDA
vets, etc. Mario was there for us, online and on the phone, answering every question, however
minute, with compassion and clarity and understanding.
We would be arriving after the vet's hours at the airport and Mario assured me that "all would
be well" (to quote Julian of Norwich) and when we landed, there he was, with his wife, late at
night, helping us through the trails of people and paperwork to get our kitties into home
quarantine and back into my arms.
We have come to rely on Mario's advice for many other Panama questions--from hairdressers
to pet stores to shoe stores.
Even though we have acquaintances here and we have the Church and its support, I do not
know how we would have made the move and transition so painlessly without Mario's constant
support and care.
I've said to him a number of times, "Mario, what you do is a ministry....because you have
ministered to me and you have ministered to 'the least of those'--the voiceless non-humans that
we adore so very much."
Panama has been our dream for so many years and here we are. I cannot say enough
wonderful things about Mario's attention to detail, his caring, his kindness, his humor, and his
gracious and glorious hospitality.
We are so thankful for this service and we recommend "Move to Panama" for ANYONE who
needs assistance walking the paper trails of moving to this glorious country.
We are soo very glad to be out of ths US and here, in our new home.
Gracias, Amigo
The Rev'd Kenny and oonagh Ryan-King
formerly of Oakland CA and the Episcopal Diocese of CA
From Florida...2005
My experience with Mario Vilar and his company, Move to Panama, exceeded all
expectations. Every aspect of our trip, from our arrival to departure, was thoroughly planned.
Although our trip included visits to the highland and both coasts, at every destination we were
escorted by reputable and seasoned local experts who answered every question we could think
of concerning real estate, immigration, relocation, medical care and insurance. I have been in the
tourism industry myself for over 20 years, and have never encountered a more responsive,
friendly and competent staff. They obviously care about their clients, and offer a truly
customized experience to anyone looking at moving to the wonderful country of Panama. I
could not recommend them more highly.
Alex Brylske, Ph.D.
From Houston...2005
......I really want to thank you for your professionalism in our dealings with you in Panama. I
think your business will be a success. I will certainly recommend you to anyone I know who
might be interested in Panama.
I also must say that Kathrina and I really enjoyed meeting you and Karina as well as Mariela
and Max (Evy too). We really appreciate the extra time you took to accommodate us. We
feel as though we have new friends........
John
A letter addressed to the hosts at the Stay With Friends Room...2005
Thank you both for your hospitality. We have enjoyed our visit and hope to see you again. You
have made our first visit to Panama one that we will always remember. Thank you again for all
your kindness.
Tommye and Scott
From Washington...2005
..."The services of "Move to Panama Corporation" can best be described in three words
"Positive --- Productive --- and Professional". Mr. Vilar and his staff, were extremely helpful,
knowledgable and friendly, they answered all my questions in a timely and accurate manner,
and the services which were provided were excellent, I would recommend them without
reservation" RP Roedel
Services provided:
Pensioner's Visa Immigration Service
Household Goods and Car Transportation and Customs Brokerage Services
From Colorado...2005
...Mario - So good to hear from you. We had a great trip to Panama and we're hoping that our
offer to purchase property will result in our relocation to your beautiful country. We have e-
mailed Evylany and are waiting to hear back from her regarding some property at Cuesta de
Piedra. We're excited! If this all goes as we hope we will certainly be asking for your
assistance in getting everything arranged to move to Panama. I would be glad to e-mail you a
picture of our visit, we really don't have many people pictures, mostly just photos of the places
we visited. I'll use the link to forward ones I think might be useful. Again, thanks so much for
your assistance in our trip - you were invaluable! Regards - Lynn
From Florida...2004
…I can't applaud your company enough, everything you arranged worked like 'clock work'!
Your representatives couldn't have been nicer or more efficient. They really went 'above and
beyond', setting up appointments for us to visit housing developments and were always on time
at the airport, either picking us up or taking us. They really were helpful in changing our hotel
accommodations. They arranged for us to move to another hotel and even got us a reduced
rate.
The Staying with Friends portion of the visit was also excellent. They are delightful people and
we enjoyed our visits with them. The accommodations were fine, I was glad to see a
refrigerator, as I like to have diet cokes available. The only suggestion I would make, is for
them to get one of the small 4 cup coffee makers to have available. That way your guests could
make a cup of coffee while getting ready to go out for breakfast. Guess I'm one of those who
enjoys that 'first cup' while dressing!
All the information given to us about the advantages of moving to Panama, were concise, very
easy to understand and your representative was most pleasant.
All and all I will highly recommend you and your company to anyone I hear is interested in
Panama. In fact, I gave your web sight information to a gentleman from Chicago whom I met
on the Canal transit. Hopefully he'll contact you.
Thanks again for all your help in making our trip to Panama a success.
Sincerely, Gloria
From California...2004
We would like to say thank you for our wonderful trip to Panama, my husband and I toured
everywhere with Mariela and she was fantastic! We learned much history from her and saw so
much of the country that we have decided to retire there. She was a terrific tour guide and so
caring and thoughtful to our needs. Everything you scheduled for us went great.
I would like to personally thank you for the endless hours you spent with me through email and
phone calls. Your professionalism is much appreciated. We look forward to working with you
in our " Move to Panama". Thank you kindly,
Debbie and Bob
Redondo Beach California
From Idaho...2004
We love our two dogs like children. So, when we decided to move to Panama, we looked for
the very best help and counsel. We found "MovetoPanama" to be an essential part of
our plan to get our dogs to Panama and to be home quarantined with us.
They made sure we had all the proper documentation and handled the complex arrangements
with ease. We are so thankful to them for making our entry into Panama with our precious pets
smooth and successful.
All the best,
Mary
From Pennsylvania...2004
To those of you considering a move to Panama, I have just returned from a 10 day exploration
visit. I had intended to see both Boquete and Bocas del Toro, but became so enthralled with
Boquete that I changed my plans while in country and stayed the entire time in the beautiful
mountains of Chiriqui Provence. The trip went flawlessly, in large measure because of Move
to Panama, the travel agent I used.
I was attracted to Move to Panama because they offer educational seminars about real estate
possibilities…the where and how to purchase alternatives. Because retirement to Panama is an
option for me, my initial plan was to attend such a seminar. As it turned out, I didn’t have as
much time as I had hoped for the trip and decided to go to the seminars on a follow up visit.
However, I still had Move to Panama book domestic air travel, hotels and arrange a real
estate tour in Boquete. He also arranged my transfers to and from hotels/airports.
A Move to Panama representative met me at the airport when I arrived in Panama and drove
me to the Hotel Executive, then picked me up again the next morning for my flight to David. I
got in late and had to be up early. Nevertheless, she and her large, clean and comfortable car
were right on time. Move to Panama recommended the hotel in Boquete. They sent staff to
meet me upon arrival in David…again, on time and very professional. It turned out to be a
fine suggestion. It was in the heart of the village, had large, spotless rooms and was quite
reasonably priced. I was also very impressed with the real estate woman that was selected by
Move to Panama to show me properties in the Boquete area.
As mentioned earlier, I had planned to go on from Boquete to Bocas but so enjoyed Boquete
that I called Move to Panama and asked them to change the rest of my itinerary so I could
stay in the mountains. There was a charge to do this, but amendments were handled quickly,
correctly and without hassles.
In closing, use Move to Panama with confidence that they will do the job correctly and on
time. I never doubted for a moment that I could call them if I had had a problem while I was
in Panama and that they would solve it for me.
Craig
From Florida...2003
My wife and I started looking for a place to live about 4 years ago. You see, she is a real
wildlife enthusiast and we wanted to find a place that was safe for foreigners and had a good
possibility for studying animal species, particularly primates. We looked into many countries in
southeast Asia, Central and South America, and Mexico. Our first in depth look was in
Madagascar but the political situation was pretty dicey. Belize was the next choice and we
pretty much had our minds made up until one day, searching the internet, we tripped across
some information about Panama. The more we dug into it, the more we liked what we saw.
Panama, according to our research, has by far the simplest and most foreigner- friendly
immigration system in the world. All you need is to be able to show a very modest retirement
income ($500.00/month plus $100.00 additional for each dependent). There are no age
restrictions. You can be as young as 18. With a very modest amount of paperwork you can get
what is called a “Turista Pensionado” otherwise known as a Pensioners Tourist Visa. And, of
course, there is wildlife on a grand scale. Several species of wildlife can only be found here.
Prior to finding this information we were, to put it mildly, very reluctant to even consider
Panama. We remembered the “bad old days” of when Panama was in our news broadcasts
with drug trafficking and Noriega. We even, while visiting Costa Rica some 5 years ago,
intentionally avoided the Panamanian border for fear of who knows what. HOW WRONG WE
WERE!
We have come to find Panama, with the unfortunate exception of the Darien Province which is
to the far east of the country on the Colombian border, to be among the safest and most
foreigner-friendly countries we have ever visited. And we have been to many places. I spent
almost 21 years traveling with the U.S. Navy and my wife and I have a combined total of 14
years sailing with the merchant marines.
OK, so now we have decided on Panama as the destination for our new residence. How do
we do this?!! There are many companies with sites on the internet that advertise the Pensionado
and other programs that will do the paperwork and get you here. Our first question was “How
can we be sure that you will do what you say you will?” There are many “companies” that, as in
the United States and elsewhere, will take your money and, with little or no recourse, just walk
away and leave you with nothing but the opportunity to simply start over again. And there is a
lot of information on the web warning you of exactly that.
After much deliberation in deciding on who to use, we e-mailed three of the Panamanian
consulates in the U.S.; one in New York, one in Houston, and one in the mid-west. No reply
from the mid-west, just a note telling us to get an attorney from New York, and a very
informative letter from Houston giving us a great deal of information on how to get started.
This was the start of our relationship with Mr. Mario Vilar and the Move To Panama
Company. Mario provided us with a list of documents required for immigration. We got started
on collecting the paperwork in mid June and were on a plane to Panama City on September
1st. The documents requiring the longest amount of time were the criminal background checks
and my wife having to renew her passport. If not for that we most likely would have had our
documents together in less than one month.
Mario and the Move To Panama Company have a great number of reliable resources and
contacts in Panama to make the transition very easy. He booked our hotel for us in an area of
town that was safe and convenient to everything we needed for finishing the immigration
process. It is also an area with many restaurants and shopping areas within walking distance of
the hotel.
We arrived in Panama on the 1st of September and were met at the airport by Mario’s sister,
Mariela. Mariela took us to the hotel and helped us check in. The next day she picked us up at
the hotel, took us to meet with the attorney, took us to get our medical exam completed, and
then gave us a tour of Panama City including the Mira Flores Locks at the Panama canal. She
was so kind and helpful. Only two days later we went with the attorney to immigration to submit
the paperwork for our residency visa. At that point we were finished except for waiting on
approval. We decided to stay in Panama City for a few weeks to do some personal business.
We looked into buying a pickup truck, set up a bank account, got a cell phone account, and
looked for a dog. After four weeks in the city, off we went to Boquete to find a place to rent
and get started on looking for property and monkeys.
There are many good places to stay in Boquete with a varying scale to fit any budget. After
staying in a pension for a few days we came across a good place that rents small 1 bedroom
apartments with a kitchenette. This and other places rent by the month which makes staying in
a hotel much cheaper.
Early on in our stay we went to the Toyota dealership in the city of David and purchased a 4wd
Hilux diesel pickup. The cost of fuel is one of the few things more expensive than in the U.S.
and gas is more expensive than diesel. Gas here in Chiriqui Province costs over 2 dollars/gallon.
Diesel is just over $1.70. The 4wd comes in pretty handy on some roads. The main roads are
pretty good but when you get off the beaten path you sometimes need 4wd. With transportation
it was time to explore and find a place to live long term.
We received word from the attorney that our visa had been approved in mid October. So, from
submission of the paperwork until approval it took about 6 weeks. We took a quick trip to
Panama City to finish up. The attorney took us to immigration to get our photo I.D. cards and
process our passports for the multiple entry/exit visa which is good for two years.
Upon our return to Boquete we concentrated on finding a more permanent place to live. We
ended up renting an unfinished house for a month while waiting for a better place to come
available. A real estate agent from David found us a very nice place in Alto Boquete. A
furnished 4 bedroom house on about an acre of land. There is a creek running through the back
yard. This is where we are currently living. The cost of a rental here in Panama is very
affordable. Our house is probably in an upper bracket at $400.00/month. We have an
acquaintance here in Boquete renting a 2 bedroom duplex for $120.00/month. We signed a 6
month lease but anticipate staying here for another year while we look for property to purchase.
So here we are settled in Boquete where the weather really is like springtime all the time. We
are certainly glad we chose Mario and his Move To Panama Company to help us get here. His
knowledge of the procedures for immigration worked perfectly for us and it was a very
pleasurable experience making the move.
We really love it here and are looking forward to seeing you down here soon.
Sincerely,
David & Susan
Move to Panama Corp. helped me find a condominium in Panama City. I am a very cautious
person and am a 42-year old attorney in Colorado. They made the whole
process very easy for me and certainly had great knowledge of the
neighboorhoods and was able to advise me as to the best area for my needs.
They also helped me negotiate the price of the condominium and helped me
save $9,000.00. They even took me to an import tile store so that I could
change the flooring in the new condominium. Move to Panama Corp. certainly goes above and
beyond to help their clients and I highly recommend them to anyone that is
thinking of relocating to Panama. Mario and Move to Panama Corp. made the process fun and
easy for me and now I also have a good friend in Panama City.
Douglas Allen
Attorney at Law
From Massachusetts...2005
Mario,
First, thank you and Mariela for your very efficient, pleasant, and enjoyable service in planning
and executing our Move to Panama 8-day "get to know" visit. You both, along with your legal,
tax, and real estate advisors did a very thorough and impressive job of helping us get to know
what is required to participate in the Panama Pensionado program. I personally saw so many
opportunities, residential and business, that it is difficult to sort and prioritize them. I'll be in
touch!
Walter G. (Buzz) Luttrell
From California...2005
Mario and Karina
You two are just THE BEST!
When the word came from NYC that we would be moving to Panama in September, we were
prepared in many ways. We knew Panama; we know the bishop who is fabulous; we know
some US folks and some Panama folks.
But the PRIMARY worry was getting our two cats in to the country with as least trauma as
possible. Both were emotionally traumatised feral kittens that we rescued. We first went online
and found all sorts of information and misinformation. One day in high anxiety, I was surfing the
web and came across "Move To Panama." I had not a clue what this organisation was about,
but I emailed anyway. I blathered on and on about these spoiled precious kitties that are not
unlike the children I could never have, etc etc. And Mario's response to me was so affirming
and conforting that I felt all would be okay.
As the time moved closer to departure and we were rushing back and forth to vets and USDA
vets, etc. Mario was there for us, online and on the phone, answering every question, however
minute, with compassion and clarity and understanding.
We would be arriving after the vet's hours at the airport and Mario assured me that "all would
be well" (to quote Julian of Norwich) and when we landed, there he was, with his wife, late at
night, helping us through the trails of people and paperwork to get our kitties into home
quarantine and back into my arms.
We have come to rely on Mario's advice for many other Panama questions--from hairdressers
to pet stores to shoe stores.
Even though we have acquaintances here and we have the Church and its support, I do not
know how we would have made the move and transition so painlessly without Mario's constant
support and care.
I've said to him a number of times, "Mario, what you do is a ministry....because you have
ministered to me and you have ministered to 'the least of those'--the voiceless non-humans that
we adore so very much."
Panama has been our dream for so many years and here we are. I cannot say enough
wonderful things about Mario's attention to detail, his caring, his kindness, his humor, and his
gracious and glorious hospitality.
We are so thankful for this service and we recommend "Move to Panama" for ANYONE who
needs assistance walking the paper trails of moving to this glorious country.
We are soo very glad to be out of ths US and here, in our new home.
Gracias, Amigo
The Rev'd Kenny and oonagh Ryan-King
formerly of Oakland CA and the Episcopal Diocese of CA
From Florida...2005
My experience with Mario Vilar and his company, Move to Panama, exceeded all
expectations. Every aspect of our trip, from our arrival to departure, was thoroughly planned.
Although our trip included visits to the highland and both coasts, at every destination we were
escorted by reputable and seasoned local experts who answered every question we could think
of concerning real estate, immigration, relocation, medical care and insurance. I have been in the
tourism industry myself for over 20 years, and have never encountered a more responsive,
friendly and competent staff. They obviously care about their clients, and offer a truly
customized experience to anyone looking at moving to the wonderful country of Panama. I
could not recommend them more highly.
Alex Brylske, Ph.D.
From Houston...2005
......I really want to thank you for your professionalism in our dealings with you in Panama. I
think your business will be a success. I will certainly recommend you to anyone I know who
might be interested in Panama.
I also must say that Kathrina and I really enjoyed meeting you and Karina as well as Mariela
and Max (Evy too). We really appreciate the extra time you took to accommodate us. We
feel as though we have new friends........
John
A letter addressed to the hosts at the Stay With Friends Room...2005
Thank you both for your hospitality. We have enjoyed our visit and hope to see you again. You
have made our first visit to Panama one that we will always remember. Thank you again for all
your kindness.
Tommye and Scott
From Washington...2005
..."The services of "Move to Panama Corporation" can best be described in three words
"Positive --- Productive --- and Professional". Mr. Vilar and his staff, were extremely helpful,
knowledgable and friendly, they answered all my questions in a timely and accurate manner,
and the services which were provided were excellent, I would recommend them without
reservation" RP Roedel
Services provided:
Pensioner's Visa Immigration Service
Household Goods and Car Transportation and Customs Brokerage Services
From Colorado...2005
...Mario - So good to hear from you. We had a great trip to Panama and we're hoping that our
offer to purchase property will result in our relocation to your beautiful country. We have e-
mailed Evylany and are waiting to hear back from her regarding some property at Cuesta de
Piedra. We're excited! If this all goes as we hope we will certainly be asking for your
assistance in getting everything arranged to move to Panama. I would be glad to e-mail you a
picture of our visit, we really don't have many people pictures, mostly just photos of the places
we visited. I'll use the link to forward ones I think might be useful. Again, thanks so much for
your assistance in our trip - you were invaluable! Regards - Lynn
From Florida...2004
…I can't applaud your company enough, everything you arranged worked like 'clock work'!
Your representatives couldn't have been nicer or more efficient. They really went 'above and
beyond', setting up appointments for us to visit housing developments and were always on time
at the airport, either picking us up or taking us. They really were helpful in changing our hotel
accommodations. They arranged for us to move to another hotel and even got us a reduced
rate.
The Staying with Friends portion of the visit was also excellent. They are delightful people and
we enjoyed our visits with them. The accommodations were fine, I was glad to see a
refrigerator, as I like to have diet cokes available. The only suggestion I would make, is for
them to get one of the small 4 cup coffee makers to have available. That way your guests could
make a cup of coffee while getting ready to go out for breakfast. Guess I'm one of those who
enjoys that 'first cup' while dressing!
All the information given to us about the advantages of moving to Panama, were concise, very
easy to understand and your representative was most pleasant.
All and all I will highly recommend you and your company to anyone I hear is interested in
Panama. In fact, I gave your web sight information to a gentleman from Chicago whom I met
on the Canal transit. Hopefully he'll contact you.
Thanks again for all your help in making our trip to Panama a success.
Sincerely, Gloria
From California...2004
We would like to say thank you for our wonderful trip to Panama, my husband and I toured
everywhere with Mariela and she was fantastic! We learned much history from her and saw so
much of the country that we have decided to retire there. She was a terrific tour guide and so
caring and thoughtful to our needs. Everything you scheduled for us went great.
I would like to personally thank you for the endless hours you spent with me through email and
phone calls. Your professionalism is much appreciated. We look forward to working with you
in our " Move to Panama". Thank you kindly,
Debbie and Bob
Redondo Beach California
From Idaho...2004
We love our two dogs like children. So, when we decided to move to Panama, we looked for
the very best help and counsel. We found "MovetoPanama" to be an essential part of
our plan to get our dogs to Panama and to be home quarantined with us.
They made sure we had all the proper documentation and handled the complex arrangements
with ease. We are so thankful to them for making our entry into Panama with our precious pets
smooth and successful.
All the best,
Mary
From Pennsylvania...2004
To those of you considering a move to Panama, I have just returned from a 10 day exploration
visit. I had intended to see both Boquete and Bocas del Toro, but became so enthralled with
Boquete that I changed my plans while in country and stayed the entire time in the beautiful
mountains of Chiriqui Provence. The trip went flawlessly, in large measure because of Move
to Panama, the travel agent I used.
I was attracted to Move to Panama because they offer educational seminars about real estate
possibilities…the where and how to purchase alternatives. Because retirement to Panama is an
option for me, my initial plan was to attend such a seminar. As it turned out, I didn’t have as
much time as I had hoped for the trip and decided to go to the seminars on a follow up visit.
However, I still had Move to Panama book domestic air travel, hotels and arrange a real
estate tour in Boquete. He also arranged my transfers to and from hotels/airports.
A Move to Panama representative met me at the airport when I arrived in Panama and drove
me to the Hotel Executive, then picked me up again the next morning for my flight to David. I
got in late and had to be up early. Nevertheless, she and her large, clean and comfortable car
were right on time. Move to Panama recommended the hotel in Boquete. They sent staff to
meet me upon arrival in David…again, on time and very professional. It turned out to be a
fine suggestion. It was in the heart of the village, had large, spotless rooms and was quite
reasonably priced. I was also very impressed with the real estate woman that was selected by
Move to Panama to show me properties in the Boquete area.
As mentioned earlier, I had planned to go on from Boquete to Bocas but so enjoyed Boquete
that I called Move to Panama and asked them to change the rest of my itinerary so I could
stay in the mountains. There was a charge to do this, but amendments were handled quickly,
correctly and without hassles.
In closing, use Move to Panama with confidence that they will do the job correctly and on
time. I never doubted for a moment that I could call them if I had had a problem while I was
in Panama and that they would solve it for me.
Craig
From Florida...2003
My wife and I started looking for a place to live about 4 years ago. You see, she is a real
wildlife enthusiast and we wanted to find a place that was safe for foreigners and had a good
possibility for studying animal species, particularly primates. We looked into many countries in
southeast Asia, Central and South America, and Mexico. Our first in depth look was in
Madagascar but the political situation was pretty dicey. Belize was the next choice and we
pretty much had our minds made up until one day, searching the internet, we tripped across
some information about Panama. The more we dug into it, the more we liked what we saw.
Panama, according to our research, has by far the simplest and most foreigner- friendly
immigration system in the world. All you need is to be able to show a very modest retirement
income ($500.00/month plus $100.00 additional for each dependent). There are no age
restrictions. You can be as young as 18. With a very modest amount of paperwork you can get
what is called a “Turista Pensionado” otherwise known as a Pensioners Tourist Visa. And, of
course, there is wildlife on a grand scale. Several species of wildlife can only be found here.
Prior to finding this information we were, to put it mildly, very reluctant to even consider
Panama. We remembered the “bad old days” of when Panama was in our news broadcasts
with drug trafficking and Noriega. We even, while visiting Costa Rica some 5 years ago,
intentionally avoided the Panamanian border for fear of who knows what. HOW WRONG WE
WERE!
We have come to find Panama, with the unfortunate exception of the Darien Province which is
to the far east of the country on the Colombian border, to be among the safest and most
foreigner-friendly countries we have ever visited. And we have been to many places. I spent
almost 21 years traveling with the U.S. Navy and my wife and I have a combined total of 14
years sailing with the merchant marines.
OK, so now we have decided on Panama as the destination for our new residence. How do
we do this?!! There are many companies with sites on the internet that advertise the Pensionado
and other programs that will do the paperwork and get you here. Our first question was “How
can we be sure that you will do what you say you will?” There are many “companies” that, as in
the United States and elsewhere, will take your money and, with little or no recourse, just walk
away and leave you with nothing but the opportunity to simply start over again. And there is a
lot of information on the web warning you of exactly that.
After much deliberation in deciding on who to use, we e-mailed three of the Panamanian
consulates in the U.S.; one in New York, one in Houston, and one in the mid-west. No reply
from the mid-west, just a note telling us to get an attorney from New York, and a very
informative letter from Houston giving us a great deal of information on how to get started.
This was the start of our relationship with Mr. Mario Vilar and the Move To Panama
Company. Mario provided us with a list of documents required for immigration. We got started
on collecting the paperwork in mid June and were on a plane to Panama City on September
1st. The documents requiring the longest amount of time were the criminal background checks
and my wife having to renew her passport. If not for that we most likely would have had our
documents together in less than one month.
Mario and the Move To Panama Company have a great number of reliable resources and
contacts in Panama to make the transition very easy. He booked our hotel for us in an area of
town that was safe and convenient to everything we needed for finishing the immigration
process. It is also an area with many restaurants and shopping areas within walking distance of
the hotel.
We arrived in Panama on the 1st of September and were met at the airport by Mario’s sister,
Mariela. Mariela took us to the hotel and helped us check in. The next day she picked us up at
the hotel, took us to meet with the attorney, took us to get our medical exam completed, and
then gave us a tour of Panama City including the Mira Flores Locks at the Panama canal. She
was so kind and helpful. Only two days later we went with the attorney to immigration to submit
the paperwork for our residency visa. At that point we were finished except for waiting on
approval. We decided to stay in Panama City for a few weeks to do some personal business.
We looked into buying a pickup truck, set up a bank account, got a cell phone account, and
looked for a dog. After four weeks in the city, off we went to Boquete to find a place to rent
and get started on looking for property and monkeys.
There are many good places to stay in Boquete with a varying scale to fit any budget. After
staying in a pension for a few days we came across a good place that rents small 1 bedroom
apartments with a kitchenette. This and other places rent by the month which makes staying in
a hotel much cheaper.
Early on in our stay we went to the Toyota dealership in the city of David and purchased a 4wd
Hilux diesel pickup. The cost of fuel is one of the few things more expensive than in the U.S.
and gas is more expensive than diesel. Gas here in Chiriqui Province costs over 2 dollars/gallon.
Diesel is just over $1.70. The 4wd comes in pretty handy on some roads. The main roads are
pretty good but when you get off the beaten path you sometimes need 4wd. With transportation
it was time to explore and find a place to live long term.
We received word from the attorney that our visa had been approved in mid October. So, from
submission of the paperwork until approval it took about 6 weeks. We took a quick trip to
Panama City to finish up. The attorney took us to immigration to get our photo I.D. cards and
process our passports for the multiple entry/exit visa which is good for two years.
Upon our return to Boquete we concentrated on finding a more permanent place to live. We
ended up renting an unfinished house for a month while waiting for a better place to come
available. A real estate agent from David found us a very nice place in Alto Boquete. A
furnished 4 bedroom house on about an acre of land. There is a creek running through the back
yard. This is where we are currently living. The cost of a rental here in Panama is very
affordable. Our house is probably in an upper bracket at $400.00/month. We have an
acquaintance here in Boquete renting a 2 bedroom duplex for $120.00/month. We signed a 6
month lease but anticipate staying here for another year while we look for property to purchase.
So here we are settled in Boquete where the weather really is like springtime all the time. We
are certainly glad we chose Mario and his Move To Panama Company to help us get here. His
knowledge of the procedures for immigration worked perfectly for us and it was a very
pleasurable experience making the move.
We really love it here and are looking forward to seeing you down here soon.
Sincerely,
David & Susan
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