Document checklist
Saint Martin → Panama: Short-stay tourist
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
13 itemsIdentity
Copy of your ID or residence card
RequiredA copy of your national identity document or residence card from the country where you're domiciled.
Passport-style photographs
RequiredThree photographs, required when you apply abroad (not required if you apply for a tourist visa directly at the National Migration Service inside Panama).
Valid passport
RequiredOriginal passport or travel document, valid for at least 3 months, plus a complete copy.
Visa application form
RequiredComplete the tourist visa application form in full.
Financial
Migration services fee
RequiredB/.50.00 (fifty balboas, equivalent to US$50), paid when you submit your application.
Proof of economic solvency
RequiredProof of funds for your stay, no less than B/.500.00 (US$500). This can be a certified check, traveller's checks, a bank certificate or credit card statement showing available funds, a work certificate with your latest payslip, proof of pension, a self-employment income declaration, a bank reference, or a sworn letter of responsibility from whoever is supporting you financially.
Purpose of travel
Apply through the right channel
RequiredIf you need a visa, you apply at a Panamanian consulate: some nationalities get a 'Visa Estampada' (the consul can decide and stamp it directly), others need a 'Visa Autorizada' (the consulate has to forward your file to Panama's National Migration Service for approval first, which takes longer). If your country of residence has no Panamanian consulate, you can apply online through Panama's Migración en Línea portal instead.
Invitation letter (if someone is hosting or sponsoring you)
If a Panamanian resident, national, or company is inviting or financially responsible for you, they need to provide supporting paperwork (their ID and proof of address if a person; public registry certification and operating notice if a company), plus proof of their own economic solvency.
Accommodation
Hotel reservation
A confirmed hotel reservation, where applicable.
Employment
Document matching your situation
RequiredDepending on your situation: a work certificate with your latest payslip (employees), proof of pension or retirement (retirees), an income tax declaration (self-employed), or, if you are economically dependent on someone, a letter of responsibility from them, a certificate proving your family relationship and proof of their funds (economic dependants).
Travel
Onward or return travel booking
RequiredA confirmed air reservation showing your onward itinerary, or an electronic ticket.
Other
Copy of your last Panamanian permit
If you've previously been issued a permit by Panama's immigration authority, bring a copy of it.
Parent or guardian authorization for minors
If the applicant is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must submit the application on their behalf.
Why applications on this route get refused
Couldn't show at least US$500 in funds
The regulation sets a floor of B/.500.00 (US$500) in demonstrated funds for your stay, showing less, or funds in a form Migración doesn't accept, is a stated ground to refuse the application.
How to avoid it: Bring one of the accepted proofs (bank certificate, credit card statement, traveller's checks, payslip, pension proof, etc.) showing at least US$500 available, matching how long you say you're staying.
Passport valid for less than 3 months
The checklist requires your passport to be valid for a minimum of three months, a passport nearing expiry doesn't meet the stated requirement.
How to avoid it: Check your passport's expiry date before applying or travelling, and renew it if it has less than 3 months left.
No proof of onward or return travel
A confirmed air reservation with your onward itinerary, or an electronic ticket, is a stated requirement, arriving without one doesn't meet the checklist as published.
How to avoid it: Book (or at least reserve) your onward or return flight before you apply or travel, and keep the confirmation with your documents.
Sources
- Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá · checked 29 Sept 2026
- Gaceta Oficial Digital de Panamá · checked 29 Sept 2026
- Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá (Decreto Ejecutivo No. 100 of 2019, online visa application) · checked 29 Sept 2026
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