PANAMA – New Permit and Visa Extension Request Deadlines

January 30, 2024


By: Jonathan Fetting

Panama is continuing to face challenges in its immigration system rooted in the COVID-19 pandemic. This, coupled with the efforts of the Panamanian Government to stimulate employment and economic growth, has led the National Immigration Service, through Resolution No. 246 of January 3, 2024, to establish new deadlines for the submissions of requests for extensions of the following documents:

  • Temporary Residence Permits
  • Provisional Residence Permits
  • Permanent Residence Permits
  • Domestic Workers’ Visas

The new resolution provides for a deadline of February 29th, 2024, for affected foreign nationals to submit extension requests, without prejudice, in respect of the aforementioned statuses which expired on or after March 13, 2020. Foreign nationals who comply will not be at risk of having their permits cancelled and will be exempt from expiration fines.

After February 29th, 2024, all provisions of the prior Resolution No. 15,703 of August 24th, 2021, remain in effect. This resolution grants a period of six months from the date of expiration of Temporary Residence Permit or Provisional Permanent Residence Permit for foreign nationals to submit extension requests.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.