AIR
Most international flights arrive at Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport, 35km from downtown.
Airports
Panama has four international airports, but you're likely to arrive at one of the following two:
- Tocumen International Airport (Panama City),
- Aeropuerto Enrique Malek (David),
- Panamá Pacífico International Airport (Panama City), located 10km from Panama City,
- Scarlett Martinez International Airport (Río Hato).
Departure Tax
Panama levies a US$40 departure tax for passengers on international flights. This is included in the price of the ticket.
LAND
Many travelers arrive in Panama by bus from Costa Rica. There are three border crossings between Costa Rica and Panama. Most travelers cross at Paso Canoas. Other border crossings are Sixaola and Rio Sereno. There are no roads into Colombia, and travelers are strongly discouraged from crossing overland due to the instability of the border region.
SEA
It is possible to cross to Colombia by sea. Multiday motorboat and sailboat trip depart from Colon Province or the Comarca de Yuna Yala.
ENTRY AND VISA REGULATION
Visas are generally not required for stays of up to 90 days.
At the time of research, people holding passports from the following countries needed to show only their passports to enter Panama: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and Uruguay.
People from the following countries need a passport and a tourist card: Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, Granada, Guyana, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Tobago, Trinidad, the USA and Venezuela.
Citizens from countries not on this list will need to obtain a visa, available at Panamanian embassies or consulates.