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Update on 30 Tourist Visa
By The Panama Gringo | June 7, 2007
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Today I interviewed Lic. Karen Zamora, the Chief of Investigation for Panama’s Department of Immigration, regarding the recent changes to the tourist visa law. She said they can instantly check the status of any tourist in Panama using a new and sophisticated computer system. They capture the tourist movement data at entry points such as Tocumen Airport and Paso Canoas for every entry and exit, and they have the technology to instantly check on the status of any tourist in the country at any time (pretty cool). She demonstrated the technology using a mock suspect, and said “he last entered in January and has not left, so he’s currently illegal.†They can also now easily see the multiple tourist entries and exits over time, so they know who are the “perpetual tourists.†She added that anyone who enters Panama after 22 May 2007 falls under the new law and regulations, and that anyone who was in the country prior to that date will be treated under the old regulations. She said that they know this is a period of transition and that there are people who have gotten “caught in the change†to the new law.
“No Resources to Knock On Doors†Lic. Zamora explained that “we don’t have the resources, space, personnel, or time†to go out and chase down every tourist who has overstayed their tourist visa. She added that according to Article 62 of Law #16 of 30 June 1960, any police officer can ask any person to identify themselves. Of course Panamanian citizens will present their cedula, and tourists will pull out their passport. Police officers are supposed to make a quick check of the passport and if they encounter a tourist who has overstayed their tourist visa they are required by law to bring that person to immigration for processing. So, while the immigration office is using their new motorcycle patrols to make spot-checks of suspicious characters, they are not going out to comb through the beaches looking for people. They know that sooner or later you will come to them. And the National Police act as filters on the streets to help immigration find those who are overstaying their welcome.
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