Embassy
British Embassy Panama City
Humboldt Tower, Calle 53
Panama visa requirements for British citizens
British citizens do not need a visa for Panama. Show your passport at the border and stay up to 90 days.
Passport
GBR
United Kingdom
Going to
PAN
Panama
No visa needed
People from listed countries can visit without a tourist visa.
- Visa
- Not required
- Max stay
- 90 days (3 months)
- Fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 11 November 2026
Special rules for British citizens in Panama
- As of 2024, British nationals entering Panama now have a 90 day (3 month) tourist visa stamped in their passport to mark entry to Panama.
- Extensions are not normally allowed unless an application is made to change immigration status within the 90 days (business, marriage). maximum amount of time that British passport holders can stay in Panama as a tourist is three (3) months.
- If they want to stay longer than three months, they may extend their stay by applying for an extension through the Offices of Immigration in Panama. (Panama embassy U.K.) British nationals don't need a visa to visit Panama except if arriving by sea.
What to do
Check your passport is valid for the whole stay, ideally six months beyond it.
Carry proof of onward travel and of funds; border officers can ask for both.
Note the maximum stay and count your days in Panama.
Ways into Panama
Visit without a visa if eligible, or apply before travel.
Visa not required For your passportVisa-free tourist stayPeople from listed countries can visit without a tourist visa.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check your passport country in the October 2026 table.
- Show your passport, ticket and funds at the border.
Documents required
- Passport
- Return or onward ticket
- Proof of enough money
- Fingerprints
- Interview
- The table covers ordinary passports; other travel documents may have different rules.
- The former 180-day stay for US and Canadian citizens has ended.
Visa not requiredForeign visa exemptionA visa or residence permit from a listed country can allow visa-free tourism.
- Stay
- 30 days
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check that your visa or residence permit qualifies.
- Carry the original document with your passport.
- Show your documents when you arrive.
Documents required
- Passport
- Qualifying visa or residence permit
- Return ticket
- Proof of enough money
- Fingerprints
- Interview
- Qualifying countries: Canada, US, Australia, South Korea, Japan, UK, Singapore and EU countries.
- Your visa or residence permit must still be valid when you enter.
Visa on arrivalEmergency aid arrival permissionInternational aid groups can get special arrival permission for urgent emergencies.
How to apply
- Arrange a request through Panama's foreign ministry.
- State the aid purpose and expected stay.
- Provide passport details and follow the group's arrival instructions.
Documents required
- Foreign ministry request
- Passport or travel document copy
- This route is only for urgent international aid groups.
- It is not a general tourist visa on arrival.
Sources (28)Last updated 11 November 2026
- Servicio Nacional de Migración: official immigration agency
- Tourist border requirements
- Authorised visas, exemptions and current transit legislation
- October 2026 ordinary-passport nationality table
- Foreign ministry: consular and visa services
- Foreign ministry consular services portal; not verified as an electronic visitor-visa issuance portal
- Panama Embassy in the US: English visa guidance
- Panama Embassy in the US: Spanish guidance and transit conditions
- Panama Embassy in Canada: visa and transit guidance
- Panama Consulate Mumbai: visa information and service suspension
- Panama Embassy in Manila: official checklist directory
- Manila tourist checklist linked as updated 27 July 2026
- Manila transit checklist for Cuban and Haitian nationals
- Panama Embassy in Germany: entry, transit and vaccination guidance
- Government immigration report recording withdrawal of the 180-day allowance
- Decree 28 of December 2025: restored Haitian transit visa
- Panamá Digital: business short stay
- Panamá Digital: education residence
- PROPANAMA: remote-worker visa
- Decree 198: remote-worker eligibility
- Immigration: temporary and technical worker category
- Labour ministry: migrant work authorisation
- Immigration: temporary family-reunification checklist
- Panamá Digital: medical-treatment short stay
- Official short-stay application and purpose-specific instructions
- Amended short-stay regulations
- Official record: October 2026 working holiday decree
- Working holiday decree: eligibility, documents and conditions
Embassies for this trip
For lost passports and emergencies.
Coming from United Kingdom
- Plugs A BAdapter needed
- MoneyPAB B/.
- Time+3h
- DrivingOn the rightLook left first
- LanguageSpanish
- Emergency911 police
Planning your Panama trip
Best time to go: December to March is the most popular time, with little rain and less humidity. The dry season runs from December to April, and the rainy season runs from May to November.
- Miraflores LocksSee ships use the older Panama Canal locks near Panama City. The museum explains how the canal works.
- Agua Clara Visitor CenterSee the expanded canal near Colón, on the Caribbean side.
- Panama ViejoExplore the site of the first Spanish city of Panama, founded in 1519 and destroyed in 1671.
- Casco Antiguo, also called Casco ViejoThis historic district has Spanish colonial, Caribbean, French and Art Deco buildings. It also has bars, restaurants and art events.
Scams to watch for in Panama
About Panama
Panama is a Central American republic on the isthmus linking two continents, cut by a shipping canal.
- Capital
- Panama City
- Money
- Panamanian balboa (B/.), United States dollar ($)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-05:00
- Cars drive on the
- right side
- Calling code
- +507
Other Europe passports
Going to Panama
Easier trips nearby
Places close to Panama with simpler entry for you.
Questions
Are there special rules for British citizens visiting Panama?
Do british citizens need a visa for Panama?
British citizens do not need a visa for Panama. Show your passport at the border and stay up to 90 days.
How long can british citizens stay in Panama?
Up to 90 days each visit with the no visa needed rule. Staying longer can mean a fine or a ban from coming back.
Do panamanian citizens need a visa for the United Kingdom?
Panamanian citizens need an eTA, a short online form, before flying to the United Kingdom.
Do other Europe passports get easier entry to Panama?
Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 5 more can enter without applying before they travel.
Which countries near Panama are easier for british citizens?
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala Honduras, and 3 more let british citizens in without applying before travel.
What should I carry to Panama?
Check your passport is valid for the whole stay, ideally six months beyond it. Carry proof of onward travel and of funds; border officers can ask for both.
What money is used in Panama?
Panamanian balboa (B/.) and United States dollar ($). Carry some cash for arrival, especially if a visa fee is paid at the border.
What language do people speak in Panama?
Spanish.
How strong is the United Kingdom passport?
It ranks #7 and reaches 155 destinations without applying ahead.
Reviewed by @snuck