Thinking about early retirement to Panama

a)  Cost of living can vary widely. If you want to keep costs down avoid Panama City and places with lots of expats like Coronado or Boquete. We live in David, Chiriqui Province and this area might work for you. The internet is good, there is lots of locally grown produce, and it's really beautiful with mountains above us and the ocean below. You can get a nice house for $400-700/month. The town of Dolega is a bit north with lots of green space and even more economical housing, and there are other nearby towns also worth checking out. David itself has everything you need, shopping, healthcare, an airport etc.

Healthcare is inexpensive, at least for us from the USA, so we pay as we go since we are both healthy. If you need insurance hopefully others can advise you.

b)  consult a lawyer to be sure, but I think you would qualify for the pensionado visa, and you would get the discounts and benefits that come with it.

c)  Panamanians are very respectful and mind their own business. Public displays are not appreciated no matter what your sexual preferences, but what you do in private is not a problem. They will not judge you for whatever lifestyle you choose. The gay, bisexual, and transgendered people I know here live peacefully with no problems from the locals.

d) yes, infrastructure is decent. People generally have reserve tanks for water since that is often a problem, but otherwise things are fine. You'll have to come a visit and see how you feel here.

e)  Thankfully we have had little dealings with bureaucracy but yes, it can be tedious to get some things done, or to figure out how things are done here (which may not seem as efficient as we would like, but things eventually do get done)

My biggest challenge here was learning Spanish. I'm finding more people now who speak English but it's very helpful if you know at least some Spanish, and the locals really appreciate the effort.

I've found life here very chill, happy, and fun. The local people are super nice, respectful, and welcoming. I'm more content in this foreign country than I ever was anywhere I lived in my home country. Good luck, hope you find something that works for you.

@tai an Zhou go to theses websites, thefirst is international living .com, the second one is panama relocation tours.com i found that panama relocation tours has a very extensive nowlege base on rvertything you might need to know about moving to panama, good luck in your endeavors

Thanks very much for your kind replies! I know some Spanish, not a lot, but I am a fast learner. I am not flamboyant about my orientation, it's just who I am. (I'd like to meet others who are LGBT too though)

The water is potable?

I would definitely visit before I commit to anything long-term. 400-700 is very doable though! Even with utilities and everything else, it wouldn't break 1000.

I am in generally good health except for some nasal things.

@tai an Zhou

Please see below for answers to your questions:

a) What are the real costs of living there? I'm single and just need a basic room. Don't care about sea views, but fast internet is a necessity as I WFH. I see prices from 500 to 1500. Fast internet is available at reasonable prices, usually through the mobile phone companies, although there are some independent companies providing internet. Internet is provided through fibre optic these days and is generally quite reliable. Working from home should be no problem. Your rental prices of $500 to $1500 are pretty accurate for most neighborhoods. $500 will probably get you a studio or a room in a shared apartment. $1,500 would be enough for a decent two-bedroom place in a good neighborhood.

I cook for myself and don't eat out much, so I can keep that down. I also am not big on entertainment and don't watch movies. You can get internet without cable TV. We pay USD 39 per month for 500mbs upload and download speeds.

I do need someplace green to walk, my primary form of exercise. Panama has two large green spaces: Parque Omar and Cinta Costera. Both provide a walking path of several kilometers. Parque Omar has a lot of trees and shady areas. Cinta Costera is out in the sun and better for walking early in the morning or around sunset. With the exception of the El Cangrejo neighborhood and The Casco Antiguo, Panama is not great for neighborhoods that are walkable.

I see that you need some form of insurance for healthcare? Yes. If you are under 65, there are a lot of plans to choose from. Once you turn 65, your options become more limited, but are still available: Worldwide Medical, BUPA and PALIG all write policies for people over 65. It's not cheap though.

b) I definitely have investment income of 1k so I believe I qualify for the Pensiado visa? Do I still get the benefits if I am below 62? Private investments don't count for a Pensionado Visa. They need to be either a private or government pension with a fixed income. I recommend consulting with an attorney. Check out the webpage for Kraemer & Kraemer. It does a really good job of explaining the different types of visas available. With that said, once you become a resident, there are nice benefits to residents over 60 years of age, including 15% off of healthcare costs, 25% off restaurant costs and reduced drug prices.

c) Is Panama LGBT friendly? My country of origin is not. My husband (64M) and I (63M) were plaintiffs in the marriage equality case before the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama. It took over six years for a decision and the court ruled that matrimony principally exists for procreation, so we weren't being discriminated against by not allowing us to marry. The case is now in front of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights, which may choose to send it to the Interamerican Court of Human Rights, which would likely rule against Panama and require then to provide marriage equality. With that said, there is no enforcement mechanism and Panama could just decide to be in violation of the ruling. I wouldn't say that Panama is gay friendly, but it's not particularly hostile either. We've been the subject of hateful comments online but never to our faces and we've been on TV and are the flag bearers at this year's pride parade. Same sex relations are legal in Panama, but public displays of affection are not usually encouraged, although I've seen guys walking hand in hand in my neighborhood and no one has said anything. I think that if you're looking to move to Latin America, there are certainly more gay friendly places than Panama: Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and maybe Colombia. All have marriage equality and some protections for LGBT citizens. Panama has none of those.

d) I'm assuming the infrastructure is relatively decent? When I moved to the USA I had to get used to where the barbers were, dentists etc. I have never been to Latin America but I have friends there who say it's relatively modern. Panama has decent infrastructure. Panama City is a big, modern city with awful traffic but also with a decent (and expanding) metro system. There are also good restaurants and Panama City is very multicultural, with large Asian (especially Chinese) populations. Supermarkets and specialty markets provide quite a good variety of goods, both domestic and imported. Panama boasts seven of the ten tallest buildings in Latin America and its skyline is reminiscent of large US or Asian cities. I've found the healthcare system here to be good and compared to the US, very reasonable. A doctor's visit is between $40 - $60 for an office visit with a general practitioner and $60 - $100 for a specialist. Dental cleanings are around $60. A filling is about $200.

e) Is the bureaucracy as horrible as they say? In my experience it's been bad everywhere, not just Panama. (I've lived in many countries). Panama's bureaucracy is bad, but not awful. You'll need a lawyer for any immigration requests, but plenty of other government offices are relatively easy to negotiate. Many things can be done online. Panama has a very modern banking system and nearly anything (even street vendors) can be paid using a phone app. Opening a bank account can be tricky. Be prepared to have a lawyer to help or to provide detailed information about your banking holdings overseas and possibly even copies of your income tax returns.

Panama has a lot of expats living here and feels very international. While I think speaking Spanish is absolutely necessary (I speak Spanish and am an American Citizen), other expats get by perfectly well in English. If you're Singaporean of Chinese descent and can speak either Mandarin or Cantonese, you'll probably find you can communicate quite well here with the many Chinese-Panamanians. Most other people will at least speak very basic English. Obviously in touristy areas, you'll find it easier to find people who speak English.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I can speak Mandarin with some level of ease.

I'm surprised by what you said about the Pensiado Visa...some sites say it has to be a pension, some say investment income is ok. I have the latter but not the former.

Are there any lawyers who would do a free consultation?

Perhaps the other places you've mentioned would be better destinations. When I Google and research Panama always comes up first though.

Hi. Just for reference, I'm Panamanian and I've lived most of my life here in Panama.

The cost of living is on the more expensive side for Latin America, but I expect it to be cheaper than Singapore.

I've read online that you don't have to be at retirement age, but I couldn't tell you for certain. If you use google translate, you can try to speak to the immigration office helpline via Whatsapp explaing your situtation. You may also try contacting the embassy of Panama in Singapore.

This is the website of immigration in Panama: https://www.migracion.gob.pa

Embassy site: http://www.panamaemb.org.sg/contact_us.php

I have a friend in Boquete that rents furnished apartments for $350 per month (including internet and utilities), for example. I can give you a referral if you'd like. It may be possible to find similarly priced apartments in Panama City in neighborhoods like San Antonio or Brisas del Golf.

If you like small towns, you can also consider Penonome, Chitre, or Las Tablas for cheap houses. Sometimes entire houses go for $200-250/month in these places.

You can also look for something cheap in Cerro Azul, which is on the outskirts of Panama City, and it has a cool climate comparable to the mountains of Chiriqui.

The water is potable in the cities, but rural areas are sometimes not so great. My water bill in Panama City is around $9/month. In Panama City, Boquete, and Penonome, I drink water straight from the tap.

Panama is reasonably LGBT friendly, but not as much as Europe or the United States. It's perfectly legal to be bisexual but public displays of affection isn't socially accepted by a lot of people here. I've met some polyanamorous & bi people here, but they're mostly in their 20's and 30's. It's also not that uncommon nowadays for people to date outside their age group, so sometimes you will see people in their 40's/50's dating someone in their 20's.

Bureaucracy exists in panama but it's a lot lighter than most of Latin America, or at least Latino immigrants have told me. You will need a lawyer for things like immigration or buying/selling real estate.

The infrastructure in Panama generally worse than the United States, but better than most of Latin America. My neighborhood in panama city has sidewalks everywhere, so it's easy to walk around, but some spots are severely lacking repairs.

It helps ALOT if you learn Spanish, but I know people who live here without learning a word of it since they mostly live in their bubbles. There are also Mandarin & Cantonese speakers all around the country.

Let me know if you need help with anything else.

I'm unconcerned with age in terms of dating, so it's good to know. The rental prices you quote are reasonable and I'd love a referral if you have one.

As long as I can get things done (like go to the department store etc) in a reasonable timeframe I should be ok.

I can speak some Spanish, but I'm at the beginner level right now. I don't plan on living in a bubble, I like to meet the locals wherever I've lived (which is many places)

Thanks to all for the replies!

@tai an Zhou @tai an Zhou

This is the law firm I used for my visa:  kraemerlaw.com/en/immigration/

This should get you some good information and I believe they do a first consultation for free.

all good advice , i am 76 retried here at 55 for a while you could rent a room from me in la chorrerra walking distance to bank etc. gated community , hi speed internet . i lived in medellin for 3 yeras while being treaqted for cancer but have returned home , if you are interested message me we can talk more in detail i am married my wife works i do not ,, the reason i sy is an option is how i lived in medellin so i know is doable

hi Tai an Zhou,

Just a quick point about the pensionado visa and discounts. I got the pensionado visa having just turned 60, but I have a private pension. For the discounts is you have a residency card or cedula (ID card) you will be entitled to pensionado discount if you are a male over 60 or a woman over 55. Restaurantes sometimes ask to show ID with your date of birth, but they dont need to see a pension. Occasionally you have to fill in a piece of paper with your ID number and date of birth.

personally, I dont think beaurocracy is that bad (I'va had much worse in other countries) but I speak spanish so that helps A LOT.

For cheaper insurance, I used a local company, SURA and they will insure you up to 65, quite cheaply. International (US and UK) companies are expensive for over 60s and seem a bit obsessed with shipping you back to your original country (I wouldn't want that) so I went local. Visits to doctors or outpatients is cheap (last one was $14). medicines are expensive so they sell them individually (like Advil).

Also worth noting, companies like kraemerlaw who specialise in US and UK nationals are very expensive, there are much cheaper options. In fact in many cases you dont actually need a lawyer just a "Tramitadora" who gets a lawyers stamp when they need it (costs about $50).

For an apartment in easy reach of a walking area, best bet is near Parque Omar. The walkway around the park is 3.5km and has shade. It is also very safe (cops are always about). You can get a really nice 2 bedroom apartment with direct access to the park for about $1,100 a month.

I hope some of this info is useful.