Yet another newbie

Hi and welcome to Expat.com Jane

Thanks for the welcome!

I want to move to Panama.  Would I have enought time to apply for a pensionado visa and get the visa on one visit?  Is it much of a hassle to get the visa?  Curious.
Dennis

Dennis, there are several requirements to getting a visa. I recommend you read the Moon Handbook's guide "Living Abroad in Panama." It explains things pretty well.
If you're looking to buy a home on the stunning Pacific, then take a look at the project my husband and I are building there: [moderated]
-Frances

Welcome to Panama Jane!
Hope the kids are settling in well too. There's plenty to see and do here...my advice (for what it's worth as a travelling 6 year expat now) is....take advantage of the weekends and visit places...drag hubby away from work if you can, but try and do one place a month...the time will fly by whilst you're here and you won't regret it even if sometimes its hardwork to organize.
I agree the Moon handbook is the best book...get bending those pages!
Cheers

Thanks for the welcome MGC - you have certainly done some interesting travelling in your time!  And I would read the Moon guide if I could ever prise it out of my husband's hands!
We went to Costa Rica for a long weekend last month as our 90 day tourist visas were about to expire - we are still officially classed as tourists even though my husband is working on the canal expansion project and we have a house here.  It's a bit farcical...
We love living here though - I will never get blasé about seeing green parrots every day, or tire of seeing the crocodiles in the river near our home.