Panama does not impose excessive requirements for the entry of foreign travelers due to the coronavirus epidemic. In most cases, either a vaccination certificate or a coronavirus test is sufficient. Filling out the health form is mandatory. However, upon arrival from a number of countries, a mandatory 72-hour quarantine may be required.
Vaccination certificate
Full vaccination (2 doses) must be completed at least 14 days before entering Panama. The certificate can be on paper or electronically, in Spanish or English, and must be issued by a government medical institution. The state of issue of the certificate does not matter, as long as the vaccines specified in it are approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Therefore, the following vaccines are suitable for entry into Panama:
- Pfizer/BioNTech, Comirnaty
- AstraZeneca, COVISHIELD, Vaxzevria
- Johnson & Johnson, Janssen
- Moderna, Spikevax
- Sinopharm
- Sinovac-CoronaVac
- Bharat Biotech, COVAXIN
- Covovax
- Cansino
- Nuvaxovid
A vaccination certificate is required to be presented to the airline when boarding a flight to Panama, and when crossing a land or sea border — at the checkpoint.
Test for coronavirus
The test is required if you do not have a vaccination certificate.
A PCR or antigen test done no earlier than 72 hours before arrival is suitable. The test has the option of being on paper or electronically, in Spanish or English.
The test can also be done upon arrival at the capital's Tocumen airport. Rapid antigen test is $50, molecular test (PCR) — $80. If such a test turns out to be positive, the passenger will be placed in a mandatory 10-day quarantine at his expense.
Children under 5 years of age and passengers with confirmed medical contraindications are exempt from testing and the requirement to have a certificate. Children over 5 years old are required to have either a vaccination certificate or a test result.
Health form
A health form (Electronic Health Affidavit) is required and must be presented to the carrier upon boarding your flight to Panama. Filling out the form is allowed on thiswebsite. The file received after submitting the form will contain a barcode. The file can be printed or saved and presented from the smartphone screen.
Each adult fills out a separate form, however, children must be included on one parent's form.
Arrivals from high-risk countries
Panama currently considers the following countries to be high risk:
- Cayman Islands
- Barbados
- Anguilla
- Bonaire
- Greece
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Serbia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Slovenia
- Hungary
- Faroe Islands
- Ireland
- Montenegro
- Croatia
- Netherlands
- Slovakia
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Armenia
- Ukraine
- Jersey
- Georgia
- Guernsey
- United Kingdom
- Germany
You can check the current list of epidemiologically disadvantaged countriesHere.
If you have been to one of these countries in the last 15 days and indicate this on your health form, you will be required to present a vaccination certificate upon entry. If it is not there, then you will have to:
- present a coronavirus test when boarding a flight or upon arrival in Panama, according to the test criteria specified above,
- undergo a mandatory 72-hour quarantine in one of the hotels certified by the Panamanian government for these purposes. There are very few such hotels,
- After 72 hours, do a repeat test (PCR only). If it turns out to be negative, quarantine is allowed to be interrupted.
If you have been to one of the following countries in the last 15 days, you will still have to undergo mandatory quarantine as above, the only difference is that if you have a vaccination certificate, you should not book a certified hotel.
- South Africa
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Zimbabwe
- Malawi
The same requirements apply to citizens and residents of Panama: they need tests, but they do not need to book a hotel.
Transit through Panama
If you are transiting through Panama and will not be leaving the airport transit area, you do not need a vaccination certificate or coronavirus test. In addition, you do not need to fill out a health form. At the same time, when making an independent connection, the airline has the right to require documentation of health status.
In Panama itself
Wearing protective masks is mandatory for everyone over two (2) years of age in the following places:
- public transport,
- medical institutions,
- establishments for preparing or transporting food.
Beaches, hotels, swimming pools, museums, parks and all tourist infrastructure are open to visitors. Travel and cultural events, cinemas and theatres, casinos and other public venues are operating at reduced capacity and limited schedules. Business events are permitted as long as all participants have vaccination certificates. Restaurants are open without restrictions.
There are no restrictions when traveling between regions of Panama and you do not need to take tests.
(updated 07/15/2022)