Search the Community

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-flagged-ship-attacked-by-russian-navy

Moving to Panama Do you want to move to Panama and want to take your household goods with you? The good news, domestic goods can be imported duty-free. But first of all, what are household goods, according to the Panama Customs authorities? The term household goods can refer to the bed, the washing machine, the dryer, the dishes, the dining room table, the sofa, overall the furniture and accessories of the home. The goods must be used and be seen used. Construction equipment, commercial tools/equipment, motorcycles, trailers, new items, and other non-domestic goods will be taxed. What documents do I need? For the process of importing your household goods, you need your passport, your Panama migration ID card (carné de migración), a copy of the Bill of Lading, and a packing list. This means a detailed list of the articles of domestic or personal use that you wish to introduce to the country (in English or Spanish) must be presented prior to the date of arrival of the shipment. Additionally, invoices for newly purchased household goods or non-domestic goods are required, if applicable. What is the procedure to import my household goods to Panama? Importing your household goods to Panama can be a headache for many, but it can be done efficiently, as long as you choose a reliable and experienced international moving company and a reputable customs broker. In general, the process takes between 5 and 10 working days in order to liquidate the household goods. Additional charges may apply for equipment holds, container usage (depending on the shipping company), or deposit and storage at the customs authority's facilities depending on the duration for customs clearance. When the container with your goods arrives in Panama, you must be in the country. All shipments will be personally inspected at the port of entry. We suggest that you pay for the revision in residence due to the congestion of shipments in the fiscal precinct. This in-residence inspection has an additional cost. All shipments entering Panama by sea, land, or air are fumigated at the port and/or airport of entry. Fumigation is a pest control treatment. This procedure may cause a delay in the delivery of the shipment. How much do I have to pay? The final cost of importing your household goods depends on what is in the container (household goods, tools, machinery, valuables, etc.). Non-domestic goods will usually be taxed at about 20% of the resale value. Get different offers from moving companies and compare prices and services included. Some have paid much more than they were originally quoted, due to unexpected additional fees. Get a price with door-to-door delivery and make sure there are no extra charges. Should I bring my car to Panama? According to our professional experience, it is generally not cheaper to bring your car to Panama. The process of customs clearance and vehicle registration in Panama is long, and there are likely to be delayed. The import taxes on your car are approximately 27 to 30 percent of the CIF value. In fact, you will probably be able to buy a car in Panama at a lower price and with less hassle. Are there any goods that cannot be imported? There are some items that can only be imported if they are in limited quantities, have the appropriate additional documentation and the shipper has paid all required duties and taxes. Among them are food, alcoholic beverages, jewelry and coins (gold bullions), leather goods and living plants (it is not advisable to include plants in any shipment). There are also prohibited items like ammunition, firearms, drugs, and narcotics. All shipments of household goods that bring in wood furniture or any other wood items are subject to a Quarantine Import Permit that must be applied for before the shipment reaches Panama. Restrictions also apply to the use of wooden packing materials such as barrels, crates, lift-vans, and pallets. The wood must be treated and sealed. Any wood packaging that is not properly marked may cause extra charges and delays. Plan B Instead of shipping your complete household, you can also consider sending only some boxes with certain items that are important to you. You can even check the possibility of bringing extra luggage on the plane. Keep in mind that many rentals and properties for sale in Panama come fully furnished. So before making a decision, find out what is available in Panama and what the costs are. This will help you decide what to bring with you and what to buy new in Panama.

Hi, My name is Stacey and I will be moving to Boquete (from Los Angeles) around March next year. As such I have a ton of questions. I was in contact with admin who suggested that I post these questions. Banking 1. What are the best banks that would allow me to access money from my LA account? 2. I understand there are some global banks that have no maximum withdrawals and will reimburse for the ATM fees. Do you know what banks? 3. Is it necessary to have a Panamanian Bank account? 4. What else would I need to know that I'm not thinking of. Shipping and mail 1. I'm going to be shipping things to Boquete from LA. What is the best way for me to do that? 2. How do I arrange to receive mail? 3. What else would I need to know that I'm not thinking of. Buying a car 1. How do I go about purchasing a car? Home 1. What is the best way to find a rental while still in LA? That's it for now. I appreciate your help Stacey stacey4peace@yahoo.com

Hi there, I would like to recommend this service for the ones who use to bring packages from anywhere in the World. They have very good rates and do not charge for volume, just the weight of the package. Their rates are the following: 1-10 pounds: $3.00 p/p 11-20 pounds: $2.80 p/p 20+ pounds: $2.50 p/p They also provide shipping protection for valuable packages. The price is determined by them. From what I know, it is a small percentage of the total cost of the product. The process is straightforward. You just contact them and they assign you the shipping address to receive the packages in the US. Usually, they take from 3-5 days to arrive. The contacts are: Cellphone: 6216-4241 Email: afxcarga@gmail.com In addition to this, they are also providing 3 free pounds by using my referral code "Joel Ledezma" when notifying them. This applies when the delivery in confirmed. This is the location: https://goo.gl/maps/yj2vVNp4zj15mQNW9 Due to the pandemic, they are using their warehouse at Multicargas for now. This is the location: https://goo.gl/maps/yPFKhMV6s3bhyELf7 They are also providing home deliveries. You have to contact them for the rates. So far, they have provided the best services in the province. I recommend them.

10:30 in the BCP Theater Your $1 admission helps us keep the doors open Tuesday, January 29 – DAC Transport DAC Transport is a licensed Logistics & Freight Forwarding company, with professional management team that have more than 25 years of experience in International Logistics Business, custom brokerage and customs regulations, Immigration Legal Services, International freight moving Personal Effects and Integrated Logistics solution. Moderator: Louise Orr Tuesday, February 5 – Now that you are living in Panama, is Medicare Part A & B necessary? Are you making emotional decisions about your coverage rather than rational ones? Dra. Digna Diaz who heads up Boquete Medical Associates and Doreen Sauve, a Senior Medicare Advisor retired from the US will be doing a Q&A session on Medicare Parts A & B, answering any questions that may apply to either Part A & B as well as any supplements that expats are currently carrying. Dra. Diaz will explain the Membership that Boquete Medical Associates offers to expats which in a sense works as a Medical Gap Plan for expats living here in Panama.. Doreen has 25 years’ experience with Medicare and will be able to answer questions from individuals regarding their current situation with Medicare. Our goal is to get your questions answered and to save you money you may not need to spend. Moderator: Joanie Feuerstein Tuesday, February 12 - Treating the most frequent Health Emergencies with medicinal plants in the case of blows and contusions, avoiding blood clots and dissolving them, treating shock and preventing strokes, quickly reducing high fevers, stopping diarrhea due to PARASITES such as amoebas, eliminating the parasites, quickly bringing down high blood pressure, bringing up low blood pressure and first aid for poisonous creatures attacks. Master Herbalist Frank Gruber has 30 years experience giving first aid to humans and animals with Central American herbs.. He is the author of GRUBERS JUNGLE OIL AND GRUBERS VIPER SNAKE ANTIDOTE. Moderator: Cheryl Schmidt Tuesday, February 19 – Juan Contreras and Lourdes Miranda of Miranda y Contreras law firm will discuss recent changes in Panamanian property tax laws. Tuesday, February 26 – The history of aviation in Panama. Ibu Alvarado, born and raised in Bocas del Toro, has a diverse background as a banana farm administrator, Panama Canal Hydrologist, and as an aviator. In his talk, Ibu will address the history of Panama’s aviation: its roots, its development, and its future. Ibu has been involved in aviation since an early age and is still active in the field. His flying experience spans from local, regional to international operations throughout Central and South America. He has recently published a book about his aviation experiences. Moderator: Paul Myers Tuesday, March 5 – Bonnie Williams and Hank Landis, our government representatives for this area, will review such things as immigration requirements and the "new" law, proof of life filing, responsibilities and limitations of the wardens (now called American Citizen Liaisons), how to address federal benefit problems, etc. Moderator: Joanie Feuerstein Tuesday, March 12 - Medical cannabis - With cannabis recently legalized in Canada and rapidly being legalized throughout the USA people have lots of questions about its medical uses. Dr. Ted Harrison will talk about what cannabis is, what its effects on the body are, and what conditions it has been shown to be effective in. Dr. Harrison will be joined by Diane Heideke and Elizabeth Worley of Cloud Forest Botanicals. Moderator: Cheryl Schmidt Tuesday, March 19 – Dr. Paul Myers addresses "Thinking Geologically Expands your Universe". Geologic thinking transforms your relationship with the physical world. It confronts you with the extremes of bigness and smallness, and infinite time. When and why is this experience important? How do geologists fit in the "modern" world? How is geology relevant here and now in Boquete, Panama? Come, join the discussion. We will expand on it in the field later. Moderator: Sheila Strunk Tuesday, March 26 - TBD Tuesday, April 2 – “Experience Boquete by Bicycling”, will describe local bicycling experiences, describe different types of bicycles and will explain how you can join and explore the beauty of Boquete and David by bicycle. Presented by David George, Muzz Laverty, Manuel Y Maritza de Samaniego, Javier Christensen, Jeanne Samaniego, and Genie Vidal Moderator: Paul Myers To suggest a speaker or topic for these meetings, please email talks@eventsboquete.org To become a vendor at the Tuesday market, Facility Manager

My daughter is coming to join us in Boquete and is interested in ways to ship a few boxes or a crate (not a container). Does anyone have any recommendations?

We do relocation of personal items, furniture and vehicles door to door to and from Panama, USA, Canada and Europe. For more information please contact: Steve Gibson G&B Import/Export, S.A. sg.thwoods@gmail.com 507-6900-0764 (Panama) 843-603-1020 (USA)

We have recently started an economical container shipping service to and from the USA, Canada & Europe door to door. For questions and quotes please contact: Steve Gibson G&B Import/Export, S.A. sg.thwoods@gmail.com 6900-0764 Panama 843-603-1020 USA

We're in touch with Taxi Luis in Ciudad Panama to handle our baggage etc. when we move to Boquete. Has anyone used Senor Arce, (Taxi Luis) and if so do you recommend his services? If not, can anyone suggest a 'handler' for our household goods, luggage, packed items etc. between Tocumen and Boquete? We arrive back in Panama 9/2. Thank you. By Edgington byedgington48@gmail.com

Based on a recommendation from a friend we decided to try Airbox Express for shipping some larger packages from the US. We were initially impressed by a nice, older lady who went over all the the charging structure with us, emphasizing there are no hidden fees. We have now received and paid for two packages and have decided to go elsewhere. This is our experience. First box was over $80 at 5 pounds. Asked about additional fees. Was told there is a fee to get it to PC and then a separate fee to get it to Boquete. This was not presented initially to us. Second box, many delays. We were told that the box was being held up in customs because we didn't have an invoice on the outside of the box. This has never been an issue with other mail providers in town. In talking with the young girl at the shop she told us not to worry about it, the box was on its way. Three days later we get another email telling us that we needed to produce the invoice or the box would be returned. We went back in and was now told by the same girl that yes, we needed to produce an invoice, and now we were being charged custom fees for holding the box awaiting the invoice. I gave her a copy of the invoice and she said she would handle it. We finally got the box after a two week delay with this issue and was charged $108. This included a $30 customs fee. In attempting to get more information from our young clerk I get 'smart ass' one line comments that are not helpful in answering my question. She seemed more interested in watching the TV on the wall than helping me. We consider ourselves very tolerant people that have adapted to the Panama culture, but our experience at Airbox express goes way beyond, "It's just Panama". We are back to our previous provider where the service is much better and, after this experience, the prices are not that bad.

1-- Mariah and I are well on the way to liquidating/gifting/selling/shucking 'stuff' here in Ohio to return to Boquete. What's the best/cheapest/most efficient way to ship personal items that we don't wish to bring in checked baggage? I'm referring to household stuff, like books, small appliances, knick-knacks we can't bear to part with etc. 2--Does anyone use Magic Jack for phone calls? Good thing? Bad thing? Suggestions? Thanks in advance for the input By Edgington