Driving license in Panama

Your current driver license is good for 90 days. There is a test to write, plus blood tests, and vision tests, then you receive a Panama license. I do not know the fee. You can get an international license at home also, but I think you will still need to get one in Panama to drive there.

Thank you Toddlewis for your help!

Aurélie

Getting a driver's license here is not the complicated, just time consuming. Plus you need to be going through the immigration/residency process. If you're a pensionado, or married to a Panamanian, whatever your case, your Panamanian driver's license will only be issued for the amount of time left on your temporary or permanent residency ID. For this reason, many people just drive on their U.S. license. You're allowed to stay here in the country for 90 days. So each time you leave the country (many people make quick runs over to Costa Rica for a day or two) and come back, you're given another 90 days. Basically, when you're driving you need to have your passport with you. The cops will look at the entry stamp and make sure you haven't passed 90 days.

So, once you start the permanent residency process here, usually the stamp in your passport will expire while you're going through the process. That's where the problem comes in. For example, I had a temporary resident ID that lasted only 3 months (the first round). So if I went through all the steps to get the license, then paid the $100 (about how much it will cost in total to take care of everything you need the first time you get your license), it would expire in 3 months along with my residency ID. I think you can understand why someone wouldn't want to go through the process again in 3 months.

Ok, so now I have a 2 year residency card and I decided that I was tired of getting harassed by the cops every time I went through one of the random traffic checkpoints, and I went ahead and went through the process. The first step is to make an appointment online at the U.S. embassy here. You have to have an appointment or they won't see you. When you go in you'll need a copy of your driver's license from back home and your immigrations ID (I think, not a bad idea to have it with you. Also, always bring your passport everywhere too just in case). Plus bring in the originals. The U.S. embassy will you give you fill-in-the-blanks form that authenticates that your driver's license is real. You'll need $50 (check online to make sure the fee hasn't changed at http://panama.usembassy.gov/obtaining_a … cense.html).

The embassy will notarize the form and give it to you to take over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (over in the El Dorado area). Ask and they'll give you a map. The name of the ministry is actually: Departamento De Autenticación Y Legalización (Ministerio De Relaciones Exteriores) and it's located on the first floor (more like the 2nd, it's the first elevated floor) of the Plaza Sun Tower. There you'll need to leave the form given to you by the embassy and your U.S. license. They will take about 3 hours to do what they need to do with it. In the meantime they're going to make you go downstairs to the Banco Nacional (where about 50 people will probably be waiting) so that you can pay $2 for this part of the process. You bring the paid receipt back up to the Ministry when you pick up your translated/authenticated paperwork.

Oh, while you're waiting for that 3 hours, you might as well walk out of the plaza, turn right, cross the main street at the light, turn right again and on the left hand side (across from Blockbuster) is a small laboratory called Laboratorio Clinico del Castillo. You'll need a blood type test to take with you for the final step of getting your license. In the clinic ask for Alfredo. He speaks English. For $5 you'll get your blood type test. Keep it with you for the rest of the process.

After picking up my paperwork 3 hours later, I was told that I had to go to a place on Via España (not close at all) to pay for some sort of stamp on my paperwork. I've heard this part of the process has disappeared. Hopefully that's so.

After you've finished all this, you can go to the SERTRACEN office and get your license. It took me 2 days to complete the process. I did all the paperwork stuff on day 1, and by then it was about 4 p.m. and the SERTRACEN office was closed. I recommend going to the one in Albrook, just because that's a more English-friendly area so there's a good chance you'll find an English speaking attendant there. Take everything you've collected with you to that office. It's a good idea to have a copy of your U.S. license, your immigration card, and your passport during this whole process. You never know what new step has been included, so just have that stuff with you.

Once you're in SERTRACEN it gets easy. Go directly to the line on your far left when you enter the building. You'll turn in all your paperwork and then sit and wait. You'll be called to the first counter where they'll ask you a few questions and then take your picture. You'll sit down until you're called to a second counter where they'll do the eye test. Then sit down until you're called to the third area where they do the typical hearing test. Then you'll go to the cashier and pay $40, and sit down again and wait for your name to be called to pick up your license.

The good news is once you've completed this process, to get it renewed (whenever your immigration ID expires, which is 4 years if you're permanent), you only need to bring in your new immigration ID and $40 to renew your license.

To find out more about SERTRACEN and their other locations go to: www.sertracen.com.pa

I hope this helps. Getting a license here can be a hideous experience. Lawyers can get it done for you easily, but of course you'll pay a fee. If you plan ahead, don't rush, give yourself at least 2 days to get it all done, you'll find that it's not all that difficult. Hopefully reading this will prepare you for what's to come.

Chris

Oh and Armand, to answer question, I'm not sure if you're from the U.S., I believe the process is the same, but you'd need to go to your country's embassy to complete the first step if you're not from the States. It gets a little more complicated if your country doesn't have an embassy or a consulate here.