Government of Canada services and information in Panama City, Panama

Refer to International adoption.

Adoption:

Central authority for adoption cases in Panama is the National Secretary of Children, Youth and Family under the Ministry of Social Development.

Adoption is possible for Panamanian and foreign adoptive parents and may be granted to married or common-law couples, opposite-sex couples or single adults who meet the requirements of the law.

Surrogacy:

Although surrogacy is available in Panama, there are no laws to support intended parents if something goes wrong.

Anyone pursuing reproductive assistance abroad should contact lawyers and clinics directly to confirm the current status in that country and any legal restrictions that might apply.

Refer to Children born outside of Canada.

Requirements for registration of birth in Panama.

A citizenship certificate is a document that proves your Canadian citizenship. To apply please visit Applying for a Canadian citizenship certificate from outside Canada and the United States

If you are required to submit a paper application, please mail it by courier to the following address:

Embassy of Canada to Panama
Attn: Consular Section
Torres de las Americas
Tower A, Floor 11
Punta Pacifica, Province of Panama
Republic of Panama

If you prefer to drop-off your application in person, you may leave it at the Embassy of Canada during our business hours Monday to Friday, from 9am - 12pm (excluding public holidays).

For any other enquiry email us at panam-consular@international.gc.ca.

All requests for certified criminal record checks from Canada must go through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada (RCMP). The C-216C RCMP fingerprinting form can be requested digitally at the Canadian Embassy in Panama at panam-consular@international.gc.ca .

The embassy/consulates of Canada have no control over the process and cannot answer questions or expedite the process.

Refer to Marriage outside Canada.

Foreigners can be married in Panama. Check all requirements and documentation.

The office provides the following notarial services, to Canadian citizens and in limited cases, to non-Canadian citizens, if the documents are intended for use in Canada. Note: Documents must be in English or French or accompanied by an official translation in English or French.

Appointments are available during office hours and may be requested online. If you have questions concerning a notarial service, send an email to panam-consular@international.gc.ca before booking the appointment.

Authentication/Attestation (certify the document signature, the position of an official and the seal are genuine):

• Documents issued in Canada; clients requiring information about authenticating documents while outside of Canada, refer to Authentication of documents to learn more on how to authenticate or apostille a document (fees apply). Please email us if you have any questions.
• Witness a signature on a Statement in lieu of certificate of non-impediment to marriage abroad form (fees apply).

Certified copy (certify the document is a true copy of the original):

• Documents presented by a Canadian citizen or a non-Canadian citizen for use in Canada; exceptions apply (fees apply).
• Government-issued identification requiring a certified true copy (fees apply).

Witness a signature (consular officer witnesses a signature):

• Documents presented by a Canadian citizen or a non-Canadian citizen for use in Canada; exceptions apply (fees apply).
• Government-issued identification requiring a witnessed signature (fees apply).

Note: Complete all documents before booking an appointment. Sign all documents in front of the consular officer.

Driver’s license information

Tourists visiting Panama may drive with a valid driver’s license from their home country for a period of 90 days. Legal residents must apply for a Panamanian driver’s license with Sertracen, which is the entity in charge of issuing local driver’s licenses.

To request a Panamanian driver’s license: Sertracen Panama has implemented a license certification form that can be completed online and then printed for submission at the Embassy of Canada.

This new process is designed to facilitate and expedite the procedure for both clients and the embassy.

The form is currently available in Spanish only on Sertracen’s website: The license holder must fill out the required information online, upload images of both sides of their Canadian license, and print the generated document, which will serve as the license certification.

This document must be presented at the embassy and signed in the presence of a consular officer.

The procedure at the embassy remains unchanged. You must:

• Book an appointment onlineto receive the service
• Present the original documents (your driver’s licence and passport) for verification.
• Pay the applicable fee of CA$50. Credit card authorization form (PDF)
• Take the signed document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Panama (in Spanish only) to certify the embassy’s signature. For more information, please call + 507 504-9392/511-4045/511-4046 or email them at autenticaciones@mire.gob.pa.
• If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

At the time of your visit, you will be required to take a vision and hearing test at the Sertracen office.

Additionally, you must provide:

• Panamanian residency documents
• original and valid passport
• original and valid Canadian driver’s licence
• authenticated driver license certification form document
• a proof of blood type
  • Get your proof of blood type by checking the list of authorized laboratories

Once you have all the requirements, proceed with applying for a Panamanian license by following the steps on the Sertracen website.

You can pay online for all your passport services before completing your passport application.

Book an appointment online to present your documents in person. If you have any additional questions, send us an email at panam-consular@international.gc.ca .

Refer to Benefits for Canadians living abroad and Retiring abroad.

Panamanian law does not allow same-sex marriages

Refer to Students and youth and EduCanada.

Refer to Travel documents – Visas.

• Apply to travel, study, work or immigrate to Canada.
• Find a visa application centre (VAC) to book an appointment to give your biometrics (fingerprints and photo).
• Submit an enquiry using the IRCC web form to contact a visa office.

Permanent residents of Canada: Find out how to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD).

Refer to Voting in an election while outside Canada.