Is a visa required for Cruise ship passengers?

[magamaga]

Dear Sir,

We are going on a 10 day Panama Canal cruise on 11/20/07. I am a US citizen with a passport. I invited my father (85 yrs old) to join us, he is a filipino citizen with a Philippine passport. Does he still need a visa, we are staying in the port less than 24 hrs. Our cruise starts and ends at Florida, USA. Please give me some info on this. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Marilene Zuniga

[magamaga]

The answer to your question is that he can disembark at the port but if he wishes to enter Panama, he is going to need a visa to go thru immigration. This information comes to me as a direct answer from personnel at the consulate here in Houston. I would still consult with the Cruise line company you will be traveling with to inquire because they may have a special agreement in place to allow passengers to visit malls or other places in Panama.

Regards




Dear Sir,

We are going on a 10 day Panama Canal cruise on 11/20/07. I am a US citizen with a passport. I invited my father (85 yrs old) to join us, he is a filipino citizen with a Philippine passport. Does he still need a visa, we are staying in the port less than 24 hrs. Our cruise starts and ends at Florida, USA. Please give me some info on this. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Marilene Zuniga

[bcpong]

Hi,
I am travelling with friends on a cruise ship who are Taiwan and Thailand citizens. We will be arriving in Colon on cruise ship from Florida and will be in Panama for less than 10 hours. Was wondering if they will need visas? The previous answer suggests that they will need visa's if they enter Panama. Does this include cruise tours to Panama City? Thanks for any help

~Brian

[magamaga]

Sorry about the delay in answering. Neither one will have problems entering Panama. Upon arrival at the port they will have to buy a tourist card which will let them enter the country.

Happy Voyage!

[sakena]

i will be traveling to panama on a cruise ship to panama for 10 hrs the problem is i am a resident of barbados but have a indian passport do i need visa to go to panama.plz reply as soon as possible.

[magamaga]

i will be traveling to panama on a cruise ship to panama for 10 hrs the problem is i am a resident of barbados but have a indian passport do i need visa to go to panama.plz reply as soon as possible.



Since you are a citizen of India and not Barbados, you will require an authorized visa from your closest consulate or embassy. The following are the requirements to get it:

Authorized visa
http://www.conpahouston.com/imagenes/spacer.gifhttp://www.conpahouston.com/imagenes/spacer.gif
1. Request authorized visa thirty (30) days before traveling to Panama
2. Complete the enclosed form (See attach below)
3. Present valid passport
4. Present bank/financial statement
5. Show letter/affidavit of person who will sponsor/represent you while in Panama
6. Copy of itinerary (We recommend not to buy the ticket until getting the authorization)
7. One (1) photograph
8. Copy of identification card from country of birth/residence
9. International Western Union Money Order(no others accepted) issued to "Consulate General of Panama"
Download the document "Authorized Visa and application form" http://www.conpahouston.com/imagenes/winword.jpg (http://www.conpahouston.com/documents/authorizedvisa.doc)


Regards.

[sakena]

so even though i am a cruise ship passenger and will be leaving with the cruise i still need visa .thanks you for your co-operation and where could i get the visa from could u plz tell me and the payment will be how much.

[magamaga]

so even though i am a cruise ship passenger and will be leaving with the cruise i still need visa .thanks you for your co-operation and where could i get the visa from could u plz tell me and the payment will be how much.


To get the prices and get the process going please call 713-622-4451.

[magamaga]

To get the prices and get the process going please call 713-622-4451.


What matters when traveling to other countries is where you are a citizen from. Even though you are a resident of Barbados that is not the same a citizen of the country. Since you need a passport to cross country bondaries, what matters is what country you are a citizen of.

[jewlz]

I have friends who hold Bulgarian passports and will be cruising to the Panama Canal. Will they need a visa for a one day stop in Panama?

Thanks so much!

[jewlz]

I have friends who hold Bulgarian passports and will be cruising to the Panama Canal. Will they need a visa for a one day stop in Panama?

Thanks so much!

[magamaga]

Bulgarians need an authorized visa. If the Bulgarian has a "US green card" the process of getting could be expedited to 15 days but if not, then granting the visa may take more than 30-45 days.




I have friends who hold Bulgarian passports and will be cruising to the Panama Canal. Will they need a visa for a one day stop in Panama?

Thanks so much!

[veman]

i will be traveling to panama on a cruise ship to panama for 10 hrs the problem is i am a resident of barbados but have a indian passport do i need visa to go to panama.plz reply as soon as possible.

Hi, I have an Indian passport with a b1/b2 USA visa, and planning on taking a panama canal cruise from florida. The cruise is for Aruba, Jamaica, Panama and Costa Rica. 10 days in all. Do I need to take a visa for all these countries? Please advise. Thank you.

[Leo]

I actually do not know about a visa for all of the other countries but as far as Panama, because you have a US work visa you can go to the consulate and obtain your visa there without waiting for an authorized visa to be approved in Panama. This special case also applies to people with Indian passports that are residents of the United States.
Your visa will cost $85 US.

Hi, I have an Indian passport with a b1/b2 USA visa, and planning on taking a panama canal cruise from florida. The cruise is for Aruba, Jamaica, Panama and Costa Rica. 10 days in all. Do I need to take a visa for all these countries? Please advise. Thank you.

[Clavius]

I heard that as of July 2009, Panama no longer requires a stamped tourist visa for U.S. green card holders (i.e. legal residents of the U.S.).

Is this correct? Green card holders can enter Panama with only a tourist card? If so, are the cruise companies aware of this change?

[Leo]

Indeed it is true.



Nuevas reglas para visas

Personas con nacionalidad restringida y que tienen visa de Estados Unidos, Canadá, Australia o la Unión Europea, podrán entrar al país con visa de turista. Así lo ordenó el Consejo de Gabinete.

Eliana Morales Gil
emorales@prensa.com (emorales@prensa.com)
Ciudadanos de países como China, Emiratos Árabes, Filipinas, India, Bulgaria, Angola, Camerún, Zimbawe, entre otros, y que tengan visa emitida por Estados Unidos, Canadá, Australia y la Unión Europea, podrán entrar al país con visa de turista.
Estas personas, que anteriormente entraban a Panamá con una visa autorizada –requiere el consentimiento del Consejo de Seguridad Pública y Defensa Nacional, y cuyo trámite puede durar hasta seis meses–, podrán tramitar su visita al país con 48 horas de anticipación. Tampoco tendrán que pagar los honorarios a los abogados que en estos casos pueden ser de mil 500 dólares.
Así lo aprobó el presidente, Ricardo Martinelli, en su tercer Consejo de Gabinete, efectuado el pasado martes en la noche. “El interesado deberá gestionar su visa en calidad de turista ante el consulado panameño acreditado en el país en el que se halle, con un mínimo de 48 horas de antelación a la fecha de entrada al territorio nacional”, asegura un comunicado de la Secretaría de Comunicación del Estado.
La directora de la Autoridad Nacional de Migración, María Cristina González, explicó que con esta medida se pretende facilitar la entrada al país a ejecutivos y empresarios extranjeros de esas nacionalidades.
González dijo que mensualmente entran al país entre 100 y 200 personas con este perfil, provenientes de estos países.
Marta López de Martin, presidenta del Colegio Nacional de Abogados, aplaudió la medida porque ayuda a fortalecer la inversión extranjera en el país, pero sugirió que se tomen las correspondientes medidas de seguridad para que entren las personas que deben.
Juan Carlos Araúz, abogado que atiende casos de migración, dijo que es una medida que beneficia la llegada de inversionistas y “desmitifica el tema de las visas autorizadas”.


I heard that as of July 2009, Panama no longer requires a stamped tourist visa for U.S. green card holders (i.e. legal residents of the U.S.).

Is this correct? Green card holders can enter Panama with only a tourist card? If so, are the cruise companies aware of this change?

[Clavius]

Thanks Leo for posting the actual text of the new law!

[magamaga]

Thanks Leo for posting the actual text of the new law!


You're welcome. Spread the word to your friends.

[Extraordinary]

Where and how can you get the new tourist cards? Do you get it from the consulate or do you get it in the airport when you arrived in Panama?

Thanks

[magamaga]

Yes, you obtain the visa from the consulate.