How to get a Panamanian passport
You need to be Panamanian first. Panama’s Passport Authority issues the ordinary electronic passport only to Panamanian nationals, and it gives naturalized citizens the same passport as everyone else.
You apply in person at a Passport Authority office or at a Panamanian embassy or consulate, and the passport is valid for five years from the date of issue.
Who issues it
The Passport Authority of Panama is the only state body that issues, regulates and sets the rules for the use of the passport. The ordinary electronic passport is issued only to Panamanians, and the law draws no distinction between Panamanians by birth and naturalized Panamanians.
Source: Law 32 of 2013, which created the Passport Authority, articles 2 and 20
Where you apply and how long it takes
You apply in person, at a Passport Authority office or at a Panamanian embassy or consulate, with the documents the law requires and free of alterations. The passport is issued within business days, and within up to five business days when documents need checking.
If you are newly naturalized, you first register your carta de naturaleza with the Civil Registry and obtain your cédula.
Source: Law 32 of 2013, articles 26, 27 and 34; Decree-Law 3 of 2008, article 129
Five years, not ten
The law says the ordinary electronic passport is valid for five years counted from the date it is issued. The reforms of 2021 and 2025 did not change that article. Some sites say ten years; the law says five.
Source: Law 32 of 2013, article 28
A passport without citizenship
Foreigners do not receive the ordinary passport. The Passport Authority issues a special passport to retirees with a pension and to qualified investors and their dependents, which lasts as long as the residency permit and does not confer nationality.
Source: Law 32 of 2013, article 24, as amended by Law 493 of 2025
Questions people ask
Is the passport different for naturalized citizens?
No. The law issues the same ordinary passport to every Panamanian.
Can a foreign resident get a Panamanian passport?
Not the ordinary one. Retirees with a pension and qualified investors can receive a special passport that does not make them Panamanian.
Can I appeal if the Passport Authority refuses?
Yes. Its decisions follow Law 38 of 2000 on administrative procedure, and its board decides the appeal.
Can my passport be cancelled?
Among other causes, the Passport Authority can annul it if you expressly renounce Panamanian nationality and the Executive approves the renunciation.
What the law does not say
- The price of the ordinary passport. The Passport Authority’s board sets it by resolution, and we have not found the resolution in force.
- The full list of documents the Passport Authority asks for.
- Visa-free travel and passport rankings. They depend on other countries’ rules, not on Panamanian law.
Official sources
Thinking about Panamanian citizenship?
Book a free 15-minute call. We will tell you which route applies and when you can file.