One couple of 60-somethings has been planning for an eventual relocation to Panama for years. They have their pensionado visas… They know they want to settle at the beach, probably in Coronado…
Still, they’re living in the States.
“We’re here because it’s time to get serious,” they explained to me yesterday afternoon. “The writing is on the wall back home. It’s time, finally, to make this move…”
A couple of 80-somethings is enthusiastically embracing their brand-new idea of a Panama adventure, hoping to make their move much sooner rather than later…
“Kathleen, which is the best cell phone service to sign up with? We plan to travel across the country following the conference–to Boquete, Las Tablas, and all over the Azuero Peninsula. Which service will give us the best coverage outside Panama City?”
(The answer is Movistar.)
“Kathleen, I’m making this move. I’m scared to death, but I don’t care. I’m doing it. Only I can’t come on my own,” the woman explained. “I’ve got to bring my dogs with me. Will that be a problem?”
(No, not at all. No quarantine required.)
“Kathleen, my plan is to move to Panama to start a business. I’ve been in real estate in the States for almost 30 years. Everyone I ask here says that real estate is a great business to get into in Panama, and I guess it’d be the sensible thing for me to pursue, given my experience. But I want a change at this point in my life. Could you suggest other businesses that you think would make sense for a single woman to launch on her own in Panama City?”
(This is the best place in the world to launch an e-business.)
“Kathleen, I’m here to confirm my own plan for moving to Panama and to begin making a plan for my son to follow me when he finishes college in a couple of years. The job market for young graduates is getting tougher and tougher back in the States…”
(Great idea. Panama right now is a land of business opportunity.)
“Kathleen, we’re already living in Panama, in Panama City. But we’re considering a move. I’ve dreamt my whole life of living at the beach, so we’re investigating the idea of moving from the city to Coronado. We think it’s the best beach option for us–with all amenities and services, a welcoming expat community, and very near the big city…”
“Kathleen, should we bring our car with us?”
(Probably not.)
“Kathleen, we’re many years away from receiving Social Security, so we wouldn’t qualify for the pensionado visa. What other visa options do we have?”
(In all, Panama offers about a dozen different options for establishing foreign residency. The most interesting for someone who doesn’t qualify for pensionado status are the Reforestation Visa, the Person of Means Visa, and the Business Investor Visa. Our Panama attorney detailed the particulars of each one for all those assembled.)
Kathleen Peddicord
