FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT DOCUMENTATION IS
REQUIRED FOR TRAVEL TO PANAMA?
A passport is about all you need.
Citizens of most countries are not required to have travel visa's. It
might be a good idea to check with your consulate if your are in doubt.
Your airline will sell you a tourist card when you check in.
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WHAT CREDIT CARDS ARE
ACCEPTED?
Visa, American Express and Mastercard
are accepted in most tourist areas. You will need one to rent a car. You
should carry some cash when visiting outlying areas.
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CAN TRAVELERS CHECKS BE
USED?
Yes, but be careful. While most banks
will cash them, many merchants will not accept them. If you carry
travelers checks, those issued by American Express, Visa or Master Card
seem to be the most accepted. Most banks and hotels charge a fee for
cashing Travelers Checks.
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IS THERE A DEPARTURE TAX?
Yes! The departure tax is $20 per
person, regardless of age.
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WHAT IS THE OFFICAL CURRENCY
AND EXCHANGE RATE?
The official currency is the Balboa at
an exchange rate of 1-1 with the US dollar. Panama does not print paper
money and the US dollar is used regularly. Panamanian coins are exactly
the size of the U.S. coins of the same value and are used interchangably
in vending machines, toll booths etc.
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WHAT IS THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE?
Temperatures vary between 80 and 90
degrees Fahrenheit.
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HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP?
Check your bill to see if the tip is
included. A normal tip is 10 -15%
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WHAT TIME ZONE IS PANAMA IN?
Panama is in the same time zone as the
Eastern United States and does not observe daylight savings time.
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WHAT IS THE EHNIC MAKEUP OF
PANAMA?
According to IPAT the country's
population is 63% Mestizo, 14% African Decent, 10% Spanish Decent, 5%
Mulatto and 5% Indian.
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WHAT LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN IN
PANAMA?
Spanish, Of Course! Though it is
usually not difficult to find someone who speaks English, especially in
tourist areas.
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WHAT KIND OF HEALTH CARE IS
AVAILABLE IN PANAMA?
Panama offers great medical care and
modern hospitals in the metro areas. Please be advised that Panama is a
big country and in the more isolated parts you can be a long way from
medical care.
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