A Great Panama City Taxi Driver

I used him exclusively for two years for all of my immigration and drivers license needs as well as numerous times with friends as a tour guide. He was great until the last two times I attempted to use him for airport pickups and he was a no show both times. I tried to use him for a Tocumen airport pickup a third time in July but he didn't respond to any emails. I heard from two friends here in Boquete that he was a no show for them as well. I also heard from a friend that he took on a full time job.

I've been using Luis Arce.

Luis Arce:

https://boquete.ning.com/group/boquete-s-business-rolodex/forum/topi...

Sergio:

https://boquete.ning.com/group/boquete-s-business-rolodex/forum/topi...

Catherine Joy on April 23, 2014 We use a driver in P. City called Luis Arce, he is brilliant! He speaks really good English and can pick you up at th…

Cynthia, I agree - Sergio is a really nice young man who knows his stuff.

Here's a re-posting of the summary I did of my experience in the mid-2012 in getting my Panama drivers license. My experiences here with the bureaucracy, drivers, and my lawyers here in Panama have all been excellent.

Of course, you can do the license process here in David if you go to an embassy assistance day for the notarizing of your U.S. drivers license, but at the time, I just wanted to get it all done in one day and get it over with - and luxury bus trips to Panama City are cheap. (I recently made another trip to P.C. to get my e-cedula, but I didn't need Sergio, because the Tribunal Electoral (not immigration) where you go to meet your attorney and finalize the cedula is within sight of Allbrook Mall/Bus Terminal - and a short, but corkscrew $5 taxi ride over a weird and complicated maze of interconnected expressway interchanges.)

========================================

Obtaining a Panama Driver's License (American example) - Overview:

Tourists visiting Panama may drive with a valid driver’s license from their home country for a period of 90 days, after which they must do a leave the country and come back in, at the least a "border hop" into Costa Rica and back. Panama residents - including those who obtain a Pensionado visa - must get a Panamanian driver’s license, because residents cannot drive with a foreign license like a tourist. Of course, the Panama license eliminates the border exit/entry requirement.

Procedure:

Make an appointment online (appointment s are mandatory) with the U.S. Embassy. Bring your valid driver’s license to the American Citizen Services (ACS) section and request an affidavit. A standard form is available at the ACS Unit. The fee for this notarial service is $50.
Take your valid U.S. license and notarized documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for certification. The MFA is located at: Plaza Sun Tower on Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto) by the National Bank of Panama. Telephone number: 511-4045 or 511-4046.
Obtain proof of your blood type, if your driver’s license does not include that information. You must visit a lab certified by ATTT .
Bring your residency documents, passport, valid license, notarized documents and proof of blood type to a SERTRACEN service center (which I call the Panama DMV).

Note: People age 70 and above must also obtain a certificate of good physical and mental health, and also, I was told, an EKG (which, it turns out, was not asked for by the Panama DMV when I went through their process). I went to Chiriqui Hospital on a Friday afternoon the week before my trip to Panama City on a Tuesday to go through the process of getting my Panama driver's license.

EKG: I went to the emergency room, where the EKG's are done, and told them I needed one for my Panama Driver's license. It was completed within 1/2 hour in spite of the crowd in the E.R. There was a 24 hour wait to pick up the report after the cardiologist had read the EKG and completed a cursory report, so I had to go back to David the next day to pick it up. Total cost: $19.97

Certificate of Good Physical and Mental Health: After the EKG was done, and a struggle with asking for help in English, I walked to the office of a geriatric physician down the hall (I forget his name). With my usual chatty demeanor, I struggled to communicate with the young woman in the reception area for the office of the geriatric/internal medicine. She called an interpreter on the phone for assistance, and I spoke to another woman who assisted me with absolutely perfect English and no accent. I then gave the receptionist my new temporary Pensionado carnet and my passport, and she went into the doctor's office. 15 minutes and $40 later I had my letter/certificate. I assume that the doctor know that I had gotten a physical health certificate for my Pensionado card, and probably asked the receptionist/admin whether I seemed to be alert and not exhibiting signs of mental problems or dementia - and I obviously passed the test! (You have to get a new D.L. when you get your permanent Pensionado Visa, and then again when you get a cedula, and every two years thereafter if you are over 70 y/o.)

Going to Panama City and getting the license:

Midnight express bus - big and comfortable - from David to Allbrook Terminal (6 hours, $12 jubilado fare)
7:15 - Meet driver/facilitator/translator (Sergio Gonzales) at Allbrook bus terminal. Sergio would accompany me everywhere to facilitate/translate for all the steps of the process - except at the U.S. Embassy Consular Affairs office. (His fee is currently !$10 per hour - well worth it!)
8:15 - Arrive at big U.S. Embassy compound, Sergio parks outside and I do the long walk up the gentle hill to the department of Consular Affairs where I get my U.S. (California) driver's license notarized for $50 at the American Citizen's Affairs window.
10:00 - Arrive at the Panama Ministry of Foreign Affairs office for U.S. drivers license certification - $40
Go downstairs to bank, go to the head of line as a Jubilado, buy stamps for $4 and take them back upstairs. Then go do something for three hours while I waited for this to be completed.
Sergio drives me to the Allbrook Medical Laboratory for a quick "finger-stick" blood test to determine blood type. Regular price is $15, I got the jubilado price of $5.95.
Then Sergio takes me on a tour up to Ancon Hill which offers a magnificent view of the Panama Canal and the city, and displays his excellent knowledge of Panama and it's history.
Then it was to Manolo's Restaurante at the Allbrook Mall for lunch - my treat for Sergio for his outstanding services. I received a 25% jubilado discount on my meal!
1:15 - Back at the Panama Ministry of Foreign Affairs notary office to pick up completed certification papers.
1:45 - Arrive at the Panama "DMV" where I filled out the application, had my picture taken, and took the vision color vision and hearing tests. In spite of a "moderate" red-green color vision defect, I was able (barely) to pick out the red amber and green spots. They did not ask for my EKG, and a sign on the wall said the medical/mental health certificate had to be done by a geriatrics doctor OR internal medicine doctor.
Go to the head of line as a Jubilado at the cashier's payment window. (The young Panamanian man at the head of the regular line smiled and waved me forward when the window became available.)
3:00 - After about a 20 minute wait, I was handed my new Panama driver's license.

Note: Since I have a temporary Pensionado card, my new license will expire when that card does, so I will have to go back to the David DMV to get a new one when I get my "permanent" Pensionado card. I understand that this is a relatively simple process.

Summary/Impressions of the process: My total time from pickup at Allbrook Bus Terminal until I had my Panama Driver's license in hand was eight hours!! Total time from was 25 hours round trip. (Please note that I went to Panama City for this process on a Tuesday - and for unknown reasons, lines were short moved fairly quickly, and the waiting rooms were not jammed. Luck? Serendipity? God favors me? I don't know, but I was thankful. Careful planning and listening to the advice of others here at boquete.ning paid off.

Replies

Urban Bird :)) October 3, 2015 at 5:45pm

Hi David!! I'm sure your post will help a lot of people, whether or not they use Sergio. I'm not ready for a driver's license just yet, however will eventually need this info once I move next year. (Yup it's true!! :))

~Good Bye San Diego- I'm sorry to hear that he was a no-show for you. There was one time, when my bf's parents were visiting, that he cancelled with us. Sadly his father had just passed and he called to let us know, giving us plenty of time to make other arrangements. This was late July/Aug of 2014. Perhaps it was around that time that you had an issue. At the time we were quite impressed that under the circumstances he took the time to get in touch with us.
Good Morning Boquete October 3, 2015 at 10:06am

I used him exclusively for two years for all of my immigration and drivers license needs as well as numerous times with friends as a tour guide. He was great until the last two times I attempted to use him for airport pickups and he was a no show both times. I tried to use him for a Tocumen airport pickup a third time in July but he didn't respond to any emails. I heard from two friends here in Boquete that he was a no show for them as well. I also heard from a friend that he took on a full time job.

I've been using Luis Arce.

Luis Arce:

https://boquete.ning.com/group/boquete-s-business-rolodex/forum/topi...

Sergio:

https://boquete.ning.com/group/boquete-s-business-rolodex/forum/topi...

DRIVER PANAMA CITY - Luis Arce

Catherine Joy on April 23, 2014 We use a driver in P. City called Luis Arce, he is brilliant! He speaks really good English and can pick you up at th…
Urban Bird :)) October 2, 2015 at 9:57pm

I've used Sergio's services in the past. Very pleasant gentleman who is always on time (usually early) and has reasonable rates. Highly recommend!! :))
- David van Harn > Urban Bird :)) October 3, 2015 at 9:42am
  Cynthia, I agree - Sergio is a really nice young man who knows his stuff.
  
  Here's a re-posting of the summary I did of my experience in the mid-2012 in getting my Panama drivers license. My experiences here with the bureaucracy, drivers, and my lawyers here in Panama have all been excellent.
  
  Of course, you can do the license process here in David if you go to an embassy assistance day for the notarizing of your U.S. drivers license, but at the time, I just wanted to get it all done in one day and get it over with - and luxury bus trips to Panama City are cheap. (I recently made another trip to P.C. to get my e-cedula, but I didn't need Sergio, because the Tribunal Electoral (not immigration) where you go to meet your attorney and finalize the cedula is within sight of Allbrook Mall/Bus Terminal - and a short, but corkscrew $5 taxi ride over a weird and complicated maze of interconnected expressway interchanges.)
  
  ========================================
  
  Obtaining a Panama Driver's License (American example) - Overview:
  
  Tourists visiting Panama may drive with a valid driver’s license from their home country for a period of 90 days, after which they must do a leave the country and come back in, at the least a "border hop" into Costa Rica and back. Panama residents - including those who obtain a Pensionado visa - must get a Panamanian driver’s license, because residents cannot drive with a foreign license like a tourist. Of course, the Panama license eliminates the border exit/entry requirement.
  
  Procedure:
  
  Make an appointment online (appointment s are mandatory) with the U.S. Embassy. Bring your valid driver’s license to the American Citizen Services (ACS) section and request an affidavit. A standard form is available at the ACS Unit. The fee for this notarial service is $50.
  
  Take your valid U.S. license and notarized documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for certification. The MFA is located at: Plaza Sun Tower on Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto) by the National Bank of Panama. Telephone number: 511-4045 or 511-4046.
  
  Obtain proof of your blood type, if your driver’s license does not include that information. You must visit a lab certified by ATTT .
  
  Bring your residency documents, passport, valid license, notarized documents and proof of blood type to a SERTRACEN service center (which I call the Panama DMV).
  
  Note: People age 70 and above must also obtain a certificate of good physical and mental health, and also, I was told, an EKG (which, it turns out, was not asked for by the Panama DMV when I went through their process). I went to Chiriqui Hospital on a Friday afternoon the week before my trip to Panama City on a Tuesday to go through the process of getting my Panama driver's license.
  
  EKG: I went to the emergency room, where the EKG's are done, and told them I needed one for my Panama Driver's license. It was completed within 1/2 hour in spite of the crowd in the E.R. There was a 24 hour wait to pick up the report after the cardiologist had read the EKG and completed a cursory report, so I had to go back to David the next day to pick it up. Total cost: $19.97
  
  Certificate of Good Physical and Mental Health: After the EKG was done, and a struggle with asking for help in English, I walked to the office of a geriatric physician down the hall (I forget his name). With my usual chatty demeanor, I struggled to communicate with the young woman in the reception area for the office of the geriatric/internal medicine.   She called an interpreter on the phone for assistance, and I spoke to another woman who assisted me with absolutely perfect English and no accent. I then gave the receptionist my new temporary Pensionado carnet and my passport, and she went into the doctor's office. 15 minutes and $40 later I had my letter/certificate. I assume that the doctor know that I had gotten a physical health certificate for my Pensionado card, and probably asked the receptionist/admin whether I seemed to be alert and not exhibiting signs of mental problems or dementia - and I obviously passed the test! (You have to get a new D.L. when you get your permanent Pensionado Visa, and then again when you get a cedula, and every two years thereafter if you are over 70 y/o.)
  
  Going to Panama City and getting the license:
  
  Midnight express bus - big and comfortable - from David to Allbrook Terminal (6 hours, $12 jubilado fare)
  
  7:15 - Meet driver/facilitator/translator (Sergio Gonzales) at Allbrook bus terminal. Sergio would accompany me everywhere to facilitate/translate for all the steps of the process - except at the U.S. Embassy Consular Affairs office. (His fee is currently !$10 per hour - well worth it!)
  
  8:15 - Arrive at big U.S. Embassy compound, Sergio parks outside and I do the long walk up the gentle hill to the department of Consular Affairs where I get my U.S. (California) driver's license notarized for $50 at the American Citizen's Affairs window.
  
  10:00 - Arrive at the Panama Ministry of Foreign Affairs office for U.S. drivers license certification - $40
  
  Go downstairs to bank, go to the head of line as a Jubilado, buy stamps for $4 and take them back upstairs. Then go do something for three hours while I waited for this to be completed.
  
  Sergio drives me to the Allbrook Medical Laboratory for a quick "finger-stick" blood test to determine blood type. Regular price is $15, I got the jubilado price of $5.95.
  
  Then Sergio takes me on a tour up to Ancon Hill which offers a magnificent view of the Panama Canal and the city, and displays his excellent knowledge of Panama and it's history.
  
  Then it was to Manolo's Restaurante at the Allbrook Mall for lunch - my treat for Sergio for his outstanding services. I received a 25% jubilado discount on my meal!
  
  1:15 - Back at the Panama Ministry of Foreign Affairs notary office to pick up completed certification papers.
  
  1:45 - Arrive at the Panama "DMV" where I filled out the application, had my picture taken, and took the vision color vision and hearing tests. In spite of a "moderate" red-green color vision defect, I was able (barely) to pick out the red amber and green spots. They did not ask for my EKG, and a sign on the wall said the medical/mental health certificate had to be done by a geriatrics doctor OR internal medicine doctor.
  
  Go to the head of line as a Jubilado at the cashier's payment window. (The young Panamanian man at the head of the regular line smiled and waved me forward when the window became available.)
  
  3:00 - After about a 20 minute wait, I was handed my new Panama driver's license.
  
  Note: Since I have a temporary Pensionado card, my new license will expire when that card does, so I will have to go back to the David DMV to get a new one when I get my "permanent" Pensionado card. I understand that this is a relatively simple process.
  
  Summary/Impressions of the process: My total time from pickup at Allbrook Bus Terminal until I had my Panama Driver's license in hand was eight hours!! Total time from was 25 hours round trip. (Please note that I went to Panama City for this process on a Tuesday - and for unknown reasons, lines were short moved fairly quickly, and the waiting rooms were not jammed. Luck? Serendipity? God favors me? I don't know, but I was thankful. Careful planning and listening to the advice of others here at boquete.ning paid off.
  - Don Larsson > David van Harn October 3, 2015 at 9:54am
    
    When I received my Panama driver's license, Sergio took me to all the depatrments I needed and translated for me. I rented his taxi for the total service and it was well worth it!

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