Any recent experience with US Passport revewal in Panama?

[Barbara Oakley]

According to the website of the US Embassy in Panama City, renewing a passport is pretty straightforward and easy. Has anyone had any recent experience renewing their passport?Many thanks for any advice. Barbara

[Barbara Oakley]

Thanks so very much for the information. This is great!

[Dennis Nutting]

It is straight forward and simple process. If you have time to wait you can process for the replacement at one of their visits to David/Boquete -- they just had one a week or so ago. Take your completed application form, copy of your current passport and passport photos and the correct fee to get a new passport. When the passport is received in Panama City they will email you and you can send yours to them in a DHL envelope along with a prepaid envelope for them to send you your new passport and the canceled old one. 

[Debbie Wilson]

We did it in September. The hardest part was finding a place to have acceptable photos taken, but I understand there is a place at the bus terminal in David that does it.

Make appointment online, go to embassy in Panama City with form completed, expiring passport, photos, and fee (they do take credit cards at the embassy). They will email you when the new passport arrives (ours were done in about a week). To avoid a second trip to the city, take your expiring passport to the DHL office in David with a letter authorizing them to return via airbill enclosed, tell the DHL attendant to include a return airbill and pay the fee. DHL will let you know when the passports arrive, but you can also track it with the info they give you. That cost about $16 for both ways. I think MBE in Boquete can also do this but we used DHL at the recommendation of the embassy.

Pretty simple. I suggest keeping a copy of your expiring passport when you put it in the DHL package, just in case.

[Judy Sacco]

You can get the right size photos at Arrocha, upstairs in the back.