# Moving to Panamá — Official Task Guide > Maintained by Relokato (relokato.com/panama) > Generated: 2026-08-30 · Not legal or immigration advice --- ## Immigration & Visa ### Obtain a national police clearance certificate and have it apostilled Panama requires evidence of a clean criminal record. Each country designates its own police-certificate authority and its own Hague apostille authority — use the Hague Conference list to find both… **Source:** Hague Conference — Apostille Authorities by Country — ### Apostille your birth certificate and marriage certificate (if applicable) Civil-status documents filed with Migración must carry an apostille from the issuing country's designated authority. Documents not in Spanish must be accompanied by a translation from a traductor… **Source:** Hague Conference — Apostille Authorities by Country — ### Hire a Panamanian immigration attorney Residency applications in Panama are filed through a licensed Panamanian attorney. This applies to every residence category, not one route in particular: the petition is made mediante apoderado… **Source:** Panamá Digital — Solicitud de residencia (jubilado y pensionado) — ## Financial ### Register with the DGI if you will be self-employed or running a business in Panama For a natural person the RUC (Registro Único del Contribuyente) is the cédula number itself — there is no separate number to obtain once you hold a cédula. A foreigner who does not have a cédula is… **Source:** DGI — Registro de RUC, persona natural — ## Post-Arrival ### Enrol in STEP so the US Embassy in Panama can reach you in an emergency The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is the US State Department's registration scheme for citizens living abroad. Enrolling lets the embassy send you security and weather alerts and contact… **Source:** US Department of State — Smart Traveler Enrollment Program — ### Homologate your foreign driving licence once your residence card is issued The 90-day figure often quoted for foreign licences is a tourist allowance, not a residency clock: once you take up residence, the expectation is that you homologate on receiving your card rather… **Source:** Sertracen — Homologación de licencia (ATTT concessionaire) — --- ## About this guide Relokato maintains official-source relocation task lists for people moving abroad without corporate HR support. Every task in this guide links to the government or institutional source it came from. This is not legal, immigration, tax, or professional advice. Verify all requirements with official authorities or a licensed professional before acting. **Tools:** [Visa checker](https://relokato.com/tools/visa-checker) · [Cost calculator](https://relokato.com/tools/cost-calculator) © 2026 Goldmark Digital LLC d/b/a Relokato