There is a process for renewing your passport if you are outside the US. Here in Panama you can either go to the US embassy in Panama City or DHL your documents there. Since we are on the other side of the country we chose the latter.
As with most things here, it’s a process with steps, some forward, some backward, but it all gets done eventually.
First there is a form to fill out on the embassy website which you then print, attach your picture, sign, and date. Of course to print something you need a printer with ink. One day we were at Pricesmart and voila! The printer cartridges we needed. Sometimes this simple quest involves multiple stores so finding them quickly and unexpectedly was a good start.
Next, pictures. We went to Arrocha, got the pictures taken, went downstairs to the cashier to pay for them, and back up to pick them up. This is typical in Panama. All the money is handled in one spot so you pay there and then go back to pick up your item (which is often unboxed, inspected, and tested before it’s handed to you. No returns wanted.)
We go home to attach the 2”x2” pictures to find they are 1/2 inch too narrow. *sigh*. I don’t want to risk our applications being rejected so we go back the next day for more pictures, carefully explaining the requirements and leave with the right size pictures. Thank goodness I carefully reread the requirements because Joel needed to remove his glasses, which he hadn’t done in the first picture because his current passport has a photo of him with glasses.
Ok, pictures done, stapled to the form as instructed. Next step, cashiers checks for $110. The website says you need a “cheque certificado”. Our bank (Scotiabank) offers “cheque de gerencia”. Is this the same? Who knows and I didn’t want to risk sending the wrong thing. It’s about 12:15 Friday when I call the embassy to learn they close at noon on Fridays *sigh*.
Monday I call the embassy again to learn they only talk to people Mon-Thurs, 3-4:30, and Fridays 10:30-12. I call after 3, use the menu to get to citizen services, use that menu to get to what I think is the right thing but it takes me back to the menu and ends the call after going through it again. There are detailed instructions for various things throughout the call, recommendations to go to the website for info, etc so this whole process took about 10 minutes. I try again ignoring the second menu and at the end is a ringing phone! The guy who answered connected me with passport services, and that lady told me the cheque de gerencia is the same thing and will do just fine.
This morning we went back to the bank, waited in line, made it to the teller who spoke English. When you are trying to do something you don’t do every day and don’t have all the necessary vocabulary, this is so nice. I have much empathy for people in the US struggling to learn English, and know the pleasure you feel when someone speaks your language. I will never ever resent “push 2 for Spanish”.
Anyway, I digress. I had already found the necessary forms and filled them out, and approached the teller with forms and cash in hand. Cash will not do. I had to deposit the cash in my account and then he wrote the checks on the account. He said you can’t get these checks without having an account. I wonder what people do who don’t have a Panamanian bank account.
Anyway, there was a fair amount of standing around, him typing and checking things on his screen, and finally unlocking a drawer that had the locked box that contained the blank checks ready for the printer. He printed the checks, had me look at them to be sure all was correct, and then sent me to sit and wait until a supervisor was available to sign them. Then I was called back to the teller where I had to sign, date and put my cédula number (Panamanian ID) on copies of the checks. Then finally I was given the checks and all was finished.
All right! Making progress! Now it’s time to find DHL. Thank goodness for google maps which navigated us through downtown traffic and to the office. The gal there had obviously done this many times and was super professional. Ahh, embassy, and they need to be sent back, right? Ok, $24.40, $12.20 to send, $12.20 to return. She must have had the address on file all ready to print, and processed all the forms and labels and packaging like she had done it a hundred times. We left with instructions and tracking numbers in hand.
Yay! Done! We came home, I visit my neighbor… tell her we did the passport thing, the forms, the pictures, the checks, sent them.., OMG OMG we didn’t SIGN the forms!!! We need to go back RIGHT NOW! What was I thinking, or not thinking. I called DHL, no problems, nothing had been sent, she will wait for us. We go back, she open the package, we get our documents out, SIGN them, and NOW it is done! Whew
If all goes according to plan we should have our new passports in 2-3 weeks. This should be plenty of time for my planned late March trip to the US. I’ll be glad when they get here though. You have to send your old passport in with your application and it feels strange not to have a passport.
Meanwhile the printer has ink so I can make business cards for the band and for myself. Yay 😁 I have also been busy setting up a band mailing list and presence on twitter and Instagram. No more “I didn’t know you were playing”!
No excuses now. Come out and we will wake up that monkey nerve that makes you get up and dance!
The Panama Adventure 
Hey Kris, if I go to the embassy in Panama can I get my new passport the same day
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No, they are printed in the US and sent down here. I think it takes a couple weeks.
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https://pa.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/renewal-adults-walk/
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And can I pay cash
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I think so but check the embassy website to be sure. Oh, and you need an appointment too.
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Just follow the link above that Kris put on David…. if you meet requirements for walk in you don’t need an appointment… just fill in application, bring it in with your passport and required photo (they also have a place for photos there) and you can pay with cash or credit card. Walk-ins for renewal are as stated in above link … between 10-12 Monday thru Thursday….. I just went last week…
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Did you go back later to pick up your passport, and how long did it take? Thanks for the info 🙂
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passport didn’t come in yet…. they will send an email when it does… she said about 10 days or so….it’s been 9…. we can go pick it up…or send by DHL or have someone else pick it up… we will probably go… last time we did it (10 yrs ago) it took about 5 days…. will let you know when I get notified…
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Ok, thanks 😊
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Thanks for the info Kris
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I have put a note to file. Get my passport renewal done while in Canada. Still thanks for the interesting story.
Nick
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I imagine it’s a similar process for you all
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Ha! Thanks for paving my way through this soon! See you in about 2 weeks!
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I’ll post again when we get our passports to see if they arrive in the expected time. See you soon!
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The USA is one of the few countries that requires square photos. If your passport is expired and you are in an emergency situation to travel to the USA, you can apply in person at the embassy in PC for a so called one time temporary passport in person. It will be issues the same day. Make an appointment first.
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Good to know! Thanks
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Hola Kris,
I know how “circular” most processes are in Panama. Your description had me ROFL as I relived some of my past encounters with “the system”.
One reminder, if you have anything official tied to your present passport number, get it updated when the new passports arrive. Could save a gotcha later. TIP.
My SIL here discovered her Panamanian passport had expired! We contacted the embassy in Houston, first on the phone, then emails, did up a form, got some photos, made a payment online and they sent a one time travel letter so she could travel. Once there, she got the passport renewed. The Panamanian embassy here seems a bit more responsive than the US one there, at least in this case?
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Yes! I have a cédula so I’ve been updating my info at various places but I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few. Even things like reward points at the supermarket use your passport or cédula number for ID.
Thankfully we don’t have to do this again for another 10 years, but I’m sure there will be something else. Such is life
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Check also at Scotiabank to update your registered ID.
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Yep 👍
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Kriss this has nothing to do with your recent post and not sure how to contact you this computer is smarter then me but, I took a bus yesterday from David to Boca or almirantie to go to Boca Del Toro but when we were about 10 miles from getting to the water taxi to bring us to BDT protestors had cut down trees and dropped them across the road so no one could get by so they told us we had to walk well with two suitcases weighing in about 80 pounds, we started but first I have to tell you just one month ago that I had 2 stints put in my heart so after a hill that looked like straight up I couldn’t go any farther a couple from Germany flagged down a firemen in a van and they picked me up and took me to the water taxi thank God they did I wouldn’t of made it any farther, I know the protesters were up set but they don’t need to take it out on tourist we have done anything to them besides bring money into their country leave here on the 22nd but I am worried they wil do this again and what if the fireman aren’t there I am going to die way to far out of shape and my heart can not take it so do you know of a safe way for me to get from BDT to David please help me out thank you
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There is an email address to contact me in the menu on the right. Sorry you got jammed up in a protest. They tend to shut down roads where there is no other way through for maximum disruption. The only other way out of Bocas is to fly to Panama City.
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