Guides

In short: Air conditioning maintenance in stores and supermarkets in Panama has no frequency set by law: operating hours, surroundings and how critical each unit is decide it. The US Department of Energy's operations and maintenance guide estimates that a preventive program saves 12% to 18% over waiting for equipment to fail. To cut the power bill without losing comfort, clean filters and coils, sensible schedules and well-set thermostats count for more than new equipment. In the contract, what matters is having in writing what gets checked and which report is delivered. Last verified: 21 October 2026. Every figure links…

In short: An office air conditioner smells damp almost always because of standing water or damp dirt in the condensate pan, the coil, the filters or the ducts. The EPA recommends keeping relative humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% and 50%, and HVAC drip pans clean and unobstructed. The office can check accessible filters, leaks and humidity with a hygrometer without opening the unit. If the smell persists, a technician is the next step. Last verified: 20 October 2026. Every fact links to its official source. Contents of this guide Common causes Symptom, cause and next step Recommended humidity What…

In short: According to the inspection table in NFPA 96, a commercial kitchen exhaust system is inspected monthly for solid fuel cooking, quarterly for high-volume cooking, every six months for moderate volume and once a year for low volume. Cleaning follows when the inspection finds grease buildup, not a fixed calendar. No published Panamanian rule adopting that table for hoods was found, so it works as an international technical reference and not as a confirmed legal duty. Each restaurant should set its frequency by what it cooks and how many hours it operates. Last verified: 20 October 2026. Every figure…

In short: Predictive maintenance decides when to act based on the measured condition of each unit, not on the calendar. The US Department of Energy's operations and maintenance guide defines it as measurements that detect the onset of degradation and estimates savings of 8% to 12% over a preventive-only program. In a hotel, that means tracking a few variables per unit, such as temperatures, current, pressures and drain status, and watching room humidity. The starting point is an organized equipment inventory with history. Last verified: 20 October 2026. Every figure links to its official source. Contents of this guide Corrective,…

In short: A foreigner who will study full time in Panama needs the temporary permit for education reasons issued by the National Immigration Service (SNM), often called a student visa. It is granted for one year and can be extended up to six, according to Executive Decree 3 of 2026. While it is in force, working is prohibited, except for the professional practice and internships that the school requires. Anyone who accumulates more than six years of study can move to a permanent residence subcategory created in February 2026. Last verified: 19 October 2026. Every fact links to its official…

In short: Panama's economic substance law is Law 526 of May 28, 2026. It reaches Panamanian entities that belong to a multinational group and earn foreign-source passive income. It applies from the 2027 fiscal period. An entity that shows staff, premises, decision-making and spending in Panama keeps that income outside the tax base; one that does not pays 15% on net income. An offshore company that is not part of a multinational group falls outside the scope the text defines. Last verified: 19 October 2026. Every fact links to its official source. Contents What it is and who it reaches…

In short: A foreign employee of a company holding a Multinational Headquarters (SEM) license does not apply for a separate work permit: Law 41 of 2007 created the Permanent Personnel Visa, processed at the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI), which gives the right to work and live in Panama. The ID card lasts five years and can be renewed for the same period, unless the contract sets a shorter term. Family members have their own dependent visa. Last verified: 19 October 2026. Every fact links to its official source. Contents of this guide Which permit applies and who qualifies…

In short: The professional residence permit is a category of Panama's National Immigration Service for foreigners who hold a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, as long as the profession is not reserved to Panamanians by the Constitution or by law. The official form asks for the usual immigration documents, the degree apostilled or authenticated and, for a foreign degree, a homologation certificate. A provisional permit comes first, and the permanent one can be requested afterwards. Professions with their own law, such as engineering, architecture or health, also require their own licence. Last verified: 19 October 2026. Every fact links to…

In short: A person or company in Mexico can open an account at a Panamanian bank without living in Panama: for a foreigner, the banking rule treats the passport as the identity document. Being Mexican does not change the right to open one, but it shapes the file behind the profile: tax number, proof of income, origin of funds and, for a company, its incorporation and beneficial owner. Apostille is not in the rule, although each bank decides which foreign documents it wants apostilled. The final decision is always the bank's. Last verified: 19 October 2026. Each fact links to…

In short: Panama's Law 32 of 1927 requires a Board of Directors of at least three adults and a president, a secretary and a treasurer elected by that board. Directors do not have to be shareholders, and the law sets no nationality or residence for them. One person can hold several officer posts if the articles of incorporation or bylaws allow it, but the three directors must be different people. Liability toward creditors appears in article 64 and is limited to specific cases. Last verified: 19 October 2026. Every fact links to its official source. Contents of this guide How…

In short: Updated in October 2026. There is no single figure for how much electricity a business's air conditioning uses: it depends on equipment power, hours of use and condition. There is one weighty reference, though: according to a 2017 La Prensa report citing Panama's Energy Secretariat, air conditioners account for 42% of electricity demand in the commercial sector. According to the sources cited here, what raises the bill most is dirty or neglected equipment: dirty condensers and coils, filters left unchanged and maintenance only when something breaks. Contents of this guide How much air conditioning weighs in a business…