Guides

In short: Supreme Storage has four mini storage branches in Panama City: Costa del Este (Ave. Marina del Norte), Paitilla (Calle Ramón H. Jurado), Vía Brasil (next to the IDAAN) and Bella Vista (Calle 41 Este). According to the company website, all of them offer climate-controlled facilities, 24-hour security, humidity and pest control, covered parking and the same sizes, from 2 m² to more than 100 m². The practical choice depends on proximity to home or office and on the hours. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide The four branches compared Costa del Este Paitilla Vía Brasil Bella…

In short: A startup deciding where to set up in Panama compares five things: the legal regime of the base, support for incubation, access to public funds, the community it will work with and the real state of the building. Panama has official sources for each point: Law 32 of 2011 and MICI for free zones, and SENACYT for incubation and non-reimbursable funds. Innovation Smart District (ISD) presents itself on its website as an ecosystem with a free zone license inside Green Valley Panamá. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide Five criteria to compare The layers of Panama’s…

In short: Filing a travel insurance claim starts before the claim itself: in an emergency, local emergency services are called first and the assistance center second. Then come keeping original invoices and medical reports, filing the claim and waiting for an answer. According to the ASSA Travel website, claims analysts respond within the following 10 days. If the insurer does not resolve it, there is a route through the Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance. Information read in October 2026. Contents of this guide The right order Before the trip During the emergency Afterwards: documents and claim If the claim is…

In short: In several residency routes, Panama's National Immigration Service first grants a two-year provisional permit and, once that period has passed, the foreigner can apply for permanent residency with the same requirements as the initial application, except the criminal record certificate and the cheques. The card is issued by Immigration, and the optional cédula E by the Electoral Tribunal. Official Immigration forms reviewed in October 2026; fees and requirements should be confirmed with the institution before filing. Contents of this guide From provisional to permanent: the two-year rule How long the provisional lasts by route Steps to apply for…

In short: Updated in October 2026. Climate control in a Panama restaurant splits into three systems: kitchen exhaust, refrigeration (walk-in coolers and cold rooms) and dining room air. According to the Climatiza website, any of the three can keep the restaurant from operating, and exhaust carries the most risk because grease built up in hoods and ducts makes fires easier to start and spread. The reference cleaning schedule comes from the international standard NFPA 96 and runs from monthly to yearly depending on cooking volume. Contents of this guide The three systems in a restaurant Kitchen exhaust: hood, filters and…

In short: A storage unit makes sense when there is a gap between two stages of a move: an apartment handed over unfurnished, a new house that is not ready yet, a renovation that forces rooms to be emptied, or leaving the country with an uncertain return. According to the Supreme Storage website, these are the cases its mini storage units are meant for, with contracts for individuals starting at one month. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide When a storage unit makes sense The most common cases Which size for which move How to organise the move…

In short: An office in a Panama free zone is not chosen on space alone. A company moving in needs its own free zone company license, which the National Free Zones Commission approves within a maximum of ninety days, and one of the application documents is a certification from the zone's promoter authorizing the installation (Law 32 of 2011, articles 26 and 27). Innovation Smart District (ISD) states on its website that it holds a free zone license and that its first building, Marie Curie, offers space to create and work. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide What…

In short: credit transfer, called "convalidación" in Panama, means a university recognizes courses already passed elsewhere. According to the oversight form of the Technical Commission for Academic Development (CTDA) that quotes Executive Decree 539 of 2018, credits can be transferred only up to a maximum of 60% of the study plan of the university doing the recognition. The Universidad Latina de Panamá website adds that courses must be equivalent in credits, content, level and duration, within the same academic degree level, with a minimum grade of C (71) for bachelor's programs and B (81) for graduate programs. Updated October 2026.…

In short: A used car's history in Panama does not come from a single report: it is built from several checks. The Panama City Mayor's Office lets owners look up plate status and vehicle obligations, the law requires the previous municipality's clearance for second-hand cars, and the transfer asks for the current-year inspection certificate. According to the ASSA Market website, the "Buen historial" badge means the car has no reported claims in its last 5 years insured with ASSA. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide What makes up a car's history Panama City Mayor's Office lookups What the…

In short: The beneficial owner of a Panamanian company is the natural person who, directly or indirectly, owns it, controls it or exercises significant influence over it. The company does not file that data: its resident agent, a lawyer or law firm, records it in a private system run by the Superintendency of Non-Financial Subjects (SSNF). According to the consolidated text of Law 129 of 2020, registration is due within fifteen business days of the company's registration, and access is limited to competent authorities. Law text reviewed in October 2026. Contents of this guide What the register is and who…

In short: installing air conditioning in a commercial space in Panama is a seven-stage project and not just buying a unit. According to the Climatiza website, the stages run from the site survey and thermal load calculation to the technical proposal, execution, commissioning, documented handover and follow-up. The two that weigh most, according to the company, are the load calculation and the handover with drawings and a maintenance plan. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide The short answer The seven stages, one by one What kind of project it is What a technical proposal should include Installation errors…

In short: a technology company sets up in a Panama free zone with an established company license, which the National Free Zones Commission approves within a maximum of ninety days under Law 32 of 2011. The path runs through choosing the activity category, holding the zone promoter's certification, filing the application through a lawyer with the study and documents required by Executive Decree 62 of 2017, and then meeting the investment and employment deadlines. Updated in October 2026. Contents of this guide Which category fits a technology company The steps, in order Who does what After the license Foreign staff…