Contents of this guide
- What each country asks and what insurance covers
- ASSA Travel’s three plans for outside Europe
- Canada: the eTA and its conditions
- United States: confirm entry in an official source
- How much to cover against the cost of an emergency
- What to check before buying
- What to do in an emergency
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What each country asks and what insurance covers
In the official Canadian pages consulted for this article, insurance is not among the eTA conditions. Insurance answers a different problem: paying for medical care, a transfer or a canceled trip. The US CDC notes that receiving medical care abroad usually requires cash or card payment at the point of service, with amounts that can run to thousands of dollars, and that domestic health insurance covers expenses only in specific circumstances.
The decision is therefore made on coverage and not on an entry requirement. According to the ASSA Travel website, travel insurance is bought per person and there are three plans for the rest of the world, Silver, Gold and Platinum, alongside the Europe plan. The limits of those three plans are the comparison material in this article.
ASSA Travel’s three plans for outside Europe
| Coverage | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical expenses for accident or illness | 15,000 dollars | 50,000 dollars | 100,000 dollars |
| Emergency medical evacuation | 25,000 dollars | 50,000 dollars | 100,000 dollars |
| Repatriation of remains | 5,000 dollars | 10,000 dollars | 25,000 dollars |
| Prescribed medication | 1,000 dollars | 2,000 dollars | 5,000 dollars |
| Dental expenses | 250 dollars | 500 dollars | 1,000 dollars |
| Trip cancellation and interruption | 1,000 dollars each | 2,500 dollars each | 5,000 dollars each |
| Trip delay (12 hours) | 500 dollars | 1,000 dollars | 2,500 dollars |
| Baggage loss on public transport | 1,000 dollars | 2,000 dollars | 4,000 dollars |
Limits transcribed from the ASSA Travel website, which also states that the insurance has no deductibles. The current validity of each figure is confirmed with the insurer before buying.
The website describes the rest-of-the-world plans as intermediate coverage and the Europe plan as maximum coverage. International assistance is included in all of them and runs 24 hours in Spanish, English and Portuguese. The general conditions state which destinations and situations are left out, and that is the document worth reading before paying.
Canada: the eTA and its conditions
Panama appears on Canada’s list of countries whose citizens need a visa, with an alternative route. According to the Government of Canada, a Panamanian can apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a visa if three conditions are met: having held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or currently holding a valid US non-immigrant visa, traveling temporarily, normally for up to 6 months, and arriving by air or transiting through a Canadian airport.
The US visa must be valid on the day of the application, but it does not need to be valid when traveling. Anyone arriving by land, bus, train or boat, including cruise ships, needs a visitor visa and not an eTA. The passport used in the application is the one that must be carried on the trip; if it is renewed, another eTA is needed. The official fee is 7 Canadian dollars, according to the Government of Canada’s application page.
| eTA condition | What the Government of Canada says |
|---|---|
| Background | Canadian visa in the past 10 years or a valid US non-immigrant visa |
| Mode of travel | Air only, or transit through a Canadian airport |
| Length | Temporary stay, normally up to 6 months |
| Arrival by land, train, bus or boat | Requires a visitor visa, not an eTA |
| Valid Canadian visa | No eTA needed; travel on the visa until it expires |
| New passport | Requires a new eTA |
United States: confirm entry in an official source
US entry rules are set by the State Department and the embassy in Panama, and they change often. This article does not summarize them because the official pages could not be opened when it was written, so the sensible step is to confirm the visa type and timelines through those channels before buying tickets. The insurance is bought separately and adjusted to the trip dates. Radar’s guide to visas in Panama explains how immigration categories work in the opposite direction, for people arriving in the country.
How much to cover against the cost of an emergency
The CDC Yellow Book, the health guide for travelers, defines travel health insurance as a short-term supplemental policy that covers healthcare costs while abroad, and describes medical evacuation as transport to a place with better care, at a cost of 25,000 dollars within North America and more than 250,000 dollars for distant or remote destinations. That reference helps in reading the limits in the table above.
| Reference | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Evacuation within North America | From 25,000 dollars | CDC Yellow Book 2026 |
| Evacuation to distant or remote destinations | More than 250,000 dollars | CDC Yellow Book 2026 |
| Evacuation limit, Silver plan | 25,000 dollars | ASSA Travel website |
| Evacuation limit, Gold plan | 50,000 dollars | ASSA Travel website |
| Evacuation limit, Platinum plan | 100,000 dollars | ASSA Travel website |
The CDC reference concerns medical evacuations in general and not a specific hospital or city. Each plan’s limit is compared with it as a guide only.
The reading is direct: a 25,000 dollar evacuation limit matches the low end of the CDC range for North America, and the 50,000 and 100,000 dollar limits come closer to longer journeys. Which one fits depends on the destination, the traveler’s age and health, and what personal health insurance already covers. The CDC adds that the decision to evacuate is made by the insurer and not by the traveler.
What to check before buying
- Covered destination. The United States and Canada should not appear among the exclusions in the general conditions.
- Medical expenses. The limit should be consistent with the trip and include hospitalization and emergency care.
- Evacuation and repatriation. They should exist as separate coverages, each with its own limit.
- Pre-existing conditions. The document’s definition of a pre-existing condition should be read.
- Cancellation. The policy should be issued early: according to the general conditions, the pre-existing condition exclusion does not apply to cancellation or interruption if the policy is issued within 72 hours after paying for the booking.
- Medication. The prescribed medication limit should cover the planned treatment.
- Paperwork. Original invoices, medical reports and prescriptions should be kept, since they are what the assistance center asks for.
ASSA Travel publishes on its website the Silver, Gold and Platinum plans for traveling outside Europe, with 24-hour assistance and limits for evacuation, repatriation and cancellation.
What to do in an emergency
The ASSA Travel website says that, in the event of a claim, the insured calls the assistance center of the country where they are, using the numbers in the assistance contacts document. If there is no contact with the center, the local emergency number is called, the center is informed afterwards and the invoices are sent. Reimbursements are made on returning to the country of origin, subject to the policy. Original invoices and medical reports are kept, and analysts answer invoices from medical centers abroad within 10 days according to the website.
In case of disagreement with the insurer, Panama’s Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance describes a two-step path: a written complaint to the insurer, which has 30 calendar days to reply, and then, if there is no reply or no agreement, a complaint to the Superintendency within the following 90 business days. This content is informational and does not replace professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do Panamanians need a visa to go to Canada?
Yes, unless they meet the eTA conditions: a Canadian visa in the past 10 years or a valid US non-immigrant visa, and travel by air. In that case they can apply for the eTA instead of a visa, according to the Government of Canada.
How much does the Canada eTA cost?
7 Canadian dollars according to the Government of Canada’s official application page, non-refundable.
How much does ASSA Travel insurance cover in medical expenses?
According to its website, the rest-of-the-world plans cover medical expenses of up to 15,000 dollars on Silver, 50,000 dollars on Gold and 100,000 dollars on Platinum.
How much can a medical evacuation cost?
The US CDC puts it from 25,000 dollars within North America to more than 250,000 dollars for distant or remote destinations.
Does local health insurance work abroad?
Only in specific circumstances, according to the CDC, which recommends asking the insurer before traveling and not treating credit card benefits as a substitute for travel insurance.
Related articles
- Panama Visas: What Is Needed to Enter, to Stay and to Reside
- How Panama’s health system works
- Medical tourism in Panama
Sources
- Government of Canada, eTA for citizens of some visa-required countries: conditions for Panama.
- Government of Canada, how to apply for an eTA: fee of 7 Canadian dollars.
- CDC Yellow Book 2026, travel insurance, travel health insurance and medical evacuation insurance: payment at the point of service, evacuation range and limits of domestic insurance.
- Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance of Panama, consumer protection: steps and deadlines of a complaint.
- ASSA Travel and ASSA Travel general conditions: plans, limits, assistance and claims.
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