Move To Panama

1. Step One Is To Set Up An Appointment With Your Vet

Don’t do this step too early. You need to have your appointment with the vet inside of a two week window from your departure date. This is a requirement in Panama.

Firstly, the vet should have the required International Health Certificate form that must be filled out. But, call in advance to give them notice that you will be needing it for international travel.

• This certificate must be sent to the USDA for review and authentication. There will be a fee associated with this that varies from state to state, usually around US$25.
• Once you have done this, you need to print and fill out the form for requesting home quarantine once you are in Panama.  
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• When it is filled out, this must be certified by the nearest Panamanian consulate. As of this writing, the cost is US$30. This step saves you the cost and stress to your animal of spending 40 days in quarantine at the hospital.
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• The health certificate, after being authenticated by the USDA, must be apostilled. It can be done at the local Secretary of State office. 
• Also, it must be done for an international document. There will be a fee involved that, again, varies from state to state.
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• Find a local USDA office.
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• Helpful Hint: When you send your home quarantine request to the consulate, pay the extra for overnight shipping and send your other document (International Health Certificate) with it. Ask them to review and verify that it is correct. You will be glad that you have the extra time to correct any errors that they may find.

2. Step Two Is To Get Ready For The Flight

You need to check directly with your airline to make sure that you have everything they require for traveling with a pet. These guidelines are pretty relaxed, for the most part, but it is necessary to operate inside of them. Some airlines have specifications for kennel types and food and water being available for the pet. Again, check with the airline and they will be glad to provide this information.

3. Step Three Might Be The Easiest Of All

Take your completed, reviewed, authenticated, apostilled documents with you to the airport. Get on the plane and fly to Panama. 

Once you arrive in Panama you will provide the documents to the veterinarian on duty. They have lists of all people flying in with pets, and often(not always) stay late to make sure that each pet is taken care of. 

You will give the vet your home quarantine request and the health certificate. He will review it and let you leave once you have paid the US$130 fee. Please note that if you do not have your paperwork with you and correct, the pet will be quarantined for 40 days at the airport at a cost to you of US$10 a day.

The process can seem convoluted, but if you follow the steps slowly and methodically, you will be just fine. The only thing that we cannot prepare you for is the wave of heat and humidity that you will feel when you and your pet step out of Tocumen Airports front doors. You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.