LIMA, Peru — Panama will maintain for nearly three more years the transit visa requirement for certain Cuban citizens who use the country as an air travel stopover en route to third-country destinations, a measure that primarily affects passengers connecting through Tocumen International Airport.
The extension was established in a new executive decree signed on August 14 by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and Public Security Minister Frank Ábrego, and subsequently published in the Official Gazette, according to Cuba’s state-run news agency Prensa Latina.
The new provision extends through June 30, 2029, the validity of Executive Decree No. 162, approved in December 2022 and subsequently amended, including by Executive Decree No. 30 of March 2023.
The mechanism allows Panama to control the transit of certain Cuban travelers who remain in the airport’s international transit area. Those who obtain authorization may remain there for a maximum of 24 hours, solely for the purpose of continuing their journey to another country or returning to Cuba.
The immigration requirement, however, does not apply to all Cubans who transit through Panama. The regulations provide for several exemptions, including passengers returning to the Island, those who hold a valid Panamanian tourist visa or residency permit, and those who have permanent residency in a third country and are traveling back to that country.
Travelers who hold a valid visa to enter their final destination country are also exempt, as are certain residents or holders of multiple-entry visas issued by countries that Panama considers to have adequate immigration control standards.
Countries in this category include the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and member states of the European Union.
The regulations also provide exemptions for passengers who can demonstrate, through the appropriate documentation, that they have an employment relationship in the country to which they are traveling.
Travelers who are required to obtain the visa must apply before their trip through the appropriate Panamanian consulate. Under current regulations, the process may also be handled through a legal representative before the National Immigration Service (SNM).
Authorities stipulate that the application process must begin at least 30 business days before the scheduled travel date. Panama maintains the measure as part of its immigration control policy and its oversight of passengers who use its territory as a connecting point en route to other countries.
