Panama extends mandatory transit visa rule for Cubans through June 30

Panama extended its mandatory transit visa requirement for Cuban nationals through June 30, 2029, replacing the previous July 31, 2026 cutoff under updated immigration rules.

Three-year extension for Tocumen layovers

Executive Decree No. 15, signed Aug. 14, 2026, prolongs the transit regime first established under Executive Decree No. 162 in December 2022. The measure took effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette, the national government confirmed.

Under the decree, Cuban passengers passing through Tocumen International Airport can remain only in the international transit area for up to 24 hours. The rule prevents travelers from leaving the transit zone or entering Panamanian territory during their layovers.

Remote workers and expats routing through Panama City between South America, North America and Europe face pre-travel screening unless they hold qualifying residency elsewhere.

Exempt categories and routing criteria

The mandate catches most Cuban passport holders booking connecting flights across the region. However, passengers qualify for an automatic exemption if they meet specific residency or visa thresholds:

• Direct return travelers flying homebound to Cuba.

• Holders of valid visas or permanent residency for Panama, which travelers can check against Panama's residency rules before booking.

• Permanent residents of third countries who are returning to their country of residence.

• Holders of valid entry visas for their final destination country.

• Holders of used, multiple-entry visas with at least six months of remaining validity issued by the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom or European Union member states.

Filing requirements through legal counsel

Cuban remote workers and travelers who don't meet any exemption can't board a Panama-bound connection without an approved visa in hand.

Applications must be submitted well before travel. Filings must go through a registered Panamanian legal representative directly at the correspondence window of the National Migration Service in Panama or through the Panamanian consulate in Havana.

Nomads planning routes across the Americas should verify their transit documents before purchasing tickets, as airlines will deny boarding without verified Panamanian transit clearance.