{"id":18776,"date":"2026-11-15T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-15T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18776"},"modified":"2026-11-14T12:21:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T17:21:29","slug":"visa-free-travel-panama-clears-90-of-u-s-visa-waiver-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/travel-transportation-tourism\/visa-free-travel-panama-clears-90-of-u-s-visa-waiver-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Visa-Free Travel! Panama Clears 90% of U.S. Visa Waiver Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Panama has surpassed 90 percent compliance with the benchmarks required to join the United States<\/a> Visa Waiver Program<\/a>, Foreign Minister Javier Mart\u00ednez-Acha confirmed Wednesday. The announcement signals major progress toward eliminating Panama visa requirements<\/a><\/strong> for short-term travel to the US, though officials acknowledged that several conditions remain unmet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country’s visa rejection rate plummeted from 19.93 percent in fiscal year 2024 to 6.51 percent in fiscal year 2025, according to State Department data<\/a>. That 13.42 percentage point drop represents one of the steepest single-year improvements in the region, bringing Panama closer to the program’s 3 percent threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"airport
In February 2026, the Panamanian government established an interagency task force to coordinate border security, migration management, documentation standards, and information sharing with US authorities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Panama Visa Requirements<\/a> and Remaining Benchmarks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mart\u00ednez-Acha said the government must reach at least 96 percent compliance before Washington will formally consider Panama’s admission. “I can tell you that the country meets more than 90 percent of those goals. But, the requirement is very rigorous,” he said [Translated from Spanish].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The foreign minister declined to specify which requirements remain outstanding or provide a timeline for completion. He confirmed that he is working directly with President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino on the pending items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2026, the Panamanian government established an interagency task force to coordinate border security, migration management, documentation standards, and information sharing with US authorities. That group has driven much of the recent progress, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

@lindabran1 Tambi\u00e9n inform\u00f3 sobre el proceso para que los paname\u00f1os puedan ingresar a Estados Unidos sin visa. https:\/\/t.co\/HSVLX0DR6y<\/p>— Diario Critica.Pa (@criticaenlinea) November 11, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n