Visas for us?

You don't need visas at all for Panama. We did travel with passports.

I forgot to add that you will need to purchase a tourist card at the airport. They are $5 for each person and you get them at the gate prior to getting on the airplane. These are good for 30 days, I think, but the Embassy can extend them to 90 days. You can ask for a Visa from the Panamian Embassy, but I don't know how much that will be. If you have the Visa, you don't need the tourist card. The tourist card is easy and cheap.

Oh THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can cross that $560 off our list then. WHEW WHEW WHEW! More money to put aside for apostilling or airfare. YIPPEE!!!!!!!!! (especially since I've been on a shopping spree on Ebay lately for the baby's room. yikes hehe) Robin

A $5 tourist card is much cheaper than a $260 visa! LOL I don't remember if we had to buy a tourist card when we went to Panama before, since Derek is a citizen. But no big deal if we do. I can handle $5-10. And don't forget ya gotta pay $20 per person, at the airport, just to leave the country. That is so funny, gotta pay to leave. haha Hey, Lauri, when your plan landed in Panama did people stand up and clap? Robin

No, no one clapped when we landed. We did not have to pay the $20 exit tax to leave Panama because it was included in our ticket price. We did not know that until we got to the airport to leave. We flew on Delta because they have adoption fares, and you can change your ticket as needed without penalty. You have to call them to get the fare rates, and you have to take your I-171H to the airport to purchase the tickets. It was a pain, but it is 35% off the normal fare for that day. Don't mention that there is a possibility that you will not bring the child back on that trip or they will not give you the adoption fare.

Lauri, Will you be able to get the adoption rate again for your return to Panama? I suppose that as long as you are buying the tickets from a different person, who would be the wiser, eh? ;) Rebecca

I am assuming I could still get the adoption rate; however, we have enough membership points on our credit card that I am going to get a free ticket to return. We gained about 6600 miles on this trip, so we now have enough for a free International ticket (35,000) That saves us alot on the air fare. If my husband has to return, then we will try to get the adoption fare for him. I don't think they check it that closely (obviously, since we did not bring our child home with us.) I just kept calling and the ticket agent at the airport just called it up and issued the e-tickets. We probably would not have even had to give her a copy of anything.