Tag: Cedula

We have our E-Cédulas!

The final step in our process had been completed. We had instructed our attorney in Panama City via power of attorney to pick our e-cédulas up and courier them to us. This card is an official government issued ID, similar to a social security card. Without a cédula, anything you do from getting a bank account, electricity, buying land, or even registering your car is done using your passport number. Unfortunately, every time you renew your passport you get a new passport number as well.  Changing the passport number you have associated with almost everything in Panama is a nightmare and takes time. You don’t need to haul your passport around anymore. Just show your cédula. It entitles you to all the benefits of a Panama citizen, except voting.

Some Beach Time

Las Lajas Beach
Mangrove

We just got back from a short getaway to Las Lajas Beach. It was our first overnight trip since arriving almost 3 months ago. It was an easy 1.75 hour drive from Boquete. The ocean there is a bit calmer on that spot of the Pacific Ocean. There are other beaches that are closer, however swimming can be dangerous. Las Lajas reminds us of the beach on the TV show “Lost”. We walked quite a ways westward, enjoying nature’s splendor, until we reached the estuary of Río San Juan. We also walked on a boardwalk through a mangrove jungle and saw different species of mangroves and wildlife who call the habitat their home.

Weather

The weather here had been mostly dry of late, even though we are in the rainy season. It is considered winter now but we are having Indian summer, and it has been very pleasant. In Boquete about 114 inches of rain fall per year; rainfall exceeds 12 inches per month from May to November, while it drops below 4 inches per month from January to March. At altitudes above 6,500 feet, in the tierras frías (“cold lands”), nights can be cold, especially during the period from December to March. Above 10,000 feet, it can get cold even during the day.  Where we live is around 3,900 feet or so above sea level. The temperature is perfect.

I cannot believe sometimes that we actually live here in this small piece of paradise. Hasta la próxima vez!

Panamá City Visit

An architectural wonder
in Panama City

This week we spent a few days in Panamá City. We flew from David to Panamá City to complete our e-cédulas. David, the 3rd largest city in Panamá, is a 35 minute drive from Boquete. The flight is approximately 45 minutes, a real time saver and relatively inexpensive with a 20% jubilado discount. The drive would take you around 7 hours.

The e-cédula is an optional form of identification that provides an unique ID number which becomes the official proof of identity in Panamá. Permanent residents are not required to obtain the e-cédula; however, it is highly recommended. This is because the e-cédula card is an accepted proof of identity anywhere in Panamá, while the permanent residency card requires foreigners to carry their passport as a proof of ID. All Panamanians over the age of 18 are issued a cédula. The only difference between the cédula issued to those who are born in Panamá and those who become permanent residents, is the “e” on the card’s ID number, which stands for extranjero – foreigner in Spanish.

When you have an e-cédula card, you can do your day-to-day tasks more easily – whether it be cashing your checks or paying for public transport. When in Panamá, an e-cédula card is all you need to carry. See full article about important Panamá IDs (from our attorneys website), at https://kraemerlaw.com/en/articles/important-panama-ids-residency-card-e-cedula-drivers-license/

It’s not necessary for an attorney to accompany you, however we did have our bilingual driver/tour guide extraordinaire, Marc Vargas, drive us to the Tribunal Electoral in Albrook, Panamá City, and he helped us with any translation issues. After our files were reviewed, we paid the fee of $32.50 each (normally $65.00 but we get a 50% jubilado discount), then got our photos taken and also fingerprinted. In a week our e-cédulas will be mailed to us. Everything was done in less than 3 hours, which left us some time to explore which is always very enjoyable. This completes our process!

We are back home in Boquete, until our next adventure.

Today is Independence Day in the US, home of the free because of the brave. I remain grateful for our many freedoms in both my mother land and my newly adopted home of Panamá. Happy Independence Day!