International Living Community

Currently Canadian citizens can visit Panama as tourists for up to 180 days without any special visa. It's a good idea to make sure each person's passport has over a year left on it if you're coming down for a six month stay.

(Good rule of thumb for travel to any country: make sure your passport has more than 6 months left before it expires.)

Panama is a popular destination for tourists and expats because it's generally safe and prosperous, you can read lots more more about it in International Living magazine (visit www.InternationalLiving.com, log in/click "members site" to search the archive).

No, Costa Rica is not in the United States. It is located in Central America and borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Canadian Passport holders can travel to Costa Rica as tourists for up to a maximum 180 days, no visa is required.

You can find a lot more information on our Visa and Residency in Costa Rica page on the website: https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/visa/