VisaResidents replacing a lost card in Panama should first identify its issuer
A current-rule guide to separating immigration cards, Electoral Tribunal identity cards and work cards, with a documented fee discrepancy.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Identify which document was lost
Foreign residents in Panama should identify the issuing authority before paying for a replacement card. Immigration residence documentation, the Electoral Tribunal’s permanent-resident identity document and a Labour Ministry work card have separate replacement procedures. A lost wallet containing several cards may therefore require more than one application. This guide concerns replacing existing documents, not applying for residence or extending permission.
The National Migration Service frequently asked questions list a B/.15 duplicate for a lost card under regular immigration procedures. Required evidence includes the loss or theft report, copies of the passport biographical details and registration stamp, and the original or a copy of the residence-granting resolution if available. The same page lists a different B/.300 first replacement for a general migratory regularisation permit, identified as PRMG. Do not transfer the cheaper regular-card price to that category.
Use the Electoral Tribunal route for its permanent-resident card
Panamá Digital identifies the issuing authority for its lost permanent-resident card service as the Electoral Tribunal’s identification department. Its service listing names the national identification directorate in Ancón and says regional or district offices with photography facilities also provide the service. The published contact numbers are 507-8074 through 507-8077; check the receiving office and current appointment arrangements before travelling.
That listing presents a replacement-price ladder of B/.50 for the first request, B/.60 for the second and B/.70 for the third. It cites the 2015 law but does not explain how those amounts interact with later tariff changes. The listing is useful for identifying the responsible institution, but its charge should be compared with the later official tariff rather than treated as a current payment instruction.
Compare the later tariff before making payment
The Electoral Tribunal’s Bulletin 5732, published on 15 October 2024 and preserved in the government transparency archive, contains the later service-price schedule. It lists code 37-1, duplicate permanent-resident card, at B/.65. It separately lists renewal at B/.75 and first issuance at B/.100. These are different services; a lost card does not automatically mean first issuance or renewal.
The bulletin states that the new prices apply from 15 October 2024. This provides stronger dated evidence than the undated Panamá Digital price ladder, but the reviewed material does not establish whether a later change or particular concession applies to an individual applicant. Ask identification staff to confirm the current charge for code 37-1 and retain the official payment receipt.
| Document | Published charge |
|---|---|
| Migration Service regular card | B/.15 |
| Migration Service first PRMG replacement | B/.300 |
| Electoral Tribunal duplicate, October 2024 tariff | B/.65 |
Prepare an accurate loss report
The Public Prosecutor’s lost-document reporting manual, published in the Official Gazette in January 2025, describes both the electronic reporting system and contingency paper forms. It distinguishes the date and place of the incident, the document’s condition and the identity of the applicant and owner. Prepare the document number and a clear account of what happened; describe theft as theft and an unexplained loss as a loss.
The manual includes foreign passports and an other-documents category. If a passport disappeared with the residence card, its form records the issuing country, passport number and immigration status. Tell the receiving office exactly which documents are missing. This manual does not establish that residents can complete the whole report online themselves or that the report substitutes for identity or travel documents.
Replace a missing work card separately
The Labour Ministry’s January 2024 procedural manual directs migrant workers to request a work-card duplicate from its Labour Migration Department. It distinguishes theft, requiring the report made to the relevant authority, from loss, requiring a sworn declaration. For damage or renewal the physical card must be provided. All cases require an updated worker registration document.
The department receives the request and directs payment at the institution’s cashier; the worker then supplies a copy of the payment evidence before card delivery. The manual does not give a guaranteed same-day turnaround or a duplicate-card fee in this procedure. Obtain those details from the department instead of applying an immigration or Electoral Tribunal charge. Keep each authority’s application record separate so that replacing one card is not mistaken for completing all the necessary replacements.
