Panama

Panama keeps an official sex offender register created by Ley 244 of 2021. Ley 501 of 2025 provides for public access, but as of September 2026 the public search was not yet open. The National Migration Service (SNM) may refuse any foreigner entry or transit for having a criminal record in the country of origin or departure. In 2026 the SNM repeatedly reported turning back U.S. citizens with sex offence records at Tocumen airport.

Brief profile · Last verified: October 30, 2026 · All countries

Each statement is labelled Law (statute, regulation or court ruling), Policy (official guidance) or Reported practice (what officials report doing). Items marked Recheck could not be fully confirmed from a primary source.

The country's own registry

Law Ley 244 of 2021 created the national official sex offender register, kept by the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ) from its records, originally for justice officials and for issuing certificates of non-offender status. Ley 501 of 24 November 2025 amended it to open the information to the public.
Source: Ley 501 de 24 de noviembre de 2025, que modifica la Ley 244 de 2021 (Sistema Nacional de Registro Oficial de Ofensores Sexuales), Gaceta Oficial No. 30411-B (archived copy of 25 November 2025); Infobae: En Panamá se preparan para habilitar el Registro Oficial de Ofensores Sexuales (11 September 2026)
Recheck: The gazette copy of Ley 501 is a scanned image and its articles could not be read; only its title was confirmed. Confirm the access and coverage provisions from the text.
Reported practice As of 11 September 2026, public consultation still depended on a legal agreement that had not been signed. The public list is to be hosted on the Panamá Conecta platform.
Source: Infobae: En Panamá se preparan para habilitar el Registro Oficial de Ofensores Sexuales (11 September 2026)
Recheck: Confirm whether public search has opened.
Finding No published rule found as of October 30, 2026. No rule entering a visitor's foreign conviction in the Panamanian register was found.

Entry and admissibility

Law The National Migration Service may refuse any foreigner entry or transit, and revoke the visa or permit, where the person has a criminal record in the country of origin or departure ("Tener antecedentes penales del país de origen o procedencia") (Decreto Ley 3 of 2008, art. 50(4)). Other grounds include an order of a competent authority barring entry and being a risk to national security or the international community (art. 50(1), (5)).
Source: Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008, Gaceta Oficial No. 25986 (archived copy of 13 February 2025)
Recheck: Text read from the 2008 gazette; confirm art. 50 has not been amended since.
Law A foreigner falling within any article 50 ground is returned to the last port of embarkation, and the decision admits no appeal (art. 51).
Source: Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008, Gaceta Oficial No. 25986 (archived copy of 13 February 2025)
Reported practice On 13 May 2026 the SNM refused transit at Tocumen to a U.S. citizen bound for Medellín who had alerts linked to alleged child sex tourism offences, and returned him to his country of origin.
Source: La Estrella de Panamá: Migración impide tránsito por Panamá de estadounidense investigado por delitos sexuales contra menores (13 May 2026)
Reported practice On 29 October 2026, according to the SNM, a U.S. citizen arriving from Lima who had a record as a sex offender was refused entry at Tocumen and returned to Miami. In September 2026 the SNM also turned back a traveller from El Salvador with a sex offender registration and a U.S. conviction involving a minor.
Source: Destino Panamá: Migración devuelve a cuatro extranjeros en Tocumen por antecedentes penales y documentos fraudulentos (29 October 2026); Telemetro: Migración impide ingreso a Panamá de extranjero con antecedentes por delitos contra una menor (27 September 2026)
Recheck: No release was found on migracion.gob.pa itself; the 29 October case appeared on the SNM's linked Instagram feed. Cite an official release if one is published.

Visa / travel authorisation

Policy U.S. tourists can stay in Panama for 180 days without a visa, which is strictly enforced. Entry requires a passport valid for three months past entry, proof of funds (US$500 cash or equivalent) and a return ticket.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Panama International Travel Information (archived copy of 6 July 2026)
Recheck: travel.state.gov returned 403 to the build network; the archived copy of 6 July 2026 (page last updated 13 May 2025) was used. Confirm the current page.
Law Applications for temporary or permanent residence must include a criminal-record certificate from the country of origin or residence (Decreto Ley 3 of 2008, art. 28(2)). Residence may be cancelled for conviction of an intentional offence (art. 31(7)).
Source: Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008, Gaceta Oficial No. 25986 (archived copy of 13 February 2025)

What U.S. rules still apply

Law U.S. law still applies to the trip itself: registrants must report international travel at least 21 days in advance, and the U.S. may notify the destination country before arrival. See the U.S. travel guide for the notice rule, the passport identifier and how notifications work.
Source: ComplianceAtlas: Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant

Read Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant before booking.

Sources

Legal Disclaimer

International laws, immigration policies, and registry requirements change frequently and may vary depending on citizenship, visa type, offense history, and purpose of travel. Entry decisions are made solely by each country's immigration authorities. Always verify current requirements using official government sources before traveling. This page is not legal advice.