"What the Moving to Panama is not, after all, the same as moving to Kansas
So, if you are a US citizen and you run into some legal trouble in Panama, will the American Embassy go to bat for you? When Americans are treated unfairly or are subject to discrimination, Kellee Farmer of the US Consulate's American Citizens Services Unit explained, "it's a concern in the US-Panamanian relationship," but "we won't get involved in your individual dispute," be it civil or criminal.
If you are arrested you have a right to see a consular officer, and, except maybe if you are being held in some remote boondocks lock-up, Panamanian authorities are pretty good about allowing someone from the consulate to visit within 48 hours. She or he will help you contact your family or someone else close to you, or if you ask will refrain from informing family members or anyone else. They can provide a list of Panamanian lawyers who haven't been busted for ethical violations. They can periodically bring you vitamin pills and reading material. But they can't get you out of jail, act as your lawyer or legal interpreter, or mediate the community dispute that may have led to your incarceration.
So are you going to buy Hectare Negro, that farm where you want to spend the rest of your days? You do that at your own risk, without the assistance of the US government. "Talk to an attorney before you buy," Farmer urged.
More commonly, the Citizens Services Unit notarizes documents ($30 per document, an extra $20 for each extra signature on a single document), with notary services valid for either Panama, the USA or both.
There are a lot of US documents that the consulate will authenticate, and which the Panamanian government generally accepts but is not obligated to do so. For a $30 notary charge, they will "authenticate" but not "validate" a US driver's license. If you are applying for Panamanian residency under a pensionado status, the consulate can't certify the retirement benefits you have coming but they can notarize an affidavit about these, which Migracion usually accepts.
Birth, death and marriage records from the USA are handled through the states rather than the consulate. Criminal records checks from the United States are handled through state or local authorities there, or from the FBI, but not through the embassy or consulate."
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