Scheduling

It is important to plan ahead and to make an appointment for your visa interview well in advance of your planned travel.  You must have an appointment in order to be interviewed – no walk-ins will be accepted for interviews.  After your interview, the Embassy will need several days to process your application and return your visa and passport to you.  In some cases, the process may take significantly longer due to individual circumstances.  Please also keep in mind that the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit is closed on U.S. and Panamanian holidays and on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  In addition, demand is higher during the months immediately preceding and after Christmas.

Applicants must schedule their appointments by going to their local branch of Banco General or by calling Banco General at 800-5000. Most applicants also must pay Banco General a non-refundable non-immigrant visa application fee before their appointment can be scheduled.

It is important to know that Banco General contractually may only assign the next available appointment date and time, so if an applicant is seeking a specific date and/or time for an interview, (s)he may be disappointed.  Banco General will not schedule appointments for applicants who have not already completed the DS-160 application online.

Please note that applicants who arrive late for their appointment will not be interviewed and must make a new appointment. Likewise, it is best not to arrive more than 30 minutes before your appointment because your visa interview will be processed by your appointment time, not the time you arrive in the Consular Section.  Arriving too early for your appointment likely will mean you will wait longer.

For additional information you may contact Banco General at 800-5000 or email the U.S. Embassy at: Panama-visas@state.gov

If your question was not answered, or for more information about visas to the U.S., the visa process and the U.S. Department of State, please click here.

Parking 
Due to security concerns, we are no longer able to offer parking inside the Embassy compound.  Consular visitors will need to find parking in the lot located immediately outside of the Embassy compound. These spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis.   If you are disabled or elderly, please click here for special instructions.