Stopped by la Policia
It was just a routine traffic checkpoint on our way to Punta Chame but unfortunately, there was a problem with our documents…
Police checkpoints in Panama are completely legal. Everyone gets stopped; everyone shows their ID. If you’re obviously not Panamanian, you show your passport so they can verify that A) you haven’t overstayed your welcome (180 days for Americans), and B) you’re not still driving after being in Panama for more than 90 days.
My big problem was that I was only carrying my U.S. passport card — which I honestly thought was good enough — but of course, it wasn’t since they’re unable to look at the entry stamp to see when I arrived in Panama. I explained that we were in the process of getting our Pensionado visas and the officer told me to get our attorney on the phone. So I called Will Alonzo and Carol Janeth Gonzalez (who had told us, “if you need me, call anytime, it doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the night” — try finding another attorney in Panama who not only talks that talk but walks that walk!) and Will answered immediately.
Will backed up my explanation to the officer that, while Krista had her actual passport, there was no entry stamp because the immigration people at the airport forgot to stamp our passports on arrival. (We later found out that this wasn’t true; they actually did stamp our passports!) The officer (who had been so nice and so friendly throughout this process that we felt obliged to give him a gift of $20) decided not to give us a $150 ticket and allowed us to switch drivers and continue on our way — but it was certainly a stressful situation.