You can not apply for a Panama driver's license as long as you don't have an at least temporary residency. But, as soon as you have it, your foreign driver's license is no longer valid!
So, in theory, you can drive yourself to the Immigration Services building to receive your residency, but you can not leave driving yourself...
So how do you get a Panama driver's license?
There are two options:
a) you get your foreign driver's license transcribed
b) you start from scratch applying for the Panama driver's license like a local teenager does
Why would you even consider starting from scratch?
Well, to transcribe your foreign license, you have to get it notarized by your consulate. Then you have to get a certified translation. And have it approved by the Panama Ministry for Foreign Affairs. After that, you simply go to the licensing office (SERTRACEN) and they give you your Panama Driver's License.
That works well for europeans (i heard from friends), probably for canadians as well. However, for US citizens this option is very unattractive (to use a kind word).
Why? The US State Department is totally for the birds! I only had to deal with them 3 times in my life, and every time they surprised me with how inefficient, incapable, and useless they are!!!
This is one of those three times.
As soon as I got my residency, I tried to get an appointment with the consulate to notarize my US license (Yes! You have to get an appointment! You can't just go there, as with other countries' consulates!), but they didn't have an appointment available for 2 (TWO!!!) months!
That means, for more than two months I would have to use buses and taxis, even though I have a car and am perfectly capable to use it. Secondly, I have to either spend a day and pay 300$ for airline tickets to travel from Chiriqui back to Panama City to visit the consultate, and fly back in the evening. Or I could spend 30$ for bus tickets plus 30$ for two nights in hotel and spend three days for the same task.
Makes no sense!
So how to go about getting a Panama Driver's License from scratch?
First, you need to go to a driving school and apply for a student's license certificate. That costs 60$ and takes about 15 days. But don't worry, you don't have to take any classes, or driving lessons! It's just a bureaucratic step.
While you're waiting, you can practice the theory test questions. There are two sites of interest:
Here's the link to the list of 133 questions in english, and here's the link to the page with the practice test. (Click on REALIZAR TEST to start the test). You can take the practice test as often as you like. Most of the answers are quite logical. Some are just something you have to learn by hard...
Once you have your certificate, you can make an appointment with SERTRACEN, and go there to take the tests. The driving school makes that appointment for you.
You have to take two tests:
The theoretical test is on a computer. You get 10 questions out of the 133 questions. You have to get at least 7 answers right.
Then there's a practical test - in David it is on a sectioned off part of the parking lot at Federal Mall (inside which SERTRACEN is now, since Chiriqui Mall burnt down). That test consists of three tasks: You have to parallel park, park perpendicular going in nose first, and park perpendicular going in backwards. You have about 2 minutes for each of the three tasks, and you have a lot of space. So, for anybody who's been driving for a little while already, these tasks should be fairly easy - no, VERY easy - to accomplish!
Note, for the practical test you need to bring a car, they don't have any rentals available. Secondly, you HAVE to be alone in the car, and nobody is allowed to be close to the parkinglot section where the test is taking place (taking a video or just watching). You gotta be totally on your own there...
Obviously, I chose the second option to get my Panama Driver's License. I was very worried about it: how difficult will the theory be? Will my Spanish be sufficient? What are they requiring for the practical test?
But, it turned out to be not a big deal at all. I took the test (and practiced the test) in Spanish, and it was quite doable even with my very limited Spanish skills...
Well, I just hope I will never need anything from the US state department! And I am very glad I do have my Panama residency and Panama driver's license. Yeay! Step by step the bureaucratic hurdles are taken...
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