Expat Community > Panama

panamajames
Joined 2012
Posts: 5097

Rio Soreno Border Crossing

11 years ago

From an anonymous individual who had to cross the border recently for his 90 or 180 day stamp in and stamp out at Costa Rica.

“Let me add my experience at Rio Sereno. They are indeed enforcing 24 hours out of the country for tourists (I have a multiple entry VISA)………..when challenged that there was no such 24 hour rule, declaration, or decree posted to the immigration web site, a call was placed to the "commandante" with much chit chat and laughing (I caught a few words like stupido) and it was confirmed that the 24 hour rule was in effect, and he could not cite who changed it or how…....Then I was asked if I had ever paid a $50 fine or "multa" ... I told him that I have never paid any fine or multa related to my passport since I have never done anything that would cause the issuance of a fine.

I had a feeling that the mention of $50 was not just curiosity so then I also said that I never have had any financial dealings with ANY official for any reason………..at that point we discussed where I could lodge a complaint on the illegal rule change, and he suggested (with a smirk) the immigration office in David ...

I then asked him to go ahead with stamping me out of the country, and I checked into Costa Rica...........Although I was supposed to stay in Costa Rica for 24 hours, or pay a fine or multa of $50 if I left early, I decided to leave Costa Rica and headed back to Panama for the night……I know that during that period that I was in Panama illegally, but I was taking my chances on not getting stopped.

The next afternoon I returned after the 24 hours had passed, checked out of Costa Rica and when I got to Panama immigration the same officer was there...we exchanged pleasantries and I requested to re-enter the country……….after producing the passport photocopy, $500 cash, the airline ticket back to the US (also had a bus ticket to CR) my car registration, and credit/debit cards (most of which he was not interested in) he stamped me back into Panama and asked if I filed a complaint in David, and of course I told him I could not since I was out of the country for 24 hours but would inform the US consul of the illegal rule change at the frontier…...and he asked how long I planned on staying (90 days) but wrote nothing in the passport...all because I was trying to keep my driving privilege since I had only been back from the US for 89 days at the time I checked out……..I think the US Consul will be interested in hearing this."

William Russell

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Rio Soreno Border Crossing

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