I am in the final stages of making a decision for a move to Panama. Locations I am for sure interested in include Nueva Gorgona and Coronado. I have reviewed the requirements for opening a new bank account in Panama. My question is, do I need to have an account in Panama? I bank (primary bank) with USAA. USAA tells me my debit card and credit card are valid for use in Panama. My question relates to issuing USAA checks to landlords, stores, etc.