Get a Panamanian phone number: SIM, eSIM, expat plan (2026)

Short version — For 99% of expats: grab a prepaid +Movil SIM at the airport on arrival ($15-20/month), then switch to Más Móvil postpaid once you get your provisional cédula (3-6 months later).

Why you must buy a SIM at the airport

The 4 concrete reasons:

1. Uber / inDrive require a number for the OTP code — without a Panamanian SIM, you’ll struggle to activate the account
2. Panamanian banks send 2FA codes by SMS — a foreign number doesn’t work to open Tower Bank
3. Encuentra24.com (real estate) requires a local number to respond to listings
4. Panamanian WhatsApp (the country’s #1 communication channel) — without a PA number, you won’t receive WhatsApp group invitations

The 4 carriers in 2026

The 2 leaders are +Movil and Más Móvil. The other 2 are 10-15% cheaper but with weaker rural coverage and less English-speaking customer service.

Step-by-step — prepaid SIM at the airport (30 min)

At Tocumen airport (PTY)

1. Exit the customs area → turn right toward the kiosks
2. Look for the +Movil or Más Móvil kiosk (both are right next to each other, after the arrival lounge)
3. Show your passport to the seller. That’s it — no cédula required for prepaid.
4. Ask for the “Recarga 30 días” plan:
   • +Movil: $17-20 for 8 GB + unlimited national calls
   • Más Móvil: $15-20 for 6-10 GB + unlimited national calls
5. Activate the SIM on the spot — the seller helps you in 5 min: SIM insertion, automatic APN configuration on modern iPhone / Android
6. Note your number — typically formatted +507 6XXX-XXXX
7. Quick test: call a home number (your spouse?) to verify international calls work (about $0.15-0.30/min)

⏱️ Total at the airport: 25-30 min (queue + activation).

The alternative: Airalo eSIM (before departure)

If you arrive at 11pm and the kiosks are closed, or you want to activate the SIM before landing:

1. Before departure: https://airalo.com → search “Panama”
2. Choose a plan: 1 GB / 7 days = $4.50; 3 GB / 30 days = $13
3. Purchase: credit card, QR code delivered by email
4. Activate on iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Scan the QR
5. Choose the eSIM as secondary line (keep your home SIM active as primary)

Limitation: Airalo doesn’t give a Panamanian NUMBER — just data. So useful for Uber/Maps/WhatsApp but not for receiving Panamanian SMS (bank, etc.). Good as a stopgap for the first week, not a sustainable solution.

Postpaid once you have a cédula

Once you have your provisional cédula (3-6 months after visa submission), you can switch to postpaid. Advantages:

• No more monthly top-ups: auto-debit from your Panamanian account
• More international minutes included: 200-500 min/month depending on plan
• Online customer service: admin panel (personally I prefer this vs queueing in store)
• 12-24 month commitment: OK once a permanent resident

My personal postpaid plan (since April 2025)

Más Móvil postpaid “Premium” $35/month:

• Unlimited 4G data (true unlimited, not a 50 GB cap)
• Unlimited national calls
• 300 international minutes (FR / EU / US / other LATAM)
• 100 international SMS

Why not +Movil: better coverage but customer service only in-store, I prefer the Más Móvil admin panel.

Roaming: avoid

Don’t roam with your home number thinking it’ll be enough. Cost in 2026:

• US → Panama (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile): $2-5/min + $0.30-0.50/SMS + $15-25/MB of data
• A normal day = $50-100 evaporated in background data

Disable roaming on arrival and switch to your Panamanian SIM.

Recommended combo by profile

Going further

• 60 days of life in Panama City — all admin procedures
• Buy a car in Panama — once you’ve got mobile + bank

— Inside Panama editorial team, from Bella Vista, Panama City