Flights to Panama from New York, Miami and Toronto, and arriving at Tocumen

Which airlines fly nonstop to Panama?

Copa showed four daily nonstops from JFK and eight from Miami on the date we checked, and one from Toronto; Toronto Pearson lists Copa at eight flights a week to Panama City.¹² United flies the Newark nonstop.³ Miami’s airport lists American alongside Copa.⁴ We found no nonstop from LaGuardia: the New York nonstops leave from JFK (Copa) and Newark (United).

Search these routes on our flights page: it lists nonstops first, can hide any itinerary that travels on Shabbat or Yom Tov, and flags landings that come close to candle lighting. Online booking isn’t open yet, so you send us the flight you choose and we confirm the price and seats with the airline; no payment is taken on the site. Big families and groups can send a group flight request.

The Friday-arrival rule

If you land on a Friday, leave a wide margin before candle lighting, which falls between about 5:36 PM and 6:24 PM depending on the season (around 6:00 PM in January). After landing you still have immigration, bags and the drive. Arriving Thursday, or on a morning flight on Friday, takes the pressure off. Times for your dates are on our Shabbat times page.

What do I need to enter Panama?

• Visa: none for US and Canadian citizens, who may stay up to 180 days. British, Israeli and other visa-exempt visitors may stay up to 3 months.⁵
• Passport: valid at least 3 months, under Panama’s own rule. Canada advises 3 months beyond your departure date and the UK advises 6, so a longer margin is safer.⁶⁷⁸
• Onward ticket and funds: a return or onward booking, and proof of at least US$500 per adult as cash, a bank statement or a credit card. Children under 18 are exempt from the funds rule.⁶
• Entry stamp: make sure every passport, including the children’s, is stamped. Canada warns of a US$1,000 fine for a missing stamp.⁷
• Cash: declare US$10,000 or more when you enter or leave.⁹
• Children: Panama’s rules for children leaving the country exclude non-resident foreign children.¹⁰ For a Panamanian or resident child, including a dual national, travelling without both parents, bring the absent parent’s notarized authorization, apostilled and in Spanish if issued abroad.⁹

Insurance: Panama’s free tourist insurance covers visitors under 86 who arrive by air for their first 10 days, starting automatically with the entry stamp. It excludes pre-existing conditions, so buy your own medical and evacuation cover too.¹¹

Arriving at Tocumen

• Two terminals. Copa and United normally use Terminal 2; American, Delta and Air Canada are listed in Terminal 1. Some airlines use both, so check your boarding pass.¹² A free shuttle links the terminals from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM.¹³
• Families: the airport lists nursing rooms, changing tables and a sensory room. Wi-Fi is free for an hour.¹⁴
• Kosher food: a certified kosher grab-and-go shop is airside in Terminal 2, opposite gates 217 and 218, with no published hours.¹⁵

How do I get from the airport to my hotel?

• Official taxi: the airport’s taxi cooperative works from stands at the arrivals exits of both terminals, day and night. Its published fare to Panama City is $30 for one or two passengers; ask the price for more passengers before you get in. Drivers wear a uniform shirt and a photo ID badge, and you can book ahead by phone or WhatsApp. Ignore touts in the arrivals hall.¹⁶
• Ride-hailing: Uber and inDrive both operate. Uber drivers don’t supply car seats, and Uber caps bags by size, so a family with luggage should book an XL or two cars.¹²
• Metro: Line 2 has an airport station, but neither line stops in Punta Paitilla or Punta Pacífica, so it suits light travelers going elsewhere.¹⁷

Tocumen is about 23 km from Punta Paitilla: roughly 25 minutes with no traffic, and much longer at rush hour.

Flying home

The departure tax is usually included in your fare.⁸ Pick up food for the flight at the kosher shop in Terminal 2, or bring it from one of the city’s kosher restaurants or supermarkets, and keep your passport stamp: you need it to leave.