Panama Becoming a Viable Option for Black American Expats

By J. Coyden Palmer June 25, 2022

Seeking solace from the political turmoil, community violence and racial oppressiveness of American society, more Black Americans are not just considering, but relocating and living abroad. Among the more popular places are Costa Rica, Mexico, Ghana and the Central American nation of Panama. With its beautiful year-round weather, vibrant culture and biodiverse plant and animal life, Panama is becoming a soft landing spot for Black Americans who are seeking to escape the increasing vitriol of life in the United States.

Charlotte Van Horn, CEO of Black Expats in Panama LLC, said since 2020 she has seen a large influx of Black Americans moving to Panama and those seeking information on how to do it has also increased. Because Panama uses the American dollar and a person can get by knowing a limited amount of Spanish, middle-class Black Americans are comfortable in Panama.

“The number one trending reason Black Americans are moving here is anxiety,” according to Van Horn.

In a recent article published by The Root, actress Taraji P. Henson spoke of how she is seriously considering living abroad and leaving the U.S. behind for the same reason Van Horn stated. Henson, 50, stated she is tired of the “pressures of being Black” in American society and just wants to have peace in her life without having to constantly fight against racism and for social justice.

“There is a lot of anxiety that comes with being Black and living in the United States right now,” Van Horn said. “I guess since 2020 it has gotten so intense that the last person I interviewed on my radio station, she found out about Panama through her clinical therapist. I think the whole Trump situation has been an enormous wake up call and I think there are Black people who just kind of forgot, because they had good jobs and big houses that nevertheless you are Black living in America. That segment of our community realizes what is happening and think they need to make a move.”

Van Horn’s husband is a native of Panama. Originally from New Jersey, her journey to Panama did not occur overnight. Instead, she said her move full-time to Panama took place over the course of years and she advises that people who are considering living abroad not make a rash decision and do their research.

“A majority of the Black expats coming here are middle class and upper middle class,” Van Horn said. “And amongst that group, most of those are retirees. We also have groups in other places like Mexico, whose demographics are different. They are attracting young, middle class Black Americans with families where it is less expensive.”

The attraction to Panama for many according to Van Horn is the excellent healthcare system and proximity to the United States. A flight to Panama from Chicago or New York City is only 5.5 hours and only 6.5 hours from Los Angeles. For those who live in the southern United States, the flight time is much shorter. Van Horn said that is why many Black Americans also maintain a residence in the U.S. on a part-time basis for when they need to leave Panama because of visa rules or they are waiting on their citizenship to be granted.

Van Horn makes no bones about it. She said Panama is expensive, but still a fraction of the cost of what it is like to live in Miami or Seattle in the United States. Panama also comes with some of the best infrastructure in Central America, modern amenities in homes and other luxuries that many middle to upper-class Black Americans have come to expect. She said Africa is still a pipedream for many Black Americans to emigrate to, because it is too far and does not have as much infrastructure, even in the most developed regions like Ghana.

“We built our home here by spending a month out of the year here for like five years,” Van Horn said. “We were building our home and building our life here during those back and forth trips to the United States. It gave us a chance to build up our social network here as well, which is really important.”

There are pros and cons that come with moving to Panama like any other life-changing decision. A search on YouTube will bring you several videos of Black people who have moved to Panama and they explain many of the pitfalls that can come with it. Vanesa Monroe of VGIRL TV is one of the most credible and informative video bloggers on all things Panama. In addition to her videos about Panama, she is also an entrepreneur who has family roots in the Colon region of Panama, a location where many Afro-Panamanians live. In one of her YouTube videos she states that one of the biggest problems is people who move to Panama without a sustainable income. Those same sentiments are shared by Van Horn, as jobs may be hard to come by or the pay less than desired. Setting realistic expectations before you arrive is important to not getting frustrated and giving up, state both Monroe and Van Horn. Making a decision to leave behind family and friends, and a society you have grown accustomed to is not easy. Transitioning to a primarily Spanish speaking country is also one of the things one must consider before moving to Panama or Costa Rica, which is another country seeing an uptick in Black expats. However, Van Horn believes the hardest part for many people in making the decision involves one group of family members in particular.

“Grandchildren. It gets a little more complicated because for everyone to come here to visit, everyone needs passports and the money to play for airfare,” Van Horn said. “The hardest part for me was disconnecting. As much as I could say about the anxiety I was feeling, disconnecting from a place I lived my whole life wasn’t easy. It’s like the devil you know versus the devil you don’t know,” said Van Horn, who worked for legal professionals in law offices her entire life.

Van Horn wants people to know there is always a risk in making a big move like this, but there is also a big payoff at the end if you get it right. She said the things you don’t know are part of the risk you must consider in your decision making. She tries with her company to minimize those things people don’t know by exposing them to a network of legal and social groups that make the transition easier. She offers tours of the country for those who come to visit that is catered to Black Americans interests and concerns. She travels to areas of the country where many other tour operators are afraid to go. She said one thing she wants people to understand is that while there is crime everywhere, being in Panama does not have nearly the amount of crime that people in many major U.S. cities are dealing with every day.

 “When we first started doing the tours to Colon, people were asking me, ‘why are you going there?’ My response is there are places in Panama where tourists should go to see the culture and get a true sense of the country if they are going to consider moving here,” Van Horn said. “I’ve never had a problem on any of my tours. It is like anything else when you travel, use common sense.”

Technology has made it easier for people to live in Panama. There are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Americans living in Panama. Van Horn said for Black expats, technology has been a godsend that allows them to stay connected and more importantly make friends in Panama before they even come for a visit. In addition, the infrastructure, especially in the nation’s capital Panama City, has improved tremendously, which allows for those who are still working, the ability to work remote on a consistent basis.

“Being able to connect with immigration attorneys and other professionals without having to come here is a blessing,” Van Horn said. “It’s also good to know you can facetime with friends and family. There is a very privileged group of people here who we call ‘digital nomads’ who work virtually. If you can work in Panama making D.C. money, without the winter and the traffic while laying on the beach, that is a big draw.”

Once you are ready to make the move, one of the biggest questions one must answer is what to do with all of their possessions. Van Horn said people don’t realize just how much stuff they have until it is time to move, not to mention moving to a foreign country that you can’t rent a U-Haul and drive to. She said for the most part, people are selling their items like bedroom furniture, televisions and other bulky items. Van Horn recommends you start downsizing years in advance. She said it is like going through a junk drawer in your house.

“When I got ready to move, I underestimated all of the possessions I had and I became a bit overwhelmed,” Van Horn said. “People will store their most prized possessions that they can’t bring with them in either a storage facility or with family and friends. When you buy or rent a house here in Panama, it is almost always furnished unless it is brand new. If it is brand new you can furnish it when you get here or they have these great services for a fee of about $20,000 and the place will be furnished like a model home when you get here. That includes kitchen items, bedroom, living room, bathroom accessories everything. Because if you build a home here in Panama, they won’t even put in light fixtures,” she said with a laugh. “I had to learn the hard way. Ask what all is coming with your newly built home beforehand.”

Van Horn said people should expect to spend at least $10,000 to move to Panama, especially if you are bringing your vehicle from the states with you, because there are taxes that will need to be paid. But for most people the range is $15,000 to $20,000 when it is all said and done. Some of that money can be recouped by selling many of your personal items, like cars and property back in the U.S.

For those considering relocating to Panama and who have young kids, Van Horn said during the pandemic, children were forced to go to school virtually, which opened up avenues there in Panama. She said some people got stuck when the U.S. closed its borders to incoming flights and that those who were in Panama with kids were able to not disrupt their child’s academic career because of virtual learning. She also said there are a number of American and British international learning schools in Panama that could be an option for parents, although they are somewhat expensive.

One question, mostly men ask, is will they be able to watch their favorite sporting events while living abroad. Thankfully the answer is yes. Once again, technology is the savior. With all of the different apps and streaming services on the market now, a person living in Panama will be able to watch just about all of the major American pro and college sports. It could get pricey having to download multiple apps to watch on your computer, which is then connected to a TV via a HDMI cable, but American sports in Panama are not hard to watch. The ESPN family of networks comes in many local cable packages as well. If all else fails, there are also many sports bars in the country that show not just American but international sports.

The most important thing people need to have in order before even considering moving to Panama is proper documentation Van Horn said.  That includes your birth certificates for all family members, your marriage license and other items. Your F.B.I. report will be critical in that it will show not only if you are wanted for a crime, but also if you have a criminal record. Having a criminal record may not disqualify you for a move to Panama, depending on the offense, but a person will need to know their status before they do anything else.

“You have to have a clean F.B.I. report, or you may have to take additional steps to get residency here,” Van Horn said. “Also, I highly recommend taking a cultural relocation tour. I do not subscribe to just coming here and figuring it out because there is too much. There are other tours you can take, but mine is designed specifically for Black Americans.”

It is also recommended that you connect with a legitimate immigration attorney in Panama and perhaps one in the United States to make sure you have all of your bases covered. While a lot of information is available online, it must be vetted for accuracy as laws often change, which is why using a professional is highly recommended.  

“Don’t get here and realize you messed up with your taxes,” Van Horn warns. “Because the IRS is unforgiving. An IRS problem is not a part of my plan. We live in a gated community here with two pools, a fitness center, game room with 24-hour security. We live in a duplex with an HOA at a fraction of what it would cost in the States. It’s a good life, so don’t mess it up.”

Panama recently amended its residency laws for Americans earlier this year. Black expats overwhelmingly use Giovanna Bernal, of Prime Tax and Legal Solutions, according to Van Horn.

Other things to consider are your particular lifestyle. While gay marriage is still illegal in Panama, it is one of the more progressive nations in that region of the world where gay couples won’t feel like a unicorn. But since the marriage will not be recognized legally by the government, that can cause some problems.

Recent events in the U.S., including the heinous murder of 10 African Americans in Buffalo deemed a hate crime, along with the overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the Texas GOP platform that was released last week, in which they want to rollback many of the gains made by people of color, are sparking another round of conversations amongst Black people about leaving the U.S. for good. While those episodes are playing a role, everyday violence in some Black communities also cannot be discounted as a factor for those seeking change.

“I think it is a reality but something we don’t talk about a lot,” Van Horn said. “I think for the most part, the people who are relocating to Panama are not coming from those environments. It’s such a good question because we unintentionally get detached from certain things in our community. Most of the Black expats here in Panama that we see are college-educated, some have an HBCU background and I think the thing that bothers them the most is that they felt targeted by the oppression in the United States. All of their stuff is legit but when the police pull them over, they get scared like everyone else. I think for us to be able to experience that anxiety and then get here and feel the difference, with the heaviness of the United States lifted off of us…some people are retiring early and moving here and giving up five years on their pension just because of the better environment.”

Panama is a diverse nation with both major cities like Santiago, Colon and David, in addition to great rural areas on mountainous terrain. There are also peaceful beach communities like Bocas Del Toro and Coronado that are popular with expats. While it will only benefit you to learn how to speak, read and write Spanish, Van Horn said many people take lessons once they arrive in country and others like her manage with just a few language skills.

To take a tour with Charlotte Van Horn and connect with Black Expats living in Panama via social media, use the following links below:

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/Locks4Ever

IG: www.instagram.com/blackexpatsinpanama_tm

FB Page:    www.facebook.com/blackexpatsinpanama