INVITATIONS

Some participants need a "Letter of invitation" - either to secure funding from their employer / university or as part of a visa application.  If you need a letter of invitation, please email a note to the Academy (info@FulbrightAcademy.org), and we will send you a PDF letter for you. In your note, please tell us why you need the letter of invitation and provide personal details (name, title, address, etc) so that we can get the letter to you as quickly and efficiently as possible.

WEATHER & DRESS

March is "summer" in Panama.  The weather is hot and can be humid too, and so most attendees will be wearing short-sleeved shirts.  When walking on the streets, most locals wear long pants; but you may be more comfortable in shorts. 

We recommend that you bring extra clothes, as you may want to take a quick shower after the morning tours and before the sessions.  The meeting rooms at the hotel are, of course, air-conditioned, so if you are speaking on a panel, you may wish to have slightly more formal dress.

AIRPORT:

Panama City has a major international airport (PTY), with regular flights from many major cities in North & South America and the Caribbean (http://www.tocumenpanama.aero/).

TOURIST CARDS:

Tourist visas (called "Tourist Cards") for most travelers can be purchased at the airport prior to boarding your flight to Panama (the last leg of your flight if your trip requires more than one flight). For example, if you fly from Boston to Atlanta to Panama City, you would buy the Tourist Card in Atlanta. They cost $5.00. If you do not buy it before boarding your flight, you will need to buy it in the Panama City airport just before you get to immigration (where they stamp your passport).

Panama requires visas for people coming from some countries. If you need a letter of invitation, please send a note to the Academy, and we will email you a letter.

HEALTH:

If your trip is only for the conference, it is unlikely that you will need any special vaccines. Detailed information on health issues is available from the US Center for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/travel/camerica.htm).

The Current Weather in Panama