Paperwork in Panama: the vocabulary
Paperwork vocabulary is what strands a newcomer fastest: one window, one form and three acronyms nobody explains. These are the words that show up in a rental contract, on a payroll slip or in line at an institution, defined in plain Panamanian with the English equivalent beside them. This is not legal advice: it is knowing what you are being asked for.
45 entries in this list
abanderamiento
Registering a foreign ship under the Panamanian flag.
acudiente
The adult legally responsible for a student before the school: signs the grades, receives the summons, answers for them.
aguinaldo
The gift or bonus some companies give in December, on top of the décimo, which is required by law.
aseo
Garbage collection and the fee charged for it.
aviso de operación
The mandatory business registration filed with the Ministry of Commerce to operate any business in Panama.
balboa
Panama's official currency, pegged one-to-one with the U.S.
boletín
The report card the acudiente has to sign and return.
canasta básica
The official list of basic foods with its monthly cost, published and updated by the government.
carné de salud
A Ministry of Health document certifying that a person may handle food or serve the public.
carta de trabajo
An employer letter stating position, salary and length of service.
cédula
Panama's national ID document, issued by the Electoral Tribunal.
cédula juvenil
The ID document for minors, issued by the Electoral Tribunal just like the adult cédula.
colegio
Secondary school.
comarca
A Panamanian political-administrative division with indigenous autonomy, ranking alongside a province.
contrato definido
A contract with an end date, as opposed to the open-ended kind.
corregiduría
It was the corregidor's office, which handles minor offenses and neighbor disputes: noise, boundaries, fights, small debts.
corregimiento
Panama's smallest political-administrative unit, below the district.
décimo
A mandatory bonus equal to one extra month of salary, paid in three installments a year (April, August and December).
descuento directo
A loan repaid by deducting it from wages before they reach the account.
diputado
An elected member of the National Assembly for a circuit.
fondo de cesantía
A fund employers are required to maintain to back the seniority premium and severance owed to workers.
idoneidad
The official license to practice a regulated profession in Panama (lawyer, doctor, engineer, accountant).
ITBMS
Panama's value-added tax on the transfer of goods and services.
jubilado
A status achieved by age and other criteria, carrying legally mandated discounts on transport, restaurants, medicine, utilities and entertainment.
junta comunal
The local governing body of a corregimiento, chaired by its representative.
ley seca
A temporary ban on selling alcohol, applied around elections and on certain days of Holy Week.
licencia de conducir
The driving permit issued by the ATTT, with categories by vehicle type and periodic renewal.
liquidación
The final settlement when an employment relationship ends: seniority premium, unused vacation, prorated décimo and, for unfair dismissal, severance.
notaría
The office where signatures and documents are notarized.
paz y salvo
A certificate confirming that a person or company has no outstanding debts with a given entity (tax authority, municipality, water utility).
placa
The vehicle registration, renewed yearly by paying the municipal circulation tax and presenting the inspection certificate.
planilla
A company's payroll.
por cuenta propia
Working with no employer and off the payroll.
preaviso
The advance notice one party owes the other before ending a contract.
premedia
The three years between primary school and bachillerato, seventh through ninth grade.
prima de antigüedad
A payment owed to a worker for time served when an open-ended contract ends, whether they quit or are dismissed.
recibo de la luz
The electricity bill, which spikes in Panama's dry season because of air conditioning and is a permanent political issue because of the subsidies.
récord policivo
A certificate that a person has no criminal record.
representante de corregimiento
The lowest-level elected official and the closest to people: chairs the community board of their corregimiento and manages local funds.
revisado
The mandatory annual vehicle inspection, without which the license plate cannot be renewed.
riesgos profesionales
Social Security coverage for work-caused accidents and illness.
RUC
The number identifying each taxpayer before the tax authority.
salario mínimo
Panama has no single minimum wage: it is set by region, economic activity and company size, and revised periodically by decree.
sociedad anónima
Panama's signature corporate vehicle, governed by Law 32 of 1927.
vacaciones
The paid leave Panamanian law grants per year worked, more generous than in much of the region (1 month per each 11 worked months).