The Consulate General of Panama in Ho Chi Minh City is at 7A Le Thanh Ton Street, Sai Gon Ward (the old District 1 centre), phone +84 28 3825 0334. It does not publish fixed opening hours, so call before you go. Alongside the embassy in Hanoi, it is Panama’s consular post for southern Vietnam and the place Panamanian citizens contact about lost documents and consular assistance. Info Travel – based in Ho Chi Minh City – helps Panamanian nationals with Vietnamese visas, temporary residence cards, exit procedures, apostille/legalisation and certified translations; WhatsApp +84327828822.
Contact details of the Consulate General of Panama in Ho Chi Minh City
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 7A Le Thanh Ton Street, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City (per Google Maps; older listings say District 1) |
| Phone | +84 28 3825 0334 |
| No published email we could verify – ask by phone | |
| Website | No dedicated site; Panama MFA directory: mire.gob.pa |
| Opening hours | Not published – confirm by phone (normally closed weekends and holidays) |
| Jurisdiction | Not officially published; in practice the contact point for Panamanians in the south |
No. 7A sits at the start of Le Thanh Ton, close to Ton Duc Thang Street and the Ba Son area. Traffic is heavy at rush hour, so a taxi or ride-hailing car is easiest – make sure the driver has “7A”.
Consular services for Panamanian citizens
Panama does not publish a service list for its Ho Chi Minh City post. Wikipedia lists it as a career Consulate General (not an honorary consulate and not a Panama Maritime Authority office). Citizens typically contact it to:
- report a lost passport and obtain a document to travel home;
- get help after an accident, hospital admission or detention in the southern provinces;
- have documents for use in Panama certified, where the post is authorised to do so;
- ask about Panamanian visas for Vietnamese family members.
Ask first which matters can be handled in Ho Chi Minh City and which must go to Hanoi or Panama.
What to know before you visit
- There is no published online booking system – phone to arrange a time.
- Visitor feedback on Google Maps describes quick, friendly service once you have arranged a visit, although there are only a handful of reviews.
- Bring your Panamanian passport, Vietnamese visa or residence card and copies of the documents involved.
- The office closes on Vietnamese public holidays and Panamanian national days.
- Be ready to communicate in Spanish or English.
What foreigners typically need help with
Panamanians in the south are mostly tourists, seafarers, employees of foreign companies or spouses of Vietnamese citizens. Common situations:
Passport lost while travelling. Obtain a loss report from the ward police where it happened. After the Panamanian authorities issue a replacement, you still need a new visa or exit clearance from the HCMC Immigration Office, because your visa disappeared with the old passport.
Switching to a new passport. Long-term visas and temporary residence cards do not move across automatically – a transfer application is required. Short-stay visitors can get a visa extension or an e-visa.
Marriage and work papers. Panamanian single-status letters, degrees and police certificates need an apostille and a notarised translation before Vietnamese authorities accept them.
Powers of attorney for Panama. Ask the consulate about signature certification; otherwise sign before a Vietnamese notary and obtain an apostille.
Help with Panamanian passports in Vietnam
We could not verify whether the Ho Chi Minh City consulate accepts passport applications. Biometric passports normally have to be applied for in Panama or at a post with fingerprint equipment, while an emergency travel document may be available in urgent cases. Call the consulate or the embassy in Hanoi for current instructions.
Meanwhile, Info Travel keeps your stay legal (extension or new visa), transfers your visa or residence card to the new passport, handles exit procedures if you leave on a travel document, and translates and certifies supporting papers. You attend in person whenever the Panamanian side requires; we assist only within what the consulate allows.
Consular legalisation, MOFA/DOFA certification and certified translation
Vietnam acceded to the Apostille Convention on 31 December 2025, in force from 11 September 2026; Panama has been a party since 1991 and raised no objection. Apostille is therefore the main route and legalisation is the fallback. In Ho Chi Minh City, apostilles for Vietnamese documents are issued by the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs. Background: apostille vs consular legalisation.
a) Panamanian documents for Vietnam: apostille in Panama, then a notarised Vietnamese translation. Fallback: legalisation by the Vietnamese mission accredited to Panama, or certification by a Panamanian mission in Vietnam (where offered) followed by legalisation at the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs or the Consular Department in Hanoi – unless exempted under an international treaty.
b) Vietnamese documents for Panama: apostille at the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs or the Consular Department, with a Spanish translation if requested. If the Panamanian recipient still asks for legalisation, use consular certification plus legalisation at a Panamanian mission.
Info Travel offers the full package – translation, notarisation, apostille or DOFA stamp, submission and collection. Details: consular legalisation in Vietnam; quotes on WhatsApp.
Embassy of Panama in Hanoi
The embassy is in the HCO Building, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi (+84 24 3936 5213) and also covers Malaysia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. See our guide to the Embassy of Panama in Hanoi.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Panamanian consulate in Ho Chi Minh City?
At 7A Le Thanh Ton Street, Sai Gon Ward, near Ton Duc Thang Street and Ba Son.
What are the consulate’s opening hours?
They are not published; call +84 28 3825 0334 to arrange a visit.
Where do Panamanians in HCMC extend a Vietnamese visa?
At the HCMC Immigration Office or via the national Immigration Department – the consulate does not issue Vietnamese visas. Info Travel can prepare and file the application.
Do I have to travel to Hanoi?
It depends. Apostilles on Vietnamese documents are available in Ho Chi Minh City; for Panamanian consular matters, ask first where the application is accepted.
Full list: foreign embassies in Vietnam.
Info Travel – visa solutions for foreigners in Vietnam
📞 WhatsApp/Zalo: +84327828822 – Hotline: +84903782118
📍 Tini Building, 152–154 Vo Van Kiet, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
