Venezuelans may use expired passports for bank paperwork.

Posted on 2020-02-26

The temporary measure became effective from Tuesday, February 11, and will be applicable until December 12, 2021.

The Panamanian banking system (which involves banks, fiduciary companies, issuers or processors of debit, credit or prepaid cards, among others), will allow Venezuelans to use expired passports - for a period not exceeding three years -, such as a valid and valid identity document to carry out any type of procedure and have access to the services provided by financial companies.

This was established in the general resolution of the Superintendency of Banks (SBP-GJD-0001-2020), published on February 11 of this year.

The measure applies to Venezuelan residents with temporary or permanent immigration procedures who have their passport expired since December 12, 2016.

“Due to the political situation that Venezuela is going through, a large number of passports of people of Venezuelan nationality who are in the Panamanian territory are expired or about to expire and have not been able to be renewed, leading to their immigration status being in irregular state, ”says the text.

The temporary measure became effective from last Tuesday, February 11 and will be applicable until December 12, 2021 in financial companies; leasing companies; factoring companies; the entities that issue means of payment and electronic money; the Agricultural Development Bank; the National Mortgage Bank and the savings and loans for housing corporations, among others.

In Panama it is estimated that there are approximately 94,000 Venezuelans, who have left their country due to the political and humanitarian crisis of recent years.


Source: La Prensa