Bocas del Toro, Panama Genealogy

Most of your genealogical research for Panama will be in two main record types: civil registration and church records. This article will teach you methods for locating and searching these two record groups.

1. Writing for Civil Registration
Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths began in 1914. Civil registration in Panama officially began on April 15, 1914. At that time, the mayors of districts and villages recorded daily the births, marriages, and deaths occurring within their jurisdiction. In 1974, Civil Registry offices were created within each provincial capital.

Ordering Certificates fro Panama
However, birth, marriage, and death certificates can be requested from overseas by sending a written request and payment ($9) to cover postage and handling. Send request to:
 * Tribunal Electoral de Panama, Registro Civil
 * Apartado 0816-01504
 * Panama, Republica de Panama


 * Telephone: (507) 504-6253

The following information should be included (as much as possible):
 * Birth record - Complete name, date of birth, place of birth, name of parents and national ID (cedula)
 * Marriage record - Complete name of the bride and groom, date of marriage, place, and the national IDs of the bride and groom
 * Death record - Complete name of the deceased, place of death and general information about the person's birth

Ordering Certificates from the U.S. Department of State

 * Copy of Panama Canal Birth or Death Certificate from the U.S. Department of State: instructions

2. Church Records Online

 * 1750-1938 - at FamilySearch Historical Records, index, free, incomplete. Also at Ancestry.com.
 * 1840-1930 - at FamilySearch Historical Records, index, free, incomplete. Also at Ancestry.com.
 * 1800-1950 - at FamilySearch Historical Records, index, free, incomplete. Also at Ancestry.com.
 * 1707-1973 - at FamilySearch Historical Records, index and browsable images, free, incomplete.
 * Panama Canal Zone, Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Records, 1906-1991, index, ($).

3. Microfilm Copies of Church Records Searched at a Family History Center
If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. These microfilms may be viewed at Family History Centers around the world. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Panama, Bocas del Toro.
 * b. Click on "Places within Panama, Bocas del Toro" and a list of towns and cities will open.
 * c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
 * d. Click on "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm. Clicking on the microfilm reel will lead to information on how to rent the film. Family History Center staff will assist you in ordering the film.

4. Writing for Church Records
The population of Panama is predominantly Christian: 86% are Catholics and 10% are Protestants. There are about 1% Jews and Muslims.

Catholic Church
Baptism, marriage, and death records may be searched by contacting a local parish in Panama. Write your request in Spanish whenever possible. Use this address as a guide for addressing your request, replacing the information in parentheses with specifics:


 * Reverendo Padre
 * Parroquia de (name of parish, town name if you don't know the exact name) 
 * (postal code), (city)
 * Panama


 * Find the Panama postal code here.

When requesting information, send the following:


 * Money for the search fee, usually $10.00, and an international reply coupon (IRC)
 * Full name and the sex of the ancestor sought
 * Names of the ancestor’s parents, if known
 * Approximate date and place of the event
 * Your relationship to the ancestor
 * Reason for the request (family history, medical, and so on)
 * Request for a photocopy of the complete original record

Anglican Church

 * Parish addresses for the Anglican Church in Bocas del Toro

How to Write the Letter
'''Write your request in Spanish whenever possible. For writing your letter in Spanish, use the translated questions and phrases in this Spanish Letter-writing Guide.'''

Reading the Records

 * You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this Spanish Genealogical Word List to translate the important points in the document. Handwriting skills are taught in BYU Spanish Script Tutorial.


 * Online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:


 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.