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Panama residency for founders and investors

Panamanian permanent residence lets foreigners live in Panama indefinitely, reached through routes such as Friendly Nations, Qualified Investor or the pensioner visa. Since September 2026 the Qualified Investor route follows Executive Decree 17, which kept B/. 300,000 for new property. It suits founders, investors and retirees with income from abroad.

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Friendly Nations is open only to nationals of a closed list of countries set by decree, which includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and many European states; Ecuador was added on 31 August 2026. Applicants show an economic tie: a job with a Panamanian employer, property worth at least B/. 200,000, or a three-year fixed deposit of at least B/. 200,000 with a Panamanian bank. The Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM) first grants two years of provisional residence, after which permanent residence is requested. The status does not replace a work permit from the Ministry of Labour.

The Qualified Investor route was rewritten by Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026, which replaced the 2020 decree. New property bought from the developer still qualifies from B/. 300,000, resale property from B/. 500,000, investments through a licensed Panamanian broker from B/. 500,000, and fixed deposits from B/. 750,000, or B/. 500,000 at Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros. Funds must be your own, of foreign origin and traceable, and the investment has to be kept for five years.

The decree sets maximum processing times: 15 working days for the Ministry of Commerce and Industries to certify the investment once the file is admitted, and 30 working days for the SNM decision. Applications filed before 16 September 2026 follow the old rules, and binding investments made earlier can use them if the application is filed within six months.

Pensioners with a lifetime pension of at least B/. 1,000 a month qualify for a separate permanent permit. Every route is filed by a Panamanian attorney under a notarised power of attorney; licensed attorneys and tax advisers give the advice, while Redomiciled coordinates documents and timing.

Who it suits

  • Nationals of listed countries

    Friendly Nations offers a path to permanent residence with a moderate property purchase or deposit, or a Panamanian job.

  • Investors wanting permanence quickly

    The Qualified Investor route leads straight to permanent residence, with deadlines set in the decree.

  • Retirees

    A lifetime pension from a government, international organisation or private company can qualify you.

  • Founders with foreign income

    Territorial taxation means income from outside Panama is generally not taxed there.

Requirements

  • Panamanian attorney and power of attorney

    Applications are filed through a lawyer holding a notarised power of attorney, which must state the names and nationality of your parents.

    Required

  • Passport

    A certified copy, notarised or authenticated.

    Required

  • Criminal record certificate

    Apostilled or legalised, with a translation into Spanish.

    Required

  • Health certificate

    Listed by the SNM for every route covered here.

    Required

  • Proof of the qualifying tie

    Employment documents, a Public Registry certificate for property, a bank certificate for the deposit, investment certificates or a pension certificate, depending on the route.

    Required

  • Work permit

    Needed separately from the Ministry of Labour if you intend to work for a Panamanian employer.

    Depends on your case

Documents

  • Notarised power of attorney and applicationSigned in favour of your Panamanian attorney.
  • Certified passport copyNotarised or authenticated.
  • Criminal record certificate (apostilled)Recent, with a Spanish translation.
  • Health certificatePart of the standard SNM file.
  • Sworn statement of personal backgroundThe SNM's own form.
  • Evidence of investment, employment or pensionFor example a Public Registry certificate, bank deposit certificate, broker certificate or pension award letter.

Timeline

  1. 1Choose the routeCheck your nationality against the Friendly Nations list and compare it with the investor and pensioner routes.
  2. 2Prepare documents abroadObtain the criminal record certificate and civil records, apostille them and have them translated into Spanish.
  3. 3Make the investment or establish the tieBuy the property, place the deposit or investment through a Panamanian institution, or sign the employment contract.
  4. 4File the applicationYour attorney files with the SNM; Qualified Investor files are first certified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries and can be lodged before you arrive in Panama.
  5. 5Registration and residence cardQualified Investors complete biometric registration with the SNM before any card is issued. Friendly Nations holders apply for permanent residence when the two-year provisional permit ends.

Tax notes

  • Panama taxes citizens and residents on Panamanian-source income only. Income generated outside Panama is generally not taxed there, and interest on savings and time deposits at banks established in Panama is exempt.
  • Rates on Panamanian-source income are 0% up to USD 11,000, 15% up to USD 50,000 and 25% above, with no local income taxes.
  • PwC describes a tax resident as someone physically present and generating income in Panama for more than 183 days in a year. Holding a residence card does not by itself end your tax residence elsewhere.
  • If you will earn income in Panama, from employment, a local company or Panamanian property, a licensed Panamanian tax adviser should review the position before you arrive.

General information, not tax advice. Your position depends on your circumstances.

Banking fit

  • Friendly Nations deposits and Qualified Investor deposits are made with Panamanian banks, so banking and immigration planning go together.
  • Banks decide independently after their own checks; a residence permit helps but is not decisive.
  • Start with our banking assessment if banking, rather than residence, is your main goal.

Questions

How do I get residency in Panama?

Choose a route, prepare apostilled documents and file through a Panamanian attorney. Friendly Nations applicants show a job, property or deposit and receive two years of provisional residence first; Qualified Investors and pensioners apply for permanent residence directly.

Is Panama's Friendly Nations visa still available?

Yes. As of October 2026 it operates under Executive Decree 416 of 2012 as amended in 2021, and Ecuador was added in August 2026. Applicants need a Panamanian job, property of at least B/. 200,000 or a three-year deposit of the same amount.

How much do I need to invest for Panama's Qualified Investor visa?

From B/. 300,000 for new property bought from the developer, B/. 500,000 for resale property or securities through a licensed Panamanian broker, and B/. 750,000 for a fixed deposit, reduced to B/. 500,000 at Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros. The investment must be held for five years.

What changed for the Qualified Investor visa in 2026?

Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 replaced the 2020 regime. It separates new and resale property, adds a lower deposit threshold at state banks, requires traceable own funds held for five years and sets maximum processing times for the ministry and the SNM.

Can I work in Panama with residency?

Residence and the right to work are separate. Friendly Nations status, for example, does not replace a work permit from the Ministry of Labour, so employees of Panamanian companies need that permit as well.

Can residency lead to Panamanian citizenship?

The Qualified Investor decree allows investors and their dependants to apply for naturalisation after five consecutive years of residence, subject to the constitutional requirements. Other routes follow the general naturalisation rules, which a Panamanian attorney can explain for your case.

More in Panama

Other residency programmes

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Sources

  1. Servicio Nacional de Migración: Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 on the Qualified Investor subcategory (Gaceta Oficial 30613, 16 September 2026), retrieved 2026-10-25
  2. Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI): Panama widens the Qualified Investor programme (21 September 2026), retrieved 2026-10-25
  3. Servicio Nacional de Migración: requirements for provisional and permanent residence as nationals of specific (friendly) countries, Executive Decree 226 of 2021, retrieved 2026-10-25
  4. Servicio Nacional de Migración: Executive Decree 16 of 31 August 2026 adding Ecuador to the Friendly Nations list (Gaceta Oficial 30601-B), retrieved 2026-10-25
  5. Servicio Nacional de Migración: requirements for the retiree and pensioner permit, retrieved 2026-10-25
  6. PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Panama, taxes on personal income (reviewed 4 August 2026), retrieved 2026-10-25
  7. PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Panama, residence (reviewed 4 August 2026), retrieved 2026-10-25
  8. KPMG: Panama economic substance law for foreign-source passive income, retrieved 2026-10-27
  9. Chambers: Law 526 of 2026, economic substance rules in Panama, retrieved 2026-10-27
  10. Kraemer & Kraemer: Friendly Nations employment requirements after Decree 197 of 2021, retrieved 2026-10-27
  11. Expanship: Panama corporate tax, retrieved 2026-10-27
  12. Expanship: incorporation requirements in Panama, retrieved 2026-10-27
  13. Expanship: Panama company privacy and the beneficial owner registry, retrieved 2026-10-27
  14. Chambers: Doing Business In Panama 2026, retrieved 2026-10-27

Reviewed by the Redomiciled team on .

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