Panama Macroenterprise Investor

Eligibility and legal basis

Decreto Ejecutivo 320/2008, arts. 185–189, Gaceta 26104; the official category is Inversionista de Macroempresa. Panama Digital provides the category checklist. [Gaceta / Panama Digital]

General immigration requirements

1. Appoint a licensed Panamanian lawyer and prepare the application and notarized power of attorney. Confirm the current SNM checklist before signing or travelling. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
2. Provide a complete legible passport copy and the authentication or personal presentation required by SNM; the passport must meet the applicable validity rules. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
3. Obtain a criminal-record certificate from the relevant country of origin or residence, with apostille or consular legalization where required. Ask the lawyer to confirm the accepted issuing jurisdiction and validity period. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
4. Prepare a health certificate issued by an authorized professional in Panama, three passport-style photographs and the sworn personal-background declaration. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
5. Keep originals, certified copies and evidence of lawful immigration status available. Entry permission is not a residence permit and does not itself authorize work. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]

Category-specific checklist

1. Invest at least B/.160,000 per applicant in fully paid registered nominative shares; substantiate actual investment rather than merely authorized capital. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
2. Provide Public Registry company certification, corporate constitution and the required evidence of the applicant’s shareholder/officer role. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
3. Supply the share register/book and certificates showing nominative shares, ownership and fully paid capital. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
4. Obtain a licensed CPA’s certification of the investment and financial evidence required by the official checklist. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
5. Demonstrate CSS payroll for at least five full-time Panamanian workers per applicant, each paid at least the applicable legal minimum wage. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
6. Provide company tax filings, operating documentation and tax/CSS good-standing certificates where required, consistent with the company’s actual activity. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
7. Prove lawful origin, transfer and ownership of the capital; reconcile bank evidence with shares and accounting records. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
8. The initial provisional period is two years; permanent residence requires the prescribed further application and continued qualifying conditions, not an automatic conversion. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
9. Arts. 186–189: the applicant must be sole holder of the shares representing their own qualifying investment. Obtain a notarized secretary/treasurer certification of fully paid shares, not signed by the applicant, and a separate notarized applicant declaration of capital, shares and business activity. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
10. SNM RP3: CSS-authenticated payroll must correspond to a payment within the three months preceding the filing month; include current CSS good standing and positions/activities of the employees. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
11. Provide at least three investment proofs in the company’s name, including the mandatory foreign-transfer bank certification; examples include bank-authenticated deposits, audited accounts, company premises purchase, CPA-detailed expense inventory and customs clearances. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
12. Provide at least three company existence/location proofs in its name: commercial lease, recent utilities, ITBMS or municipal tax evidence, as appropriate, together with the operating notice. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
13. Art. 187: each dependent needs B/.2,000 additional investment/solvency, which may be justified by a local bank reference; also provide responsibility letter, relationship and domicile evidence and applicable adult single-status/study certificates. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]

Conditional documents

1. Several investor applicants increase both the per-applicant capital and worker requirements. Confirm the corporate structure and employee allocation with the lawyer and accountant. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
2. If buying existing shares, supply the capital-gains-tax advance receipt and share-sale agreement. Existing operating companies provide income-tax returns/good standing; newly formed companies provide annual franchise-tax payment and RUC registration. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
3. Art. 190 and SNM RP3 permanent stage: previous requirements except criminal record and cheques, plus company tax good standing, returns with receipts, Planilla 03 and current CSS good standing. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]

Dependents

1. For an eligible spouse or child, provide marriage or birth certificates, relationship evidence, passports and any age, study or financial-dependency evidence required by the chosen category. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
2. Each dependent must meet applicable immigration checks and document formalities. Additional income, investment or government payments differ by category; do not transfer one route’s figures to another. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]

Document formalities and lawful funds

1. Foreign public documents may require apostille or consular legalization; documents not in Spanish require an accepted certified Spanish translation. Confirm treatment of private documents and translator qualifications with counsel. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
2. Validity periods are document- and category-specific. Do not assume every certificate remains valid for six months; obtain current SNM instructions, and for Qualified Investor observe the three-month MICI certification validity. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
3. Prepare bank statements, transfers, tax declarations, sale/inheritance or business-income evidence as relevant. Investment capital and ownership must be traceable; a bank balance alone is not proof of lawful origin. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]

Application process

1. The lawyer checks nationality, family situation, immigration status and the exact investment or pension route before funds are committed. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
2. Collect authenticated documents and financial evidence; complete the investment or pension certification required for the category and submit a complete SNM application. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
3. Respond to official requests for clarification. Approval, residence-card issuance and any separate work authorization depend on the competent authorities. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]
4. Where a two-year provisional stage applies, preserve the qualifying conditions and file the permanent-residence application at the required stage. Qualified Investor maintenance and annual verification remain separate obligations. [SNM / Gaceta / Panama Digital]

Frequently asked questions

Is this a small-enterprise SEDI visa?

No. The B/.160,000 route under arts. 185–189 is officially the macroenterprise investor category.

Can I purchase it at the Economic Solvency price?

No. Macroenterprise has no configured priced service. Use the quote action; other categories’ checkout products must not be substituted.

Official sources

• https://www.panamadigital.gob.pa/InformacionTramite/solicitud-de-permiso-de-residente-permanente-como-inversionista-de-macroempresa
• https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RP3.pdf
• https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/26104/12594.pdf
• https://www.migracion.gob.pa/home/procesosmigratorios/permisosmigratorios/
• https://www.migracion.gob.pa/formularios/