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Living in Panama: Relocation, Residency & Real Estate

Everything Vamos Overseas covers for Panama — residency and citizenship options, property, business and day-to-day life — in one place.

Residence Overview

Compare five Panama residence routes: Qualified Investor, Friendly Nations, Pensionado, Economic Solvency and Macroenterprise Investor. Eligibility and approval depend on the applicable law and individual evidence.

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Minimum Investment

Category-specific investment or pension

Processing Time

Informational guide, not a legal opinion or lawyer-reviewed translation. The official Spanish law prevails. Residence is not citizenship or automatic permission to work. Eligibility, fees and administrative practice can change; confirm your individual case with a licensed Panamanian lawyer before paying or investing.

Residency Programs

Panama Qualified Investor

From B/.300,000 — modality-specific

A permanent-residence investment route governed by the new September 2026 decree. The property type, net equity, origin of funds and five-year maintenance obligations matter more than a headline minimum. This is not a citizenship purchase.

Panama Friendly Nations

Eligible employment or investment B/.200,000

For citizens of eligible friendly nations who establish a qualifying economic link to Panama. The current framework begins with two-year provisional residence; permanent residence requires a further approved application.

Panama Pensionado Residency

B/.1,000/month — lifetime pension; conditional exception

A permanent-residence category for applicants with a qualifying lifetime pension. Documented pension entitlement, the paying institution and family income support must satisfy the official checklist; savings or temporary withdrawals are not the same as a lifetime pension.

Panama Economic Solvency

B/.300,000

Own-means residence based on a qualifying B/.300,000 investment. It is a separate route from Qualified Investor: different deposit figures and a two-year provisional stage apply before a permanent application.

Panama Macroenterprise Investor

B/.160,000

An operating-business investment category, not a small-enterprise or “SEDI” visa. The applicant must substantiate paid share capital and a real compliant company employing five full-time Panamanian workers per investor applicant.

Residence Benefits

Residence, real estate and relocation
Category-specific investment or pension

Path to Citizenship in Panama

Requirements

Appoint a licensed Panamanian lawyer and prepare the application and notarized power of attorney. Confirm the current SNM checklist before signing or travelling.
Provide a complete legible passport copy and the authentication or personal presentation required by SNM; the passport must meet the applicable validity rules.
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.
Prepare a health certificate issued by an authorized professional in Panama, three passport-style photographs and the sworn personal-background declaration.
Keep originals, certified copies and evidence of lawful immigration status available. Entry permission is not a residence permit and does not itself authorize work.

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