PanamaInvestor residence permit

Permanent residence by investment in Panama

Residence for those placing capital in the Panamanian economy: a bank deposit, the purchase of property, or both. The money is brought in from abroad and kept in the country for a long time. A temporary permit is issued first, then permanent status once the applicant adds a tax clearance certificate showing no arrears. Formal employment is possible only with a separate permit. A spouse and children are included in the application as dependants.

Source: Servicio Nacional de Migración (Panamá) — Permisos Migratorios

Which form of investment to choose

Economic solvency is evidenced in three ways — the choice affects which documents you gather, not the overall investment threshold.

Bank deposit holders

Are prepared to keep the whole amount on a fixed-term deposit with a Panamanian bank for several years running
Do not wish to deal with buying and maintaining property
Can document that the money for the deposit came from abroad

Property buyers

Are prepared to buy an asset in their own name, free of encumbrances
Want to hold an asset in Panama rather than simply keep money on deposit
Where the property costs more than the threshold, are prepared to fund the balance with a mortgage from a Panamanian bank

Those combining a deposit and property

Split the investment between a deposit and a property asset
Are not prepared to put the whole threshold into a single instrument
Gather both sets of supporting documents at once — the bank one and the Public Registry one

When the programme will not suit

There is no large sum free for a deposit or property, but there is smaller capital to invest in a particular sector

Sector investor categories with a lower threshold — forestry investor, for instance (permanent status from 80,000 balboa, temporary from 60,000 balboa) or agricultural investor (from 60,000 balboa).

The main source of income is a pension or a regular annuity rather than a single large sum to invest

The Pensioner or pension recipient category (a pension of no less than 1,000 balboa a month) or the Annuitant category (income from interest on a deposit with Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros of no less than 2,000 balboa a month).

Formal employment in Panama is planned

A separate work permit from the Ministry of Labour, or a residence category tied to an employment contract — economic solvency in itself confers no right to work.

You want not merely to hold money on deposit or in an asset, but to invest it in an operating business with Panamanian jobs

The macro-enterprise investor category (capital from 160,000 balboa per applicant, with a mandatory Panamanian workforce) or the investor category for the Panamá-Pacífico zone and export zones (from 250,000 balboa).

What it costs

Investment: a fixed-term deposit with a Panamanian bankfor at least three years, free of encumbrances, with the money arriving from abroad; this is not a government fee but a sum that remains the applicant's own property	300 000 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)
Investment: the purchase of property in the applicant's own namean alternative to the deposit for the same amount: the asset is free of encumbrances; where it costs more, the balance may be funded by a mortgage from a Panamanian bank	300 000 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)
Fee to the National Treasurya cheque paid when applying for the temporary permit; not charged at the permanent status stage	250 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)
Repatriation deposit in favour of the Immigration Servicea cheque paid when applying for the temporary permit; not charged at the permanent status stage	800 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)
Permanent resident plastic card (carné)	100 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)
Additional proof of solvency for each dependantadded to the threshold amount for each dependant included in the application	+2 000 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Additional proof of solvency for each dependant” adds 2 000 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar); the “Investment: the purchase of property in the applicant's own name” branch replaces the “Investment: a fixed-term deposit with a Panamanian bank” line — 301 150 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar). Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	301,150–303 150 USD (the decree states the amounts in Panamanian balboa, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar)

Paid separately

Notarisation of the power of attorney, the application and copies of documents — the fee is set by the notary; the department does not publish it
Apostille or consular legalisation of documents issued abroad — required by the decree for documents not issued in Panama; the cost is set by the issuing authority
Translation of documents into Spanish by an official translator — mandatory for documents not in Spanish; the translator's rate is not regulated by the decree

Documents to gather

The basic pack is the same for all three subcategories and is then supplemented according to the form of investment chosen.

A notarised power of attorney and application
Three photographs
A certified copy of the passport
A certificate of no criminal record — for the temporary permit only
A medical certificate — for the temporary permit only
A completed declaration of personal details
A bank certificate confirming a fixed-term deposit from 300,000 balboa for three years, free of encumbrances, with the money coming from abroad — for the deposit route
A bank-certified copy of the deposit certificate — for the deposit route
An extract from the Public Registry evidencing ownership of property from 300,000 balboa, free of encumbrances, with proof that the money originated abroad — for the property route
Both sets of documents — the bank one and the Public Registry one — for the mixed route, totalling 300,000 balboa
A cheque for 250 balboa to the National Treasury and a cheque for 800 balboa (the repatriation deposit) to the Immigration Service — for the temporary permit only
At the permanent status stage — a tax clearance certificate showing no arrears (paz y salvo) instead of the criminal record certificate and the cheques
For dependants — a notarised letter of responsibility from the applicant, proof of the relationship (apostilled or legalised), proof of the address of residence, and for children aged 18–25 additionally certificates of not being married and of full-time study

How the process runs

The application is filed by a Panamanian lawyer under a power of attorney; the procedure consists of two consecutive permits — temporary and permanent.

1
Opening the deposit or acquiring property for the required amount
deposit — from three years
The money must arrive from abroad. For the deposit — a deposit with a bank holding a general licence, free of encumbrances; for property — acquiring the asset in the applicant's own name, free of encumbrances, or through a private foundation or a joint-stock company with registered shares. Under the mixed arrangement the amount is split between the deposit and the asset.
2
Assembling the personal pack of documents
A notarised power of attorney and application, photographs, a certified copy of the passport, a criminal record certificate, a medical certificate, a declaration of personal details, plus a bank certificate for the deposit or an extract from the Public Registry for the property and proof that the money originated abroad.
3
Filing the application for the temporary permit and paying the fees
The pack is filed by a Panamanian lawyer under a power of attorney with the National Immigration Service, together with a cheque to the National Treasury and a cheque (the repatriation deposit) to the Immigration Service itself.
4
The Immigration Service issues the temporary resident permit
A provisional PPT-SEP document is issued under the relevant subcategory — deposit, property or mixed investment.
5
Registration with the Register of Foreign Nationals
Mandatory for everyone granted resident status, whether temporary or permanent.
6
Filing the pack for permanent status
The same pack of documents as for the temporary permit, but without the criminal record certificate and without the cheques — a tax clearance certificate showing no arrears (paz y salvo) is added instead.
7
The Immigration Service issues the permanent resident card
The final PRP-SEP document is issued under the same subcategory as at the first stage.

Timelines and rights

Validity

A temporary permit comes first (PPT-SEP), then the permanent one (PRP-SEP). For the permanent permit the same pack is filed without the criminal record certificate and the cheques, with a paz y salvo tax clearance certificate added.

Work

A work permit is a separate document issued by the Ministry of Labour (MITRADEL). The immigration requirements sheet does not confer the right to work.

Who you can bring with you

Dependants are included in the same application — they need no deposit or property of their own, but additional documents and an additional amount are required.

Spouse and children under 18

A notarised letter of responsibility from the applicant, proof of the relationship (apostilled or legalised), proof of place of residence — a utility bill or a tenancy agreement.

Children aged 18–25

In addition to the pack for children under 18 — a certificate of not being married and a certificate of full-time study.

Any dependant included

Evidenced solvency of 2,000 balboa for each is added to the basic investment — a separate requirement of the decree, not a mere formality.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

A temporary permit is issued first. The permanent one is applied for under the same requirements of article 192, but without the criminal record certificate and without the cheques, and with a paz y salvo tax clearance certificate instead.

Route to citizenship

Naturalisation is applied for once the permanent resident card is held. The period of residence is set by article 10 of the Constitution — five, three or two years depending on the provision. Renunciation of the previous nationality is required in writing and irrevocably.

Frequently asked questions about Permanent residence by investment

Does this programme confer the right to work in Panama?

No. The economic solvency requirements contain no work permit — unlike employment residence categories, where it is set out as a separate item. The right to work as an employee is obtained separately from the Ministry of Labour and Social Development (MITRADEL); immigration status in itself confers no such right.

What is the difference between the deposit, the property and the mixed investment?

The threshold is the same for all three options; only the form of the investment changes: a fixed-term bank deposit, the purchase of property in the applicant's own name, or a combination of the two, with the amount split between the deposit and the asset.

Can the property be registered to a private foundation or a company rather than to me personally?

Yes. If the asset is registered to a private foundation (fundación de interés privado), the applicant must be its founder, and the applicant or their dependants must be the beneficiaries, and this must be apparent from the Public Registry extract. If the asset is registered to a joint-stock company, the shares must be registered shares held by the applicant or a dependant — bearer shares are not accepted.

What if the property costs more than the threshold?

If the applicant has already paid a liquid amount equal to the threshold and the asset itself costs more, the balance may be funded by a mortgage loan from a local Panamanian bank. This option does not apply to the mixed subcategory (deposit plus property).

Do dependants have to evidence their own solvency separately?

There is no separate deposit or property, but 2,000 balboa of solvency for each dependant included is added to the total investment, and a letter of responsibility from the applicant, proof of the relationship and of the address are required, along with certificates of not being married and of full-time study for children aged 18–25.

Other ways to move to Panama

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Panama.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.