PanamaDigital nomad visa

Remote worker visa in Panama

This visa allows an employee of a foreign company or a self-employed professional to live lawfully in Panama while continuing to work remotely for clients abroad. It falls into the non-resident category and is designed for those whose work takes effect outside the country. The holder may work remotely without any additional permits from other Panamanian departments. In return the law requires a written undertaking not to work with Panamanian companies, residents or tourists. The visa is issued for a limited term with one renewal available on the same pack of documents.

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

Who can apply for the remote worker visa

Panama recognises two remote worker statuses — which of them applies to you determines the set of documents.

Employee of a foreign company

You work under a contract with a foreign multinational company
The duties of the post are performed and take effect outside Panama
The employer confirms the position, the income and the remote working arrangements by letter

Self-employed or independent professional

You work as a self-employed teleworker, without a Panamanian employer
You operate through your own company registered abroad
You evidence your relationships with clients by a notarised statement rather than an employer's letter

When the programme will not suit

The work takes effect inside Panama — services to local companies, residents or tourists

A different employment category with a work permit from a Panamanian employer is needed: this visa expressly prohibits such activity and requires a sworn undertaking to refrain from it.

Income from abroad falls below the prescribed annual and monthly minimum

The threshold is not reduced in any circumstances — on a lower income it is worth looking at other non-resident categories with different financial conditions.

A route to permanent residence or Panamanian citizenship is needed

This visa falls into the non-resident category and does not in itself convert into permanent status — a separate residence programme will be required.

What it costs

Fee for consideration of the applicationIn favour of the National Immigration Service; stated in Panamanian balboa (B/.), which are equivalent to the US dollar 1:1	250 USD
Immigration card (carné)Paid once the application is approved	50 USD
Renewal for volunteers on social programmes and participants in student exchangesFor foreign nationals providing free social services under agreements with the state, with patronages or with NGOs recognised by the Ministry of Finance, and for participants in student exchanges — no charge for immigration services is levied on renewal	0 USD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. the “Renewal for volunteers on social programmes and participants in student exchanges” branch replaces the “Fee for consideration of the application” line — 50 USD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	300 USD

Paid separately

Panamanian lawyer's fees for drawing up the power of attorney — The cost is not regulated by the immigration service and is set by the lawyer
Notarisation and legalisation of documents — Paid separately to the notary or the consulate; not included in the immigration service fee
Health insurance and the medical certificate — The cost of the policy and of the health certificate is set by the insurer and the clinic, not by the immigration service

Documents to gather

The list applies both to the first filing and to the renewal of the visa.

A notarised power of attorney and the visa application (stating the names and nationality of the applicant's parents)
Three photographs
A certified copy of the passport (notarised or certified by a consulate)
A certificate of no criminal record
A medical certificate of health
A completed sworn declaration of personal details
A statement undertaking to pay the cost of return or repatriation if required
A health insurance policy valid in Panama for the whole period of stay
A certificate of registration of the foreign company in its place of incorporation (for employees)
A letter from the employer on company letterhead — with the applicant's details, the position, income of no less than 3,000 balboa a month and a statement of the remote working arrangements (for employees)
For the self-employed, instead of the employer's letter — proof of their own foreign company and a notarised statement about their relationships with clients
Proof of income from abroad — a bank certificate or a statement bearing the stamps of the sending bank
A sworn statement declining to accept work or commissions from Panamanian companies, residents or tourists
A receipt for payment of the fee in favour of the National Immigration Service

How the process runs

The order is assembled from the requirements of the decree — there is no single step-by-step instruction on the immigration service website.

1
Evidencing remote worker status
The applicant shows that they work under a contract with a foreign multinational company or operate as a self-employed teleworker, that the effect of their work arises outside Panama and that income from abroad amounts to at least 36,000 balboa a year.
2
Assembling personal documents
The applicant prepares a notarised power of attorney and an application with details of their parents, three photographs, a certified copy of the passport, a criminal record certificate, a medical certificate, a sworn declaration of personal details and a health insurance policy for the whole period of stay.
3
Evidencing income and the employer or one's own business
An employee attaches a certificate of registration of the foreign company and an employer's letter about the position, the income and the remote working arrangements; the self-employed attach proof of their own foreign company and a notarised statement about their relationships with clients. Income from abroad is evidenced by a bank certificate or by a statement bearing the stamps of the sending bank.
4
Filing the application and declining local work
A sworn statement declining to accept work or commissions from Panamanian companies, residents and tourists is attached to the pack, and the fee in favour of the National Immigration Service is paid.
5
Getting the visa and the immigration card
Once approved, the applicant pays for the card and receives the visa, which confers the right to live and work remotely in Panama without permits from other departments.

Timelines and rights

Work

The visa allows remote work from Panama: no permits from other departments are needed. Accepting work or commissions from Panamanian companies, residents or tourists is prohibited — this is confirmed by a sworn statement.

Renewal and the grace period

The renewal is filed under the same requirements as the first application, including proof of income from abroad. The visa may be renewed only once, for the same term. The exception is foreign nationals providing free social services under agreements with the state, with patronages or with NGOs recognised by the Ministry of Finance, and participants in student exchanges working as remote workers: they are granted that single renewal for the same term without paying the charge for immigration services.

Frequently asked questions about Remote worker visa

Can I work for a Panamanian company or its clients on this visa?

No. The work must take effect outside Panama, and the applicant signs a sworn statement that they will not accept work or commissions from Panamanian companies, residents or tourists.

Which documents does a freelancer need instead of an employer's letter?

Instead of a certificate of registration of the foreign employing company and a letter from it, the self-employed file proof that their own foreign company exists and a notarised statement describing their relationships with clients: which services they provide, how much they are paid for them and where the money comes from.

How do I evidence that the income really comes from abroad?

Either by a bank certificate confirming that the income arrives from abroad and relates to the declared work, or by a statement from a foreign bank or a local bank bearing the stamps of the sending bank confirming the transfer of funds.

What happens when the visa expires — can it be renewed?

Yes, but only once, for the same term and on the same pack of documents as at the first filing. Volunteers on social programmes and participants in student exchanges who work remotely receive that single renewal without paying the charge for immigration services.

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.