Panama
Qualified Investor Visa
Minimum investment
USD 300,000
Processing time
3-4 months
Physical presence
no minimum stay or relocation requirement; holders must visit Panama at least once every 2 years to maintain the status
- Investment route
- •Real estate purchase in Panama, free of liens, minimum USD 300,000 (this reduced threshold under Executive Decree 193's extension expires 15 October 2026, after which it permanently rises to USD 500,000)
- •Panamanian Stock Market investment through a licensed local broker, minimum USD 500,000
- •Fixed-term bank deposit with a Panamanian bank, minimum USD 750,000, held at least 5 years
- Investment breakdown
- •established by Executive Decree No. 722 (15 October 2020) and significantly updated by Executive Decree No. 193 (15 October 2024)
- •the qualifying investment must be maintained for at least 5 years across all three routes
- •the program grants immediate permanent residency with no temporary or provisional phase
- Additional fees
- •government and legal processing fees apply on top of the qualifying investment
- •applicant must open a Panamanian bank account and pass anti-money-laundering screening before filing, which can require several years of financial records (tax returns, bank statements, dividend or inheritance documentation)
- Eligibility
- •18+
- •Clean criminal record
- •Verifiable source of funds
- Due diligence
- clean criminal record, lawful source of funds verified through the sponsoring Panamanian bank's anti-money-laundering screening, and standard National Immigration Service due diligence
- Family inclusion
- spouse and dependent children
- Path to citizenship
- eligible to apply for citizenship after 5 years of holding permanent residence, requiring Spanish-language proficiency and demonstrated local ties
- Renewal
- •permanent residence is granted immediately and does not itself expire
- •the qualifying investment must be maintained for the first 5 years
- Dual citizenship
- Fully permitted — Panama allows dual and multiple citizenship
- Key benefits
- •One of the fastest routes to permanent (not temporary) residency of any program worldwide
- •Panama's territorial tax system means foreign-sourced income is not taxed
- Taxation
- •territorial tax system — only Panama-sourced income is taxed
- •foreign-sourced income, including from investments held abroad, is generally not taxed
Application process
- 1.select the investment route
- 2.submit application to the National Immigration Service with proof of investment
- 3.complete due diligence
- 4.permanent residence card issued