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Residency pathway · Panama

Move to Panama.
Territorial tax.
A real residency card.

Panama's Código Fiscal taxes only income produced inside Panamanian territory, and its Qualified Investor permit must be decided within 30 business days. MoveToPanama walks you through the permit categories the SNM actually publishes, the thresholds written in the decrees, and the filing sequence — so you arrive with a plan, not a rumour.

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Official thresholds / Vetted local lawyers / Exit Global review
Your residency file, organisedExample
My residency file🔒
🌍 Home country🇵🇦 Panama

One destination. One organised file.

Every document the authority will ask for, in order.
Example checklist3 of 4 added
🛂
Passport + photosValidity checked against the rule
✓
📜
Police clearance, apostilledFrom every country of recent residence
✓
🏦
Proof of funds / incomeMatched to the category threshold
✓
🩺
Health coverAdd it when available
PENDING
Know what you have. See what's next.Less guesswork. Fewer rejected files.
At a glance

Panama in four numbers

Figures are quoted from the official pages linked on each card. Checked 8 September 2026.

Tax system
Territorial

Taxable income is income produced within the territory of the Republic of Panama (Código Fiscal Art. 694, as amended by Ley 8 de 2010).

Official source ↗
Presence to keep residency
1 visit / 2 years

MICI's Qualified Investor guidance: visit Panama at least once every two years to keep permanent residency.

Official source ↗
Time to a decision
30 business days

Statutory deadline for the Qualified Investor permit (Decreto Ejecutivo 722/2020, Art. 8). Other categories carry no published deadline.

Official source ↗
Citizenship
5 years

Naturalisation after 5 years' residence; 3 years if married to a Panamanian, parent of a Panamanian child, or a national of a reciprocity country.

Official source ↗
Why people choose Panama

The honest case.
And who it isn't for.

No destination is right for everyone. These are the reasons people actually choose Panama — and the situations where we would tell you to look elsewhere.

Only Panama-source income is taxed

Article 694 of the Código Fiscal defines taxable income as income produced within Panamanian territory. Salaries, dividends, interest and gains from assets and activities outside Panama sit outside the Panamanian tax net. Local income is taxed at 0% up to B/.11,000, 15% to B/.50,000 and 25% above (Art. 700).

Dollarised, banked, connected

The balboa is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and US notes circulate as legal tender, so there is no currency-conversion layer in daily life. Panama City is a regional banking centre and Tocumen airport is the main hub for connections across the Americas.

Written thresholds, written deadlines

The residency routes are set out in executive decrees with fixed figures — B/.200,000 for Friendly Nations, B/.300,000 for Qualified Investor real estate, B/.1,000 a month for Pensionado — and the Qualified Investor permit must be resolved within 30 business days of filing.

Probably not the right fit if…
  • People who need an English-language bureaucracy — every SNM filing is in Spanish, through a Panamanian lawyer, with foreign documents apostilled and translated.
  • Anyone unwilling to place real capital in Panama or hold it for years — the investment routes require funds from abroad and, for Qualified Investor, a five-year holding period.
  • Those planning to earn locally without a work permit — Panama-source income is taxed, and employment in Panama needs a separate permit from the Ministry of Labour.
An independent preparation tool. Not a government body. Residency is granted only by the Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM). Private beta.
01 / The routes that exist

The residency pathways

These are the categories the SNM publishes today. Figures are quoted from the SNM requirement sheets and the decrees in the Gaceta Oficial, in balboas (B/.), which trade at par with the US dollar.

Friendly Nations (Países Específicos)

Nationals of the countries listed in Decreto Ejecutivo 226/2021 — the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, most of the EU, Israel, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Hong Kong SAR and others.

  • Real estate in Panama worth at least B/.200,000.00 (may be bank-financed), held personally, via a company you ultimately own, or via a private-interest foundation — or —
  • A fixed-term deposit of at least B/.200,000.00 in a licensed Panamanian bank, unencumbered, for a minimum of 3 years — or —
  • An employment letter from a Panamanian company; the employer must also obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labour
  • Apostilled police certificate, health certificate, three photos, notarised power of attorney to a Panamanian lawyer
  • Fees: B/.250.00 to the Tesoro Nacional and B/.800.00 to the SNM (repatriation deposit)
Timeline / validity: 2-year provisional residency, then application for permanent residency
Official source ↗

Qualified Investor (Inversionista Calificado)

Investors of any nationality who want permanent residency immediately, on a fixed statutory timetable.

  • Real estate worth at least B/.300,000.00, unencumbered, funded from abroad (Decreto Ejecutivo 193/2024 made B/.300,000 the standing minimum; a pre-construction purchase contract with a bank guarantee or trust also qualifies) — or —
  • Securities of at least B/.500,000.00 bought through a licensed brokerage on the Panama stock exchange — or —
  • A fixed-term deposit of at least B/.750,000.00 in a general-licence Panamanian bank, term of at least 5 years
  • Investment must be maintained for 5 years; MICI certifies it annually to the SNM
  • Fees: B/.5,000.00 to the Tesoro Nacional plus B/.5,000.00 to the SNM; B/.1,000.00 + B/.1,000.00 per dependant
Timeline / validity: Permanent residency; decision required within 30 business days of filing (Art. 8). May be filed before you enter Panama through a special attorney.
Official source ↗

Pensionado (Jubilado Pensionado)

Retirees with a lifetime pension from a foreign government, international body or private company.

  • Lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000.00 per month
  • Or B/.750.00 per month if you buy Panamanian property worth at least B/.100,000.00
  • Plus B/.250.00 per month for each dependant; spouses may combine incomes to reach B/.1,000.00
  • Pension certification, apostilled; police and health certificates; power of attorney
Timeline / validity: Permanent residency — granted indefinitely, no renewal required
Official source ↗

Solvencia Económica (own economic solvency)

Non-Friendly-Nations investors who prefer real estate or a deposit below the Qualified Investor thresholds.

  • Real estate held personally worth at least B/.300,000.00, free of liens, funds from abroad — or —
  • Fixed-term deposit of at least B/.300,000.00 for a minimum of 3 years, unencumbered — or a mix of the two
  • Fees: B/.250.00 to the Tesoro Nacional and B/.800.00 to the SNM
  • Dependants: notarised responsibility letter, apostilled proof of relationship; study certificates for dependants aged 18–25
Timeline / validity: Provisional permit first, then permanent residency
Official source ↗

Remote Worker short-stay visa

Employees or freelancers of foreign companies who want to test Panama before committing capital. This is a visa, not residency.

  • Foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000.00 per year, shown by bank certification or statements
  • Employment letter (if salaried) confirming you work for a foreign company or foreign clients; no local employment allowed
  • Health insurance valid in Panama for the whole stay
  • Fees: B/.250.00 to the SNM and B/.50.00 for the card
Timeline / validity: 9 months, extendable once for a further 9 months
Official source ↗
The $497 residency-file review

Build the file once.
Pay a lawyer to file — not to chase paper.

You gather the documents; we check the file against the SNM's published requirements and the decrees behind them, then hand you to a vetted Panamanian lawyer for filing. Exit Global is an independent advisory firm, not a government body — residency is granted only by the SNM.

$497one-time, per applicant file
Start the process →
What the $497 covers.

A category check against the current official requirements, a document-by-document review of your file, and a warm handover to a vetted local lawyer or licensed agent who files it. Their fees and government fees are separate and quoted up front.

Your information is sensitive. We treat it that way.

Documents are stored privately when you explicitly save them. We use restricted access and do not sell or share your information.

Your tax position once resident

Territorial taxation, and how tax residency is triggered.

Article 694 of the Código Fiscal makes taxable income the income produced within the territory of the Republic of Panama, whatever the taxpayer's nationality, domicile or residence. Article 762-N (added by Ley 52 de 2012) treats an individual as a Panamanian tax resident if they spend more than 183 days, consecutive or not, in Panama in a tax year or the immediately preceding year — or if they have established their permanent home in Panama, which the DGI reads as the centre of the person's economic or family interests.

Official source ↗
  • Foreign-source income is outside the net. Art. 694 lists as non-Panamanian source, among others, invoicing goods from Panama that never enter the country, directing from Panama transactions completed abroad, and distributing dividends from foreign-source earnings. Foreign salaries, dividends, interest, pensions and gains on assets abroad are not taxed in Panama.
  • Panama-source income for individuals is taxed under Art. 700 at 0% up to B/.11,000.00, 15% on the excess from B/.11,000.00 to B/.50,000.00, and B/.5,850.00 plus 25% on the excess above B/.50,000.00.
  • Local dividends carry withholding at source under Art. 733: 10% on distributions of Panama-source profits and 5% on distributions of foreign-source or exempt profits. Gains on Panamanian real estate and securities are taxed under the separate rules of Art. 701 — check the rate before you buy.
  • Crypto and foreign portfolios: gains on assets held and realised outside Panama are foreign-source under Art. 694. If you trade from a Panamanian entity or with Panamanian counterparties, get advice on source before you rely on 0%.
  • No annual net-wealth tax and no inheritance tax is levied by the DGI; property is taxed through the annual impuesto de inmuebles, with a reduced regime for a declared primary residence.
  • Tax residency certificate: the DGI issues it on a written petition proving the 183-day test (or permanent home), with documents in Spanish or officially translated (Resolución 201-0354/2016). You will need it to defend your exit from the old country. Social-security (CSS) contributions attach only to wages for work in Panama.

Residency here is only half the move. Your old country has to agree you left.

Find your Exit site →

Exit Global's review is an advisory opinion, not a determination by any tax authority.

02 / Step by step

From decision to residency card

The order matters: apostilles and police certificates expire, and most authorities want everything dated within a few months of filing.

01

Choose the category

Match nationality, capital, pension and employment to the pathway. Friendly Nations nationals with B/.200,000 usually take that route; anyone wanting a fixed 30-business-day decision goes Qualified Investor. We flag the traps — financing rules, holding periods, dependant fees.

02

Collect and apostille documents

Police certificate from your country of residence, birth and marriage certificates, pension or bank certifications, proof that funds came from abroad — all apostilled (or legalised by a Panamanian consulate) and translated into Spanish by a Panamanian public translator.

03

Move the capital and open the local account

Investment routes require proof the money was transferred from an account abroad: legalised foreign bank statements plus a Panamanian bank or notary confirmation of receipt. Expect full source-of-funds KYC.

04

Lodge through a Panamanian lawyer

Every SNM permit is filed by 'poder y solicitud mediante abogado' — a notarised power of attorney to a licensed Panamanian attorney. You are registered in the Registro de Extranjería (RUEX number) and receive a process card; the SNM's digital portal handles part of the filing. Certified cheques for the Tesoro Nacional and SNM fees go in with the file.

05

Approval and the resident card

Friendly Nations and Solvencia Económica give a 2-year provisional card first, then permanent residency on a second application (no new police certificate or fees). Qualified Investor and Pensionado go straight to permanent. Once permanent, apply to the Tribunal Electoral for the cédula E.

06

Register with the DGI and close the loop at home

Register for a tax number (NT/RUC) if you will have Panama-source income; after your first year with 183+ days, petition the DGI for a Certificado de Residencia Fiscal. Then finish your old-country exit file — see the Exit sites.

03 / Living there

Living there: the practical facts

The things people ask us after the paperwork: money, health, language and a roof.

Banking

Account opening is document-heavy — reference letters, source-of-funds evidence, tax returns — and usually done in person. The investment permits require the funds to arrive from abroad, so plan the transfer before you file. Fixed-term deposits used for residency must stay unencumbered for the full term (3 years Friendly Nations/Solvencia; 5 years Qualified Investor; Rentista Retirado deposits of 5 years at Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros).

Healthcare

A health certificate from a Panamanian doctor is required in every residency file. Private health insurance is not mandatory for residents, but it is compulsory for the Remote Worker visa and is the norm for expatriates using Panama City's private hospitals. Public CSS cover attaches to local employment.

Language

Spanish is the language of every official step: filings, notarised powers of attorney, translations by a public translator, the naturalisation interview. English is common in banking, business and expatriate areas of Panama City, Coronado and Boquete, but not in government offices.

Property

Foreigners can own titled property outright and the Registro Público certificate of ownership is the core document for real-estate residency routes. Property tax (impuesto de inmuebles) is assessed annually with a reduced regime for a declared primary residence — check the DGI's current tables before buying. Pre-construction purchases only count for Qualified Investor if backed by a bank guarantee or trust.

Where are you leaving from?

Each departure has
its own rules.

Getting a card in Panama does not end tax residency where you came from. Pick your departure country to see its residency test, exit tax and departure filings.

🇨🇦 Exit Canada🇺🇸 Exit USA🐻 Exit California🗽 Exit New York🇬🇧 Exit the UK🇮🇪 Exit Ireland🇫🇷 Exit France🇧🇪 Exit Belgium🇳🇱 Exit Netherlands🇪🇸 Exit Spain🇮🇹 Exit Italy🇩🇰 Exit Denmark🇳🇴 Exit Norway🇸🇪 Exit Sweden🇦🇺 Exit Australia🇿🇦 Exit South Africa🇩🇪 Exit Germany🇦🇹 Exit Austria🇫🇮 Exit Finland🇧🇷 Exit Brazil🇯🇵 Exit Japan🇮🇱 Exit Israel🇳🇿 Exit New Zealand🇵🇹 Exit Portugal🇰🇷 Exit South Korea🇦🇷 Exit Argentina🇮🇳 Exit India🇨🇭 Exit Switzerland
Good questions. Clear answers.

Before you
get started.

Answers reflect the official rules as checked on 8 September 2026.

Do I have to live in Panama full-time?

No. Permanent residency has no minimum-days rule; MICI's official guidance for Qualified Investors is to visit Panama at least once every two years; the SNM applies the same two-year absence rule when reviewing whether a permanent resident has kept their status, so plan a visit inside every 24 months. But tax residency is separate — see the next question — and if you want a Panamanian tax residency certificate you will need more than 183 days in the year.

How is Panamanian tax residency triggered?

Under Art. 762-N of the Código Fiscal you are a Panamanian tax resident if you spend more than 183 days, consecutive or alternate, in Panama in a tax year or the year immediately before — or if you establish your permanent home there. The DGI interprets 'permanent home' as your centre of vital interests (economic or family); merely owning or renting a home is not enough on its own. The certificate is issued on petition, with the burden of proof on you.

Can my family come?

Yes. Spouses, children and, for some categories, dependent parents can be included. Pensionado requires an extra B/.250.00 of monthly pension per dependant; Qualified Investor charges B/.1,000.00 to the Tesoro Nacional plus B/.1,000.00 to the SNM per dependant and allows the investment to be co-owned with a spouse or dependants; Friendly Nations and Solvencia Económica follow the dependant rules of Decreto Ejecutivo 320/2008 (responsibility letter, apostilled proof of relationship, study certificates for dependants aged 18–25).

Is there a path to citizenship?

Yes. Naturalisation is available after 5 years of residence, or 3 years if you are married to a Panamanian, have a Panamanian child, or are a national of a country with a reciprocity agreement (Spain and most Latin American states). It is filed through a lawyer to the President, needs a permanent resident card, solvency proof and a clean record, and includes an interview and exam administered by the Tribunal Electoral, with exemptions for reciprocity nationals and people educated in Panama. Take advice on how your home country treats naturalisation elsewhere before you apply.

What are the government fees?

Most permanent-residency categories (Friendly Nations, Solvencia Económica) cost B/.250.00 to the Tesoro Nacional plus B/.800.00 to the SNM as a repatriation deposit, paid by certified cheque with the file. Qualified Investor costs B/.5,000.00 plus B/.5,000.00, with B/.1,000.00 plus B/.1,000.00 per dependant. The Remote Worker visa is B/.250.00 plus B/.50.00 for the card. Lawyer, translation, apostille and notary costs are on top.

Do I need a lawyer?

Yes. Every SNM permit application is presented 'mediante abogado' — through a notarised power of attorney to a licensed Panamanian attorney. Qualified Investor files can even be lodged before you enter Panama through a special attorney. The tax residency certificate can be requested personally, but company applications need a lawyer. Exit Global's review checks your file before it goes to the lawyer; it is not itself a legal filing.

Can I keep working remotely for a foreign employer?

Yes, and that salary is foreign-source under Art. 694, so it is not taxed in Panama. The Remote Worker visa is built for exactly this (B/.36,000.00 a year from abroad, no local employment). A residency permit does not by itself authorise work for a Panamanian employer — that requires a Ministry of Labour work permit, and the income becomes Panama-source and taxable.

What about my old country's tax residency?

Getting residency here does not end tax residency where you came from. Each departure country has its own exit tests and paperwork — that is handled on the Exit sites. See exitglobal.app.

The next chapter starts with a plan

Arrive in Panama with a file
the authority will accept.

Start my residency file — $497 →

MoveToPanama · part of the Exit Global network

The Exit network

One process. Every country.

Each site covers one departure, in that country's own rules. The destination sites cover where you're going. All reviewed by the same team at Exit Global.

Leaving
🌐Exit GlobalPortfolio home🇨🇦Exit CanadaNR73 + departure file🇺🇸Exit USAExpatriation + Form 8854🐻Exit CaliforniaFTB residency🗽Exit New YorkDomicile + statutory residency🇬🇧Exit the UKStatutory Residence Test🇮🇪Exit IrelandOrdinary residence tail🇫🇷Exit FranceArt. 167 bis exit tax🇧🇪Exit BelgiumSpecial departure return🇳🇱Exit NetherlandsM-form + conserverende aanslag🇪🇸Exit SpainArt. 95 bis + quarantine rule🇮🇹Exit ItalyAIRE + black-list presumption🇩🇰Exit DenmarkFraflytterskat🇳🇴Exit NorwayUtflyttingsskatt🇸🇪Exit SwedenTen-year share rule🇦🇺Exit AustraliaCGT event I1🇿🇦Exit South AfricaSection 9H exit charge🇩🇪Exit Germany§ 6 AStG Wegzugsbesteuerung🇦🇹Exit Austria§ 27 (6) Wegzugsbesteuerung🇫🇮Exit FinlandThree-year rule🇧🇷Exit BrazilSaída definitiva🇯🇵Exit JapanExit tax on ¥100m+ assets🇮🇱Exit IsraelCentre of life + s.100A🇳🇿Exit New Zealand325-day rule + IR886🇵🇹Exit PortugalArt. 16 CIRS residency🇰🇷Exit South KoreaExit tax on large shareholders🇦🇷Exit ArgentinaPérdida de residencia + baja🇮🇳Exit IndiaSection 6 residency + RNOR🇨🇭Exit SwitzerlandWegzug + pension withholding
Arriving
🇵🇦Move to PanamaTerritorial tax, Friendly Nations🇦🇪Move to DubaiNo personal income tax🇲🇹Move to MaltaRemittance basis, EU🇨🇾Move to Cyprus60-day rule, non-dom🇵🇾Move to ParaguayTerritorial tax, fast residency🇺🇾Move to UruguayTax holiday for new residents🇨🇷Move to Costa RicaTerritorial tax🇧🇸Move to BahamasNo income tax🇵🇹Move to PortugalD7, D8, Golden Visa, IFICI🇹🇭Move to ThailandLTR visa, remittance basis🇲🇾Move to MalaysiaMM2H, territorial tax🇮🇩Move to IndonesiaSecond Home visa, Bali🇬🇪Move to GeorgiaForeign income exempt, 1% SBS🇵🇷Move to Puerto RicoAct 60 for US citizens🇮🇹Move to ItalyFlat tax, 7% pensioner regime🇬🇷Move to GreeceGolden Visa, non-dom flat tax🇭🇰Move to Hong KongTerritorial, no CGT🇸🇬Move to SingaporeForeign income exempt, no CGT