Panama Immigration

The Panamanian government has created several laws which, depending on the particular type of visa applied for, enable foreigners to obtain legal temporary or permanent residency, work permits and citizenship and/or passports in Panama.

Most of these laws have been created to promote foreign investment in the country which benefits the local environment or local economy of Panama.  People wishing to immigrate to Panama have several options.  Non-residents can apply for one of several visas.  The following is intended as a brief summary of the most popular residency visas offered to foreigners.

Visa Type	Requirements	Advantages
Retired or Pensioned Program (Visa Pensionado)	Public pension fund Proof of lifetime pension for minimum of $500/month + $100/month per dependant	Permanent Residency + large number of discounts and tax exemptions   No Citizenship eligibility
	Private pension plan Proof of lifetime pension for minimum of $500/month + $100/month per dependant
Immediate Passport Program	Provide a 5-year time deposit (CD) at the Banco Nacional de Panama which must earn a minimum of $750/month in interest income	Obtain an immediate Panamanian Passport   No Citizenship or Permanent Residency eligibility
Self Economic Solvency	Option 1 Min. of $200,000 investment in 2-year time deposit (CD) at a licensed Panamanian Bank	Obtain a 1 year Temporary Immigrant Visa   After 1 year you may obtain a Permanent Residency Visa   After 5 years you may obtain a Panamanian Citizenship and Passport
	Option 2 Min. of $200,000 investment in a titled property in Panama
	Option 3 Min. of $120,000 investment in 2-year time deposit (CD) at a licensed Panamanian Bank + $80,000 investment in titled property in Panama
Small Business Investor Program	Invest a min. of $150,000 in an established or new business in Panama and employ at least 2 Panamanians paying them min. wage + social security benefits	Obtain Permanent Residency Visa after 3 years   After 5 years you may obtain a Panamanian Citizenship and Passport
Reforestation Investor	Option 1 Small business investment of at least $40,000 in a reforestation project	Obtain Permanent Residency Visa after 3 years   After 5 years you may obtain a Panamanian Citizenship and Passport
	Option 2 Large business investment of at least $80,000 in a reforestation project	Obtain Permanent Residency Visa after 1 year   After 5 years you may obtain a Panamanian Citizenship and Passport