Friendly Nations Visa

1. Residence permit24 months
2. Permanent residencyafter 2 years
3. Citizenshipafter 5 years

• Permanent residency 2 years
• Citizenship 5 years
• Dual citizenship not allowed
• Language required for citizenship

Country

Panama

Program

Friendly Nations Visa

Local name

Residente Permanente de países específicos

Type

Economic

Status

Active

Initial duration

24 months

Min stay

1 days per 24 months

Two-year provisional residence, then permanent residence, for citizens of the countries listed in Executive Decree 16 of 31 August 2026. The tie to Panama is a job, real estate of at least B/.200,000, or a three-year bank deposit of at least B/.200,000. The balboa is at par with the US dollar.

Tax regime

Territorial

Regime name

Territorial tax system

Foreign income taxed

No

Capital gains taxed

Yes

Method

in country, agent

Apply from abroad

No

Local representative

Required

Decree 226 of 20 July 2021 replaced immediate permanent residence with a two-year provisional permit. Decree 16 of 31 August 2026, in force the next day, added Ecuador and left the procedure, costs and two-year provisional phase of Decree 226 in place. The residence does not replace a work permit from the Ministry of Labor, and it does not authorize a profession reserved by a special law. The employment tie needs a job letter with position, salary and a repatriation undertaking, the employer's public-registry certificate and operation notice, and a copy of the work-permit filing. The property may be financed by a local bank. The deposit must be free of liens. Dependents shown on the checklist are a spouse, children, and a ward. A child from 18 to 25 must be single and in full-time study. One way to show means for dependents is a tax return of at least B/.1,000 a month plus B/.100 per dependent. A current job letter is the other. There is no income floor for an applicant who qualifies by property or deposit alone. The filing charges are B/.250 to the National Treasury and B/.800 to the Migration Service as the repatriation deposit. After permanent residence, an absence of more than two years can cancel the stay. Naturalization follows the ordinary five-year rule and requires renunciation of the existing nationality.

• Short-Stay Visa for Remote Workersdigital nomad visa

1. Oct 10, 2026
   • Official page https://www.embassyofpanama.org/visas-1 https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/02-PAISES-ESPECIFICOS.pdf
   • Investment options updated

   naturalization requires renunciation. Panama-source capital gains are taxed (https://constitucion.te.gob.pa/constitucion-vigente/).