Residency by investment
PanamaPanama Qualified Investor Visa · Permanent residency in Panama
- From
- USD 300,000
- Timeline
- On request
Why Panama
A dollar economy at the heart of the Americas
Your assets and income stay in US dollars.
Direct flights across the continent and to Europe.
Spouse, children and dependent parents.
How you qualify
How you qualify
Qualifying investment
from USD300,000
An approved investment in Panama, with funds from outside the country. An Orience solution. ↗
Our solutionOur solution
Panama · fromUSD 300,000
A qualifying route designed by Orience. Our team shares the details with each family personally.
An Orience advisor will send you the program brochure.
Legal framework
The law behind the Qualified Investor Visa
The figures on this page come from the law of Panama, the official pages of its authorities or the documentation of our own projects. We check them regularly.
- Last regulatory update
- 16 September 2026. Executive Decree No. 17 of 2026 keeps the USD 300,000 minimum for new first-sale property and sets USD 500,000 for resale property and fixed-term deposits. Source ↗
- Information checked
Last change: 2026
Since Executive Decree No. 17 of 8 September 2026, the minimum real estate investment is USD 300,000 for new, first-sale property and USD 500,000 for resale property. A USD 500,000 fixed-term deposit at Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros is a new option.
See all legislation (5)
How the program has changed
-
Oct 2020
Executive Decree 722 creates the Qualified Investor permanent residence. Executive Decree No. 722 of 15 October 2020 ↗
-
Oct 2022
Decree 109 adjusts thresholds and conditions. Executive Decree No. 109 of 13 October 2022 ↗
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Oct 2024
Decree 193 adjusts thresholds and conditions. Executive Decree No. 193 of 15 October 2024 ↗
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Sep 2026
Decree 17 keeps USD 300,000 for first-sale property and sets USD 500,000 for resale property and deposits. Executive Decree No. 17 of 8 September 2026 ↗
Legislation in force
| Legislation | What it covers | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Decree Law No. 3 of 22 February 2008 (National Migration Service) ↗ | National Migration Service and migration procedure | Official Gazette of Panama · 22 February 2008 |
| Executive Decree No. 722 of 15 October 2020 (Qualified Investor permanent residence) ↗ | Created the Qualified Investor permanent residence | Official Gazette No. 29136, 16 October 2020 · 15 October 2020 |
| Executive Decree No. 109 of 13 October 2022 (amends Decree 722) ↗ | Amended thresholds and conditions in 2022 | Official Gazette No. 29643-A, 13 October 2022 |
| Executive Decree No. 193 of 15 October 2024 (amends Decree 722) ↗ | Amended thresholds and conditions in 2024 | Official Gazette No. 30140-B, 15 October 2024 |
| Executive Decree No. 17 of 8 September 2026 (updates the program) ↗ | Current program rules and investment options | Official Gazette No. 30613, 16 September 2026 · 8 September 2026 |
Sources of the figures (2)
| # | Source | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MICI · official article on Executive Decree No. 17 (image linked from the program page) ↗ | From · Qualifying investment |
| 2 | MICI · Inversionista Calificado ↗ | Stay · Citizenship |
FAQs · Panama
What families ask about Panama
Short answers, each with its legal basis. Your advisor goes through the rest with you.
All questions, by countryWho can apply?
Foreign nationals who make a qualifying investment in Panama with funds of foreign origin can apply for permanent residence as a Qualified Investor. The application can be filed from abroad through a Panamanian attorney, before you travel, and your spouse, children and dependent parents can be included.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 722/2020, art. 1; MICI, Qualified Investor ↗
What is the minimum investment and which routes exist?
USD 300,000 in new, first-sale real estate or USD 500,000 in resale property; USD 500,000 in securities through a licensed brokerage; or a fixed-term deposit of USD 750,000 in a licensed bank, reduced to USD 500,000 at Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros. In every route the investment is kept for at least five years.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 (MICI) ↗
Can I finance the investment?
Only above the threshold. The USD 300,000 must be paid in cash and free of liens; only the value of the property above that amount may be financed with a mortgage from a local bank. The funds must come from abroad and belong to the applicant.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 193/2024, art. 2 (amending Executive Decree 722/2020) ↗
Do I have to keep the investment, and for how long?
Yes, for at least five years, with annual proof to the Ministry of Commerce and Industries that the investment is maintained. Selling or withdrawing it before that time can lead to the cancellation of the residence. After five years you may dispose of it freely.
Legal basis: MICI, Qualified Investor ↗
How can I become a citizen?
Naturalization requires five consecutive years of residence counted from the resolution that granted you permanent residence. The period is reduced to three years if you have both a Panamanian spouse and a child born in Panama, and to the period your own country applies to Panamanians if you are Spanish or Latin American by birth: two years for Spaniards. The Electoral Tribunal tests your Spanish and your knowledge of Panamanian history, geography and institutions, with exemptions for Spanish and Latin American nationals by reciprocity. You must renounce your original nationality, unless you are a national of a country that applies reciprocity.
Legal basis: Political Constitution, arts. 10 and 13; Decree-Law 3 of 2008, arts. 120-130 ↗
Who can I include?
Your spouse, your children and your dependent parents. Children aged 18 to 25 qualify while they are unmarried full-time students.
Legal basis: MICI, Qualified Investor; Executive Decree 722/2020, art. 4.2 ↗
Can my parents apply with me?
Yes. Dependent parents of the main applicant can be included as dependants, with proof of kinship and of financial dependency, and they receive permanent residence together with the rest of the family. They follow the same document checks as any other dependant.
Legal basis: MICI, Qualified Investor ↗
How long does it take?
The Ministry of Commerce and Industries has 15 business days to issue the investment certificate, and the National Migration Service must decide on the application within 30 business days once the file is complete. Before filing, allow time to complete the investment and to legalize the documents.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 (MICI) ↗
Do I need to travel to Panama to apply?
No. The application can be filed by your attorney in Panama before you enter the country, and you travel later to complete the registration and collect your residence card. After that, you keep the permanent residence as long as you are not away from Panama for more than two years, unless the National Migration Service justifies and authorizes a longer absence.
Legal basis: MICI, Qualified Investor ↗
What documents do I need?
A passport, proof of the investment (purchase deed and Public Registry certificate for real estate, brokerage or bank certificates for the other routes), proof that the funds came from abroad, a criminal record certificate, a health certificate and the official fee receipts, all apostilled and translated into Spanish. Real estate also needs the ANATI certification.
Legal basis: MICI, Qualified Investor; Executive Decree 722/2020 ↗
What checks are made on the source of funds?
The investment must be funded from a foreign source and belong to the applicant, and you prove it with bank transfers from abroad and supporting documents. The Ministry of Commerce and Industries certifies the investment before the National Migration Service decides on the residence.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 (MICI) ↗
Do I need to live in Panama?
No. Permanent residence can be cancelled only if you are away from Panama for more than two years, unless the absence is justified and authorized by the National Migration Service. Many families keep their life abroad and use Panama as a second base; if you later want citizenship, you will need consecutive years of residence.
Legal basis: MICI, Qualified Investor ↗
Can I work in Panama?
Permanent residence allows you to live in Panama and manage your investments. Working for a Panamanian employer requires a work permit from the Ministry of Labor, which permanent residents can request under the general rules. An Orience advisor explains the options for your family.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 722/2020, art. 1 ↗
What is the Orience solution in Panama?
A real estate solution designed by Orience, from USD 300,000 in new, first-sale property, that meets the Qualified Investor requirements. We share the project, the developer and the documents with each family personally, never on this website, and an Orience advisor walks you through it before you decide.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 (MICI) ↗
Does this route really qualify for residency?
Yes. The Orience solution in Panama is designed to meet the official requirements of the program, set out in the law linked below, which is the route your family applies through. Your advisor explains how the solution fits the program before you commit to anything.
Legal basis: Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 (MICI) ↗
Who stands behind it?
Orience, a European firm with more than a decade of experience in citizenship and residency by investment, with its own team for Panama. Your advisor shares the details with each family personally.
What happens to my investment when I no longer need the residency?
The holding period and the exit conditions are set out in the program documentation that your advisor sends you before you decide. We do not publish them on this page, because they depend on the route you choose and on the rules in force when you apply. Go through that documentation with your advisor and with your own advisors.
Why not invest on my own?
You can, and the law does not require you to invest through Orience. Our solution is designed so that the investment and the permanent residence fit together from the start, with the documents and the timing the program expects, and our team accompanies you from the first conversation to the permit and its renewals. Many families prefer one team responsible for the whole process.
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Panama program lead
Talk to an advisor who knows your country.
Your request goes to the Orience advisor closest to you, with the support of our Panama team.
Diana Bonilla
Country Manager – Panama · Orience Panama City