General program requirements

The Qualified Investor Residency Visa offers three qualifying investment options, all of which have a mandatory holding period of five years:

An investment of $300,000 in real estate in the Republic of Panama, free of any liens. 

An investment of $500,000 in securities on the Panama Stock Market, through any qualified and licensed Panamanian securities brokerage firm.

A deposit of $750,000 with a licensed bank in Panama. The interest income is tax free in Panama.

Additional fees:

$2,000 additional investment for each dependent.
$5,000 National Migration Service fee for the main applicant and $1,000 per dependent.
$5,000 National Treasury deposit for the main applicant and $1,000 per dependent.

Program benefits

• Path to citizenship;
• Minimal physical presence requirements;
• Short processing time;
• Lower taxes;
• Lower cost of living;
• Safety and security;
• Warm climate.

Requirements to qualify for citizenship

The program issues applicants a permanent residency permit, valid for 5 years. The applicant must return to Panama at least once every two years to maintain a “presence in and connection to” the country. After 5 years, the applicant may sell the investments.

After five years of continued legal residence in Panama, investors are eligible to apply for citizenship. 

The process of naturalization necessitates the involvement of a variety of public organs, such as the Ministry of Government and Justice, the Ministry of Public Services, the Electoral Tribunal, the Government Office, and the Presidency. The Panamanian President ultimately approves and signs all applications for naturalization. Prospective citizens should consult legal specialists to ensure all appropriate steps are followed.

The Panama Electoral Tribunal conduct an interview with the applicant to test his command of Spanish and knowledge of Panama’s history, geography, and civil rights. At this stage, a final application will made to the Presidency.

Panama does not technically recognize dual citizenship but does not in practice monitor whether its new citizens renounce other nationalities.

Citizens of several Latin American countries have a fast track option for citizenship through reciprocity:

– 1 year: Colombia, El Salvador
– 2 years: Argentina, Ecuador, Spain, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru
– 3 years: Uruguay

Applications for this program may be directed to:

National Migration Service 

Legislation upon which this program is based:

Executive Order No. 722 of 15.10.2020

No statistics available yet for this program.