Moving to Panama from the US: which visa or residence route fits

Panama has four routes that US citizens ask about most when they want to stay longer than a trip: the Pensionado permit for retirees, the Friendly Nations residence, the short-stay remote worker visa, and the Qualified Investor program. Each one is aimed at a different type of applicant. This guide sets out who qualifies and what each route asks for, using the requirement sheets of Panama's Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM) and other Panamanian government pages.

Start with the tourist rules

The US Department of State says US tourists can stay in Panama for 180 days without a visa and that this is strictly enforced. For entry it lists a passport valid for 3 months past your arrival date, proof of funds of US$500 in cash or equivalent, and a return ticket. It also tells travelers to confirm they receive an entry stamp, and to carry the passport with that stamp, since police can detain and fine people without identification.

A tourist stay is not residence. If you plan to live in Panama, one of the routes below is the legal path.

The four routes at a glance

• Pensionado (permanent resident as retiree or pensioner): a lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000 per month, or B/.750 if you own Panamanian property worth more than B/.100,000.
• Friendly Nations (provisional residence leading to permanent): for nationals of listed countries, based on a job with a Panamanian employer, real estate of at least 200,000, or a fixed-term deposit of 200,000.
• Short-stay remote worker visa: foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year for working remotely for a foreign employer or as a self-employed worker.
• Qualified Investor (permanent residence): an investment of at least US$300,000 in real estate, US$500,000 in securities, or US$750,000 in a fixed-term deposit.

Pensionado: for retirees

The SNM requirement sheet for the jubilado or pensionado permanent resident permit quotes Article 200: the applicant must receive a retirement or pension from a foreign government, an international organization or a private company, and the monthly amount cannot be less than B/.1,000, granted for life. The Panamá Digital government portal adds that if you prove you bought property in your own name in Panama for more than B/.100,000, the pension can be as low as B/.750. Spouses may combine both pensions to meet the amount.

Documents on the SNM checklist:

1. A notarized power of attorney and application. The power must include the names and nationality of the applicant's parents.
2. Three photographs.
3. A certified copy of the passport.
4. A criminal record certificate.
5. A health certificate.
6. A sworn statement of personal background form.
7. Certification of the pension showing it is lifetime and at least B/.1,000 per month.
8. An additional B/.250 per month for each dependent, shown with additional pension or a local bank reference.
9. A Public Registry certificate for the property, if you use the lower threshold.

If the pension is paid by a private company, SNM also asks for a letter from the foreign pension, trust, fund, insurance or banking company that administers the funds, proof the company exists, and a payment receipt or bank statement.

Friendly Nations: for nationals of listed countries

The SNM sheet for nationals of specific countries that maintain friendly, professional, economic and investment relations with Panama says SNM can grant a two-year provisional residence to people applying for this permanent residence subcategory, so they can carry out economic or professional activities. Check the current decree list for your nationality before you rely on this route.

You qualify through one of three bases:

• Employment: a notarized letter from a Panamanian employer stating position, salary and repatriation, plus the employer's Public Registry certificate, its notice of operation, and the work permit request filed with the Ministry of Labor (MITRADEL).
• Real estate: a Public Registry certificate showing property with a minimum value of 200,000, held personally, through a company where you are the final beneficiary, or through a private interest foundation. The sheet says the purchase may be financed through a local bank.
• Fixed-term deposit: a certificate from a general license bank in Panama showing a deposit of 200,000, free of liens, for 3 years.

Common documents match the pensionado list, plus a certified check for B/.250 to the National Treasury and a certified check for B/.800 to SNM.

Short-stay remote worker visa

Executive Decree 198 of 7 May 2021 created this visa in the non-resident category. SNM lists three conditions: a contract with a foreign company or self-employed status working remotely, functions whose effects are abroad, and foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 per year. The employer letter must show monthly income of at least B/.3,000.

Once granted, SNM says the visa lets you work remotely in Panama with no further permit from any other agency. It lasts nine months, renewable once for the same period, and the ID card costs B/.50. The application fee is B/.250 to SNM.

Additional documents include medical insurance valid in Panama for the whole stay, proof the foreign company exists, bank certification and statements showing the foreign-source payments, and a sworn statement that you will not accept work or service offers in Panama. PROPANAMA, the government investment promotion agency, says the application is filed through a lawyer at the SNM special procedures window and that the applicant must already have entered Panama.

Qualified Investor: permanent residence through a large investment

The Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) describes the Qualified Investor program, created by Executive Decree 722 of 15 October 2020, as granting permanent residence directly, without a prior temporary residence. The minimum investments are:

• US$300,000 in real estate in Panama.
• US$500,000 in securities registered and held by authorized entities.
• US$750,000 in a fixed-term deposit at a bank licensed in Panama.

MICI says the application can be started through an attorney before the investor enters Panama, that dependents including spouse, children and qualifying parents can be included, and that resolution takes about thirty business days. Investors must keep the investment for five years, file annual proof that it remains in place, and visit Panama at least once every two years to keep the residence.

Do you need to apply at a consulate in the US?

For the pensionado, Friendly Nations and remote worker routes, the SNM materials describe filing in Panama through a Panamanian lawyer with a notarized power of attorney. PROPANAMA states that remote worker applicants must be in Panama to apply. PROPANAMA adds that applicants of restricted nationality must first obtain an authorized visa; US citizens enter Panama as tourists without a visa, per the State Department. The Qualified Investor program is the one route MICI says can start before you arrive.

Getting US documents ready

SNM and Panamá Digital say every document issued abroad must be apostilled or authenticated, translated into Spanish by an authorized public translator if it is not in Spanish, and that copies must be certified by a notary. Order your criminal record certificate and pension letters early and get them apostilled in the US before you go.

Which route fits

• Receiving a lifetime pension of B/.1,000 a month or more: Pensionado.
• From a listed country with a Panamanian job offer, or 200,000 for property or a deposit: Friendly Nations.
• Working for a foreign employer or clients with B/.36,000 a year or more: remote worker visa.
• Ready to invest US$300,000 or more and want permanent residence quickly: Qualified Investor.

Common questions

How long can a US citizen stay in Panama as a tourist? The US Department of State says 180 days without a visa, strictly enforced, with a passport valid 3 months past arrival, US$500 in funds and a return ticket.

What pension does Panama's Pensionado permit require? A lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000 per month, or B/.750 if you own Panamanian property worth more than B/.100,000, plus B/.250 per month per dependent.

Can I work on Panama's remote worker visa? Yes, remotely for a foreign employer or as a self-employed worker with foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year. You sign a statement that you will not accept work in Panama.

Does the Qualified Investor program give permanent residence? Yes. MICI says it grants permanent residence directly, with investments starting at US$300,000 in real estate, kept for five years.