Panama country guide
General investment · Last checked 2026-08-08
Inversionista Calificado
Foreign-source investment through qualifying real estate, Panamanian securities, or a qualifying fixed-term deposit
Panama offers direct permanent residence to a qualified investor using foreign-source funds through qualifying real estate, Panamanian securities, or a fixed-term deposit.
- Country
- Panama
- Applicant basis
- Foreign-source investment through qualifying real estate, Panamanian securities, or a qualifying fixed-term deposit
- Responsible authority
- Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias / Servicio Nacional de Migración
- Official route status
- Current official route
- Information available
- Detailed guide
- Last checked
- 2026-08-08
Supported requirements
What the current source supports
- Invest foreign-source funds personally or through a legal entity in which the applicant is the ultimate beneficial owner, and document the transfer or source through an accepted bank or recipient record.
- Real-estate branch: invest at least B/.300,000 in Panamanian real estate. A completed purchase must leave at least B/.300,000 paid and unencumbered; any excess value may be locally financed.
- Promise-of-sale branch: commit at least B/.300,000 through the decree-approved trust arrangement or the fully paid promoter arrangement backed by the required bank guarantee and annual certification safeguards.
- Securities branch: invest at least B/.500,000 through a licensed Panamanian securities house in qualifying issuer securities and maintain the commitment for at least five years.
- Fixed-deposit branch: place at least B/.750,000 in an unencumbered deposit for at least five years at a general-license Panamanian bank.
- Obtain the investment certification from MICI and then submit the separate SNM file with the current identity, record, health, sworn-background, fee, and dependent documents.
Applicant scope
Who this route generally serves
- Generally designed for
- Foreign investors who can meet one current investment threshold, obtain MICI certification, and complete the separate SNM permanent-residence application.
- Legal basis named by the authority
- Decree Law 3 of 2008; Executive Decree 722 of 2020 as amended by Executive Decree 109 of 2022 and Executive Decree 193 of 2024; and current MICI certification guidance.
Route lifecycle
What to confirm from application onward
- Financial basis
- Current minimums differ by form: B/.300,000 for qualifying real estate or the approved promise-of-sale structures, B/.500,000 for qualifying securities, and B/.750,000 for a qualifying five-year fixed deposit.
- Government service fees
- No complete current route-specific government fee schedule was established from the current MICI guidance and controlling materials reviewed. Confirm live payment instructions before filing.
- Initial status
- Direct permanent residence after MICI certification and a separate favorable SNM decision.
- Renewal
- Permanent residence does not remove the investment-maintenance and annual certification duties. The qualifying commitment must remain supportable for the applicable five-year period.
- Dependents
- A spouse or dependent may be included with relationship and responsibility evidence. Decree 193 permits qualifying co-ownership or joint holding among a spouse or dependents when the beneficial-ownership conditions are met. No current per-dependent payment is stated here.
- Work rights
- No unrestricted local-employment right is inferred from the investment category.
- Presence considerations
- Current MICI guidance says the investor must visit Panama at least once every two years while maintaining the qualifying investment for five years.
- Permanent residence
- This is direct permanent residence, but MICI certification verifies the investment layer and does not replace SNM's final migration decision.
- Citizenship relationship
- Citizenship is separate. No physical-presence waiver or guaranteed nationality timeline is published from the controlling sources.
Official evidence
Sources for this route
Decreto Ejecutivo 193 de 15 de octubre de 2024Ministerio de Seguridad Pública / Gaceta Oficial · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Programa de Inversionista Calificado - Decreto Ejecutivo 722Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Programa de Inversionista Calificado - resultados julio 2025 a junio 2026Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Modalidades y montos del Programa de Inversionista CalificadoMinisterio de Comercio e Industrias · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Permisos de residencia aprobados - marzo 2026Servicio Nacional de Migración · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08
General planning information only—not legal, tax, or investment advice. A listed route does not determine eligibility. Verify current rules with the responsible authority before acting.