panama

Panama Qualified Investor Program

Obtain Permanent Residence Through a Qualifying Investment

Panama’s Qualified Investor Program grants foreign investors permanent residence through investments funded from foreign sources.

The programme offers real-estate, securities and fixed-term bank-deposit routes through a specialized processing structure.

About Panama

Panama is an international banking, logistics and commercial centre connecting North and South America.

Its economy benefits from the Canal, regional transport, services and U.S.-dollar use.

Investment Options

• Real Estate Investment
  • Minimum investment of USD $300,000
  • Completed or qualifying construction property
  • Qualifying minimum generally lien-free
  • Financing permitted above the qualifying minimum
• Securities Investment
  • Minimum investment of USD $500,000
  • Through a licensed Panamanian brokerage
  • Maintained for at least five years
• Fixed-Term Bank Deposit
  • Minimum deposit of USD $750,000
  • Lien-free deposit with a licensed bank
  • Minimum term of five years

Investment Conditions

The investment must:

• Originate from a foreign source
• Made personally or through an eligible entity
• Identify the applicant as beneficial owner
• Receive required Panamanian certification
• Generally remain in place for five years

Qualifying co-ownership may be permitted between spouses or eligible dependants.

Family Eligibility

Eligible dependants may include a spouse and qualifying dependent children, subject to family-dependency rules.

Separate documents, fees and proof of relationship and financial responsibility may be required.

Application Assessment

Applicants generally provide:

• Identity, civil-status and police documents
• Evidence of lawful source and foreign origin of funds
• Bank, title, brokerage or investment certificates
• Proof of the qualifying threshold
• Health and dependant documents

Applications are completed through a licensed Panamanian lawyer.

Processing Times

The Ministry identifies a 30-business-day approval objective for complete qualifying applications.

This is not guaranteed; due diligence, funds review or incomplete evidence may cause delays.

Application from Outside Panama

A local lawyer may start the process from abroad.

The applicant later travels for immigration and residence-card formalities.

Residence and Investment Maintenance

The programme grants permanent rather than temporary residence.

The qualifying investment must generally be maintained for five years. Failure to maintain or properly replace it may affect status.

Program Benefits

• Direct permanent residence
• Real-estate, securities and bank-deposit options
• Investment starting from USD $300,000
• Ability to begin the process from abroad
• Specialized government processing
• Potential inclusion of eligible dependants
• Access to Panama’s banking and commercial environment
• Suitable for relocation, business expansion or retirement planning

Potential Path to Panamanian Citizenship

Permanent residence does not automatically grant citizenship.

Naturalization is a separate process that may require residence, integration, language and nationality-specific conditions, with separate government approval.