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Panama Investor Visa: Qualified Investor With Permanent Residence From Day One

Permanent residence from day one: Panama's most direct residence route, with USD 300,000 for a new property bought from the developer and fixed processing time limits since Decree 17/2026.

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Fixed prices and ordering

All prices in US dollars for the main applicant; family members coming with you are added to the same case.

Not included: government fees, translations and apostilles (government fees approx. USD 1,250 to 1,350). You add family members at checkout.

Who this procedure suits

The Qualified Investor Visa suits investors who want permanent status immediately, without the two-year temporary stage of the Friendly Nations route. Since Decreto Ejecutivo 17/2026 there are four ways in: a new property from USD 300,000 bought directly from the developer, a resale property from USD 500,000, a securities investment from USD 500,000 or a fixed-term deposit from USD 750,000, which at Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros needs only USD 500,000. If you want to hold capital in a US dollar economy with territorial taxation anyway and care about speed, this is the most direct route to permanent residence Panama has to offer.

And who it does not suit:

  • ✕You do not want to, or cannot, tie up a six-figure sum in Panama: the Friendly Nations Visa, with its much lower thresholds for the economic tie, is the better entry point.
  • ✕You are in no hurry and can accept two years of temporary residence: the Qualified Investor Visa mainly buys speed and immediate permanent status; if you can wait, you reach the same goal with less capital tied up.
  • ✕You expect an investment or property recommendation from us: we structure the procedure and the documents; which property or investment you choose is a decision for you and your own advisers.

Requirements

The core of the programme is a qualifying investment from your own funds, demonstrably coming from abroad, which you hold for five years. Decreto Ejecutivo 17/2026 no longer works with a cut-off date; it distinguishes by type of asset: new property from USD 300,000, resale property from USD 500,000, securities from USD 500,000 or a fixed-term deposit from USD 750,000, from USD 500,000 at the two state banks. In return you receive permanent residence from day one, with no temporary stage. Which evidence of the investment and of your person the authority currently requires, we check for your case before filing; expect apostilled documents with certified translations. In Panama, immigration cases must be filed by a lawyer, so your application necessarily goes through licensed attorneys on the ground. A local account for the investment and everyday life can be set up as part of your case; more on our bank account opening page.

What we take care of

  • ✓Working out which investment route (new or resale property, securities, fixed-term deposit) fits your situation
  • ✓Pre-purchase check of whether your property counts as a first sale and whether its net value stays above the threshold
  • ✓Complete document checklist with an apostille and translation plan
  • ✓Preparation and pre-check of all investment and personal evidence before filing
  • ✓Filing and representation by licensed attorneys on the ground, together with our local partners
  • ✓Coordination of your in-person appointments with your travel plans
  • ✓Ongoing follow-up with the immigration authority until the decision
  • ✓Support with the cédula, travel document and optional bank account opening as add-ons to your case
  • ✓One personal contact, coordinating in English, throughout the process

Step by step

  1. 1

    Choose your route

    We work out whether property, securities or a bank deposit fits your situation and, for a property, check in advance whether the USD 300,000 or the USD 500,000 threshold applies, before any costs arise.

  2. 2

    Structure the investment

    You make the investment with your advisers; in parallel your document pack comes together with apostilles and certified translations.

  3. 3

    File the application

    Our local partners, licensed attorneys, file the application with the immigration authority; we fit your in-person appointments around your travel plans.

  4. 4

    Fixed processing time limits

    Decree 17/2026 sets maximum time limits: 15 working days for the Ministry of Commerce's investment certificate, 30 working days for the immigration authority's decision. The attorneys on the ground follow up, and we keep you updated in English.

  5. 5

    Permanent status from day one

    With the approval you hold permanent residence; on request, the cédula, travel document and bank account follow as parts of your case.

How long it takes

Since Decree 17/2026 there are fixed maximum time limits: 15 working days for the investment certificate from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI), then 30 working days for the immigration authority's decision once the file is complete. If the file is incomplete, you have 15 working days to correct it, so there is still no guaranteed date. Realistically, add the lead time: making the investment, obtaining apostilles and translations, pre-checking the evidence. The MICI certificate is valid for three months, and the complete file must reach the immigration authority within that time.

Do you need to be there in person?

The procedure involves in-person steps, which we coordinate with your travel plans. After that, Panama's great strength applies here too: in practice, one visit every two years is enough to keep permanent residence. That makes the Qualified Investor route the fastest way to a status you can hold without uprooting your life. Only if you later want to naturalise do you need genuine presence.

Family members coming with you

Panama regularly includes dependants in residence cases; exactly how your dependants are included in your Qualified Investor case, we clarify before you order and show transparently. Expect a separate apostilled and translated document pack for each family member; we handle the coordination.

What comes next

You start directly with permanent status, so there is no conversion. Useful next steps are the cédula as your everyday ID and, where it makes sense, the travel document for Qualified Investors. After five years of permanent residence you can apply to naturalise, a separate and demanding procedure. What Decree 17/2026 regulates in detail is covered in our article on the new investor visa; for the full picture, see the Panama country page.

What is not included

  • •The investment amount itself (property, securities or fixed-term deposit)
  • •Purchase costs, due diligence and advice on choosing the property or investment
  • •Government fees and charges in Panama
  • •Apostilles and legalisations in your home country
  • •Certified translations
  • •Notary fees
  • •Travel and accommodation costs
  • •Tax advice in the destination country

Tax note

Residence is not the same as tax residence. Panama's territorial principle leaves foreign income at zero, but the exemption only applies if the income is genuinely foreign-source; banking and the operating company therefore usually belong outside Panama. And before you arrive comes a clean departure from home: moving to Panama does not, on its own, end your tax residence there, and whether your home country applies an exit tax or special rules for low-tax destinations depends on where you come from. More context in the Panama guide; your individual case belongs with a tax adviser.

One point of contact, from start to finish

Your application is filed together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country, with whom we have worked for years. We coordinate your case, check your documents and remain your point of contact: in English, throughout.

That applies whether you are still at home or already on the road: one point of contact, no language barrier, no loose ends across four time zones.

Frequently asked questions

Does the USD 300,000 threshold still apply?+

Yes, for a new property bought as first purchaser directly from the developer. Decreto Ejecutivo 17/2026 replaced the earlier cut-off date of 15 October 2026: instead of a date, the type of property decides. A resale property requires USD 500,000, securities USD 500,000, and a fixed-term deposit USD 750,000 at a private bank or USD 500,000 at Banco Nacional and Caja de Ahorros.

Do I really get permanent residence straight away?+

Yes, that is the core of the programme: permanent residence from day one, without the two-year temporary stage of other routes. Since Decree 17/2026 there are maximum time limits of 15 working days at the Ministry of Commerce and 30 working days at the immigration authority.

How does the Qualified Investor route differ from the Friendly Nations Visa?+

Speed and capital. Friendly Nations works with lower thresholds for the economic tie but only leads to permanent residence after two years of temporary residence. The Qualified Investor route requires more capital and delivers permanent status immediately in return.

Do you choose the property or investment for me?+

No. We structure the procedure, deadlines and documents; you choose the property or investment with your own advisers. That keeps the roles clean.

Do I have to live in Panama afterwards?+

No. In practice, one visit every two years is enough to keep permanent residence. Only later naturalisation requires genuine presence.

What is the travel document for Qualified Investors?+

A Panamanian travel document available to holders of this status, which we can apply for as an add-on to your case. Whether it makes sense for your situation, we clarify before you order.

Can my dependants come too?+

Panama regularly includes dependants in residence cases. Exactly how they are included in your case, we clarify before you order and show transparently.

Who handles the procedure in Panama?+

Licensed attorneys on the ground, our local partners; in Panama immigration cases must be filed by a lawyer anyway. We coordinate your case and remain your personal contact, in English.

Panama Investor Visa (Qualified Investor): let's look at your case

A fixed price, three ways to pay, and once your payment arrives our team first checks your requirements before your case goes to our local partners.

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Harley Bieder

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