Panama · Golden visa · Permanent residence

Panama Qualified Investor Permanent Residence — First-Sale Property

Permanent residence for qualifying foreign investors maintaining an approved investment in Panama.

Value scoreCheckingPassport data under review

5-year costCheckingone applicant, not recoverable

DecisionCheckingComparable time under review

Official program page

Value: what the Qualified Investor Permanent Residence — First-Sale Property gives you

Passport reach 25 pts weightChecking

Path to citizenship 25 pts weight60

Work, family, healthcare 20 pts weightChecking

Stay rule 15 pts weightChecking

Tax on foreign income 10 pts weightChecking

Policy stability 5 pts weight60

Passport: visa-free destinations: Checking
Years to permanent residence: ImmediatelyOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Article 1 grants permanent residence; investment maintenance applies.
Years to citizenship: 5 yearsOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Article 14 requires five consecutive years of residence plus constitutional and legal naturalisation conditions.
Leads to citizenship: YesOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15
Can work for a local employer: Checking
Same application for spouse and children: YesOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15
Public healthcare: Checking
Minimum stay per year: Checking
Tax on foreign income: Checking
Dual citizenship allowed: Checking
Rule changes, last 24 months: ChangedOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Decree 17 effective 16 September 2026 replaces Decree 722 and distinguishes first-sale from secondary-market property.

Cost: what the Qualified Investor Permanent Residence — First-Sale Property costs over five years

Government fees: CheckingOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Article 11 requires B/.5,000 application rights and B/.5,000 repatriation deposit; card/registration fees and deposit refundability must be resolved before a non-refundable total.
Non-refundable contribution: $0OfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Selected property route; separate application payment and repatriation deposit are additional.
Due diligence: Checking
Compulsory extras, first year: CheckingOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Bank evidence and legalisation, ownership/value records, legal representation and annual investment-verification documentation are required; provider-dependent charges remain unpriced.
Renewal fees, first 5 years: Checking
Investment you may get back: $300kOfficialMinistry of Commerce and Industries Panama, checked 2026-11-15First-sale new, unoccupied property only: Article 4(a); secondary-market property requires B/.500,000; maintain five years.
Minimum income per month: Checking
Extra for a spouse and two children: Checking
Typical adviser fees (not in the total): Checking

USD estimates use the 13 November 2026 reference rates of the European Central Bank, Central Bank of Armenia and Central Bank of the UAE, and the Central Bank of Uruguay rate for UYU. The Panamanian balboa uses its official one-to-one parity.

Speed: how long the Qualified Investor Permanent Residence — First-Sale Property takes

Official processing time: CheckingOfficialMinistry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama, checked 2026-11-15Up to 15 working days from admission of a complete investment file for certification, then up to 30 working days from migration receipt of the complete file, subject to lawful suspension.
Reported processing time (median): Checking
Approval to card or passport: Checking

Sources

Qualified Investor Permanent Residence, Ministry of Commerce and Industries Panama. Checked 2026-11-15.
Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026, Gazette 30613, Ministry of Public Security / National Migration Service Panama. Checked 2026-11-15.

Every figure on this page last reviewed 2026-11-15. General information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the contact page.

Related programs

Compare Panama with another country · Back to the visa and citizenship rankings