Panama Qualified Investor Program
Starting at US$300,000
Invest in Panama. Establish permanent residency. Build your future. The Qualified Investor Program lets international investors combine a significant investment with a pathway to permanent resident status — not a temporary permit that has to be converted later.
The US$300,000 real estate threshold applies to select properties.
Learn which primary market properties are available through the US$300,000 qualifying amount and how to apply.
Panama offers international investors an opportunity to combine investment with long-term residency through its Qualified Investor (Inversionista Calificado) Program. Designed to attract foreign capital and high-net-worth investors, the programme provides a pathway to permanent residency in Panama through qualifying investments in real estate and other approved investment categories.
Whether your objective is international diversification, acquiring property, establishing a second residence, expanding your business interests, or creating a long-term base in Latin America, Panama offers a compelling combination of investment opportunity and residency.
Minimum qualifying real estate investment under the current rules, free of liens.
Structured as an application for permanent resident status, not a temporary permit.
The qualifying investment must generally be maintained for at least five years.
The process can begin outside Panama through local legal representation.
The Qualified Investor Program was established as a permanent residency category for foreign investors making qualifying investments with funds originating from abroad. Unlike programmes that begin with temporary residency, the Qualified Investor route is structured as an application for permanent resident status.
All three routes produce the same permanent residency. Funds must originate outside Panama and the investment must be held for five years.
Title held free of liens, in your own name or through a Panamanian entity. Pre-construction can qualify; where financing is used, only your own equity counts.
Securities purchased through a brokerage licensed by Panama's securities regulator and held for five years.
A five-year time deposit, free of liens, with a bank licensed in Panama. Withdrawing early puts the residency at risk.
Unlike the Friendly Nations route, the Qualified Investor Program is open to citizens of any country. The screening that matters is on the money, not the passport.
18 or older with a passport valid for six months
Clean, apostilled criminal record certificate
Capital transferred from a documented foreign source
Evidence of the lawful origin of funds
Health certificate and sworn declaration
Spouse or legally recognised partner
Children under 18
Dependent students aged 18 to 25
Children with a certified disability
Financially dependent parents
Residency should not be the only consideration when selecting an asset. Capital preservation, appreciation, income, liquidity, location and your wider reasons for establishing a base in Panama all matter.
Markets to consider
A position we hold firmly
Residency should not turn a bad property into a good investment.
Our role is to ensure the asset clears the program's requirements, holds its value across the five-year term, and is something you would want to own even without the residency benefit.
Discuss current opportunitiesYou can begin from abroad. One trip to Panama is required to complete immigration registration and biometrics.
We review your nationality, family composition, capital position and timeline, then recommend the right route.
We build the documentary trail for your capital and open the Panamanian banking relationship that will receive it.
Title search and closing, securities purchase, or placement of the time deposit. Funds must arrive from abroad.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industries certifies the investment while personal documents are legalised.
Your attorney files the application. You travel to Panama for registration and biometrics.
Permanent residency is granted and your Panamanian identity card is issued.
Set your family composition for an indicative 2026 figure. Government and professional fees are additional to your qualifying capital.
Indicative only. Notarial costs, apostilles, translations, property transfer tax and title-search costs vary by case.
Indicative cost
One applicant.
The Qualified Investor Program is the fastest and the most expensive. For some profiles a different route is simply the better instrument.
| Route | Entry requirement | Status granted | Open to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Investor | US$300,000 real estate, US$500,000 securities, or US$750,000 deposit | Permanent, immediately | Any nationality |
| Friendly Nations | US$200,000 in property or a fixed deposit, or a Panamanian employment contract | Two years provisional, then permanent | Citizens of designated countries only |
| Reforestation Investor | US$100,000 provisional, or US$350,000 in a certified reforestation project | Provisional, then permanent at the higher amount | Any nationality |
| Pensionado (retiree) | Lifetime pension income from a qualifying source | Permanent, with a discount regime | Any nationality, pension holders |
Requirements for each route are set separately and change independently. Confirm current conditions with counsel before committing capital.
No. There is no minimum stay requirement. To keep permanent residency active you should enter Panama at least once every two years. Tax residency is a separate question with its own tests.
Not directly. It gives permanent residency. After five years you may apply for naturalisation, subject to Spanish language ability, demonstrated ties and discretionary approval.
Only your own equity counts. The qualifying portion of the title must be free of liens, so the structure should be agreed with counsel before closing.
The investment underpins the residency. Selling, liquidating securities or breaking the deposit inside the five-year term puts your status at risk.
Through bank letters, statements, tax filings, sale agreements, dividend records or inheritance documents showing where the money came from and how it reached Panama.
A first consultation is a working session, not a sales call. We assess your nationality, family, capital position and timeline — including whether another route would serve you better.
