Panama Friendly Nations Visa 2026: The List of 51 Countries

Which countries qualify for Panama's Friendly Nations visa in 2026?

Panama's Friendly Nations visa qualifies nationals of 51 countries in 2026: 23 European Union member states, 9 other European countries, 11 countries in the Americas, 6 in Asia-Pacific, plus Israel and South Africa. The list is fixed by decree, so a nationality either appears in article 2 of Executive Decree 416 of 2012 as amended, or it does not qualify.

The Friendly Nations visa, known in Spanish as the permit for Países Amigos, is a residence route run by Panama's Servicio Nacional de Migración (SNM). The table below groups the 51 countries by region. Every name was read against the decree texts published in the Gaceta Oficial and the copy of Decree 16 hosted by the SNM, most recently on 9 October 2026.

If your nationality appears above, the full requirements and our verified data for the route sit on our Panama Friendly Nations visa page. If you hold two passports, eligibility follows the nationality you apply with, so a dual national can often use the listed one. Have questions about your own passport? Contact Mirabello Consultancy for a complimentary consultation.

Which decrees set the Panama Friendly Nations country list?

The Panama Friendly Nations country list is set by article 2 of Executive Decree 416 of 13 June 2012, as modified by Executive Decree 197 of 7 May 2021, Executive Decree 226 of 20 July 2021 and Executive Decree 16 of 31 August 2026. Article 3 of Decree 416 creates the two-year provisional permit that the route grants first.

You can read Decree 16 yourself in the copy published by the Servicio Nacional de Migración. Its recital also confirms a point many guides miss: Friendly Nations residence does not exempt the holder from obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Labour (MITRADEL), nor does it grant the right to practise professions regulated by special laws.

Are Germans, Swiss, Austrians, Britons, Americans and Canadians eligible?

Germans, Swiss, Austrians, Britons, Americans and Canadians are all eligible for Panama's Friendly Nations visa in 2026, because Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada each appear in article 2 of Executive Decree 416 of 2012 as amended. These are the six nationalities we are asked about most often.

For readers in the German-speaking countries, this matters: Friendly Nations is often the most accessible investment-linked route into Panama, with a B/. 200,000 threshold against B/. 300,000 for the Panama Qualified Investor visa. The balboa (B/.) is at par with the US dollar, so B/. 200,000 is US$200,000.

Which countries are not on the Friendly Nations list?

Italy is the most frequently misreported country: Italy is not on the Friendly Nations list in 2026, and neither are Iceland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Colombia or India. Any nationality absent from article 2 of Executive Decree 416 as amended cannot use the route, whatever the investment offered.

Italian nationals have a better alternative. The Italy-Panama treaty permit is permanent and indefinite from the date of grant and requires no minimum investment, only an economic or professional activity of any kind. It is explained on our Panama residency for Italians page and in our 2026 guide for Italian citizens. Nationals of other unlisted countries can look at the Qualified Investor route, which is open to all nationalities, or at the Pensionado visa if they receive a lifetime pension.

What must each eligible national still show?

Every eligible national must still show one economic tie to Panama to obtain the Friendly Nations visa: an employment relationship with a Panamanian company, real estate of at least B/. 200,000, or a B/. 200,000 fixed-term deposit held free of encumbrance with a three-year term. Nationality alone, without one of these three ties, does not qualify.

These conditions come from the SNM's own Friendly Nations requirement sheet (PPT-PE and PPP-PE). The statutory payments for the provisional permit are a B/. 250 certified cheque to the National Treasury and B/. 800 to the Servicio Nacional de Migración. Professional fees are separate and no official all-in tariff is published.

What about family members?

Family members join as dependants. They file a letter of responsibility from the resident, proof of relationship such as a marriage or birth certificate and, for dependants aged 18 to under 25, proof of full-time study and a sworn declaration of single status. The resident proves economic solvency with an income-tax return showing at least B/. 1,000 a month plus B/. 100 for each dependant, or with a current employment letter, payslip or social-security record and a copy of the work permit.

How does the permit progress to permanent residence?

The route starts with a two-year provisional residence permit. After those two years, you request the permanent permit (PPP-PE) with the same requirements, except the criminal-record certificate and the cheque. No official processing time is published for either stage. No minimum stay is set; once permanent, residence may be cancelled after an absence of more than two years unless the absence is justified and authorised by the SNM Director.

Friendly Nations or Qualified Investor: which suits you?

Friendly Nations suits eligible nationals with B/. 200,000 to place, or a Panamanian job, who accept a two-year provisional stage; the Qualified Investor route suits any nationality ready to invest at least B/. 300,000 in a first-sale property and wanting permanent residence on first approval, under Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026.

Both routes can lead to naturalisation. Under article 10 of Panama's Constitution, the general route is five consecutive years of residence, with proof of Spanish and basic knowledge of Panama's geography, history and political organisation, and an express declaration renouncing the nationality of origin. Panama has no citizenship by investment. For the wider picture, see our Panama residency country hub, our Qualified Investor 2026 guide and the Panama fast tracks by nationality.

Which claims about the Friendly Nations visa are out of date?

Several widely repeated claims about the Friendly Nations visa are out of date in 2026: the list now has 51 countries, a small bank deposit of a few thousand dollars no longer qualifies, the first permit is provisional rather than permanent, and permanent residence does not by itself give the right to work.

• "The list has fewer than 51 countries." Out of date. Decree 16 of 31 August 2026 added Ecuador from 1 September 2026, bringing the list to 51.
• "A bank deposit of about US$5,000 is enough." Not on the current SNM sheet. The economic tie is a Panamanian job, B/. 200,000 in property or a B/. 200,000 three-year deposit.
• "You get permanent residence straight away." No. The route starts with a two-year provisional permit.
• "Permanent residence lets you work." No. A MITRADEL work permit is still required.
• "Italians qualify." No. Italy is not on the list; Italians use the treaty route.
• "It leads to a passport by investment." No. Panamanian nationality comes only through naturalisation.

How does Panama compare with other residence options?

Panama's Friendly Nations visa is one of several Latin American residence routes Mirabello Consultancy advises on, and the right choice depends on your nationality, capital and whether you plan to retire. Retirees with a lifetime pension of at least B/. 1,000 a month can use the Panama Pensionado visa, with no investment at all.

In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic residence by investment and the Dominican Republic Pensionado and Rentista permits are open to all nationalities, and Mexico permanent residency offers a direct permanent route on financial solvency. Compare them on our retirement residency hub and our golden visa hub. For a first answer at any hour, ask Mira, by Mirabello, the AI advisor of Mirabello Immigration Intelligence, which reads the same verified programme data from our MCP and can check whether your nationality is on the list.