Panama Qualified Investor Residency

Panama's Qualified Investor route is one of the fastest residency-by-investment programmes in the world, granting direct permanent residency from a single qualifying investment. Where many golden-visa-style routes hand out temporary status first, Panama moves eligible applicants to permanent residency in a matter of weeks: Executive Decree 17 sets legal maximums of 15 business days for the investment certification and 30 business days for the migration decision (article 15), and Panamanian practitioners report 30 to 90 days overall in practice. For internationally mobile families who want a dollarised, low-tax base in the Americas without a lengthy waiting period, few programmes match its speed or simplicity.

What the programme offers

The Qualified Investor visa was designed to attract meaningful capital quickly, so the process is deliberately streamlined and document-led rather than drawn out over years of renewals. Approved investors receive permanent residency for themselves and qualifying family members, with the freedom to live in Panama, hold local bank accounts and build a genuine base in a stable, US dollar economy. Panama uses the US dollar as legal tender, which removes currency risk for many international investors and makes financial planning refreshingly predictable.

Investment options

You can qualify through one of several routes:

• Real estate from USD 300,000 for a new property bought on first sale, or USD 500,000 for a resale property.
• Securities of USD 500,000 through the Panama stock exchange via a licensed brokerage.
• A five-year fixed-term deposit of USD 750,000, reduced to USD 500,000 at Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros.

These amounts are set by Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026 and carry no deadline. Each route carries its own documentation, timing and suitability considerations, and the right choice depends entirely on your wider wealth and mobility plan. We assess this with you before any capital is committed.

Decree 17 of 2026: what changed

Executive Decree 17 of 8 September 2026, published in the Gaceta Oficial on 16 September 2026, replaced Executive Decree 722 of 2020 and its amending Decrees 109 of 2022 and 193 of 2024. In short:

• New thresholds, no deadline: first-sale property USD 300,000, resale property USD 500,000, securities USD 500,000, or a five-year fixed deposit of USD 750,000 (USD 500,000 at Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros). Earlier talk of a step-up after 15 October 2026 no longer applies. Our article on the Panama Qualified Investor Visa 2026 and the USD 300,000 threshold under Decree 17 covers the change in full.
• Transitional rule (article 19): investments and binding contracts perfected before 16 September 2026 may use the previous regime if the application is filed within six months, by 16 March 2027.
• Off-plan property (article 7): residence may rest on promise-of-sale contracts for at most three years in total, after which the unit must be registered in the investor's name or the permit is cancelled.
• Valuation (article 6): the amount credited is the lower of the price actually paid and the verified commercial value.
• Legal time limits (article 15): up to 15 business days for the Ministry of Commerce and Industries to certify the investment and up to 30 business days for the Servicio Nacional de Migración to decide a complete application.
• Biometrics (article 16): the application may be filed before you enter Panama, but biometric registration must be completed in person before any card is issued.
• Family added later (article 17): a new child or a spouse by a later marriage can join while the investment is kept, for B/. 1,000 plus B/. 1,000 per person.

Government fees

Article 11 of Decree 17 sets B/. 5,000 to the National Treasury plus a B/. 5,000 repatriation deposit to the Servicio Nacional de Migración for the main applicant, and B/. 1,000 plus a B/. 1,000 repatriation deposit for each dependant. The balboa is at par with the US dollar. One investment covers the whole family, with no family-size cap. Real estate also carries a property-transfer tax and registration and notary costs, and where a commercial valuation is required its cost falls on the applicant; we confirm these for your purchase.

Do you have to live in Panama?

Decree 17 sets no minimum stay for Qualified Investors. One rule applies to every permanent resident, however: the Director of the Servicio Nacional de Migración may cancel a permanent residence after an absence from Panama of more than two years, unless the absence is justified and authorised (Decreto Ley 3 of 2008, article 31(3)). In practice, one visit in person is needed for biometric registration, so plan to return within every two-year period, or ask for authorisation before a longer absence. Time in Panama matters separately for naturalisation and for tax residence.

An honest word on what this is

The Qualified Investor route grants residency, not citizenship. Permanent residency can, over time, open a path to naturalisation and a Panamanian passport, subject to Panama's own residence and eligibility requirements, but that is a separate, later journey. Panama also applies a territorial tax system, under which foreign-sourced income is generally treated differently from Panama-sourced income. The precise effect on your position depends on your residence, structure and home-country rules, so a qualified specialist should confirm it for you rather than any general summary.

Who it suits

Panama tends to suit those who want speed, a dollar-based economy and a well-connected hub between North and South America, whether as a lifestyle base, a diversification move or the foundation for a longer citizenship journey. If you are weighing it against other options, our golden visa and residency programmes overview sets Panama in context, and our investment migration index compares routes on cost, timeline and mobility side by side.

A treaty route reserved for Italian citizens

Italian citizens have a route of their own. Under the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Panama and Italy, approved by Law 15 of 1966, Panama's National Migration Service grants Italians a permanent residence permit that is indefinite from the day it is issued and never needs renewal. There is no minimum investment: the applicant shows a genuine economic or professional activity, such as paid-up shares in a company registered in Panama or an employment contract at a salary of at least B/.850, together with proof of funds. Italians are also exempt from the repatriation deposit that other applicants post, and may apply at a Panamanian consulate in Italy before they move.

The treaty speeds up residence, not citizenship. Italians naturalise on the ordinary five-year route, and Italian law allows them to keep their Italian citizenship when they acquire another. For an Italian passport holder this is usually the strongest way into Panama, and we confirm it for each client's circumstances. Our page on Panama residency for Italians sets out the requirements, and our guide Panama for Italians 2026 covers taxes and citizenship.

Other Panama routes and guides

• Panama Pensionado visa: permanent residence for retirees on a lifetime pension of B/. 1,000 a month, with no investment.
• Panama Pensionado visa 2026 guide: requirements, costs and benefits.
• Panama fast-track residency and citizenship by nationality: which nationalities naturalise sooner.
• Panama residency for Italians: the treaty route with no minimum investment.

Because the thresholds are fixed rather than tied to a deadline, the right choice rests on your goals and liquidity, not on timing. Mirabello Consultancy guides you through eligibility, route selection and documentation with Swiss precision and complete discretion. To explore whether Panama fits your plans, arrange your free consultation and we will map the right path for your family.