A Qualified Investor Visa in Panama will allow you to live and work freely in this highly-developed Central American nation, with the only requirement for maintaining resident status being that you visit the country once every two years. First established in October 2020, a Qualified Investor Visa can be obtained via property acquisition, purchasing securities, or making a fixed-term deposit in a local bank. You can do this via company formation in Panama, or as an individual. This guide details the three qualifying investment pathways, the required financial commitment, and the streamlined process for securing permanent residency in Panama.
Key Takeaways: Panama Qualified Investor Visa
| Is there a track to residency? | This visa offers a fast track to permanent residency, often within 30 days. |
| What are the three main investment options available? | 1. Real Estate Investment Requirement 2. Panamanian Stock Market Investment Requirement 3. Bank Certificate of Deposit Requirement |
| What is the minimum investment amount? | USD$300,000-$750,000, depending on option. The investment must be maintained for a minimum of five years. |
| Who is the scheme aimed at? | This program is designed to attract high-net-worth investors. |
3 Investment Options for the Qualified Investor Visa
It is important to note that all funds invested for a Qualified Investor Visa must come from outside the country. For US investors, one of the major advantages of transferring funds into Panama is the fact it is one of Latin America’s dollarized economies, meaning that losses associated with currency conversions are eliminated.
The three options for receiving a Qualified Investor Visa in Panama are as follows:
1. Real Estate Investment
The first option for getting a Qualified Investor Visa in Panama is through the purchase of property. As of October 2024, the minimum real estate investment required to be eligible for a Qualified Investor Visa stands at USD$300,000 again, having been raised to half a million previously.
Note that the property must be held for a minimum period of five years.
- Requirement: Invest a minimum of USD $300,000 in Panamanian real estate.
- Details: The property must be owned free of any liens. The investment can be in a single property or multiple properties.
Expert Tip: The Real Estate Investment Option
From our experience, the most popular and straightforward option for the Qualified Investor Visa is the real estate investment pathway. The key requirement is that the property must be purchased “free of liens and encumbrances.” This means you cannot use a mortgage to finance the purchase; the property must be owned outright.
We advise clients to conduct thorough due diligence on any property to ensure its title is clean before completing the purchase. The property title, officially registered in the Public Registry, is the primary evidence required for the visa application, so ensuring this document is perfect is critical.
2. Panamanian Stock Market Investment
The second option for receiving a Qualified Investor Visa in Panama is to purchase securities via a licensed securities office, with a minimum investment of USD$300,000. While that option is less popular than receiving the visa through property purchase, it becomes considerably more attractive once the minimum property purchase value rises.
Because one of the major advantages that a visa through securities investment carries is the rapidity with which securities can be purchased, as well as the ease with which they can be managed compared to a physical asset such as real estate.
- Requirement: Invest a minimum of USD $500,000 in securities traded on the Panama Stock Exchange.
- Details: The investment must be made through a licensed Panamanian brokerage firm.
3. Bank Certificate of Deposit
The third option for an investor visa in Panama is to make a timed bank deposit in a local bank, lasting for at least five years and with a minimum investment of $750,000.
It is important to note that such a deposit must be free of any additional financial commitment or lien, and must be made with a qualifying bank – which your lawyer in Panama will be able to advise you on.
- Requirement: Place a minimum of USD $750,000 in a time deposit (Certificate of Deposit) with a licensed bank in Panama.
- Details: The deposit must be free of any liens and have a minimum term of five years.
How much does a Qualified Investor Visa in Panama cost?
To receive an Qualified Investor Visa in Panama, you will need to pay certain fees, which will rise based on the number of dependents also being provided visas.
These fees will be additional to any charge incurred by a provider who is assisting you with the visa application process.
The fees include:
- An application fee of $5,000 to the National Treasury
- A repatriation deposit of $5,000 to the Panamanian Immigration Service
- An additional fee of $1,000 to each of those bodies per dependent
That means, in total $2,000 must be paid per dependent. So, for example, someone who receives an investor visa in Panama and has a spouse and child who will also receive visas will have to pay a total of $14,000 for all three visas, on top of the fees owed to the provider.
What documentation will be needed?
As part of the application process for a Qualified Investor Visa in Panama, the following documentation will be required:
- Authenticated (apostilled) copy of passport
- Recent and authenticated (apostilled) criminal record background check
- Five passport sized photos
- Certificate of good health
- Personal background declaration
- Authenticated and certified bank statement demonstrating relevant funds/transactions
- Notarized letter issued by recipient of relevant funds to demonstrate proper completion of transaction
- Proof of payment of aforementioned fees for applicant and all dependants
- For dependents:
- Letter of visa holder’s accountability for them
- Proof of stated ties (marriage or kinship)
- Proof of address (dependents must live with applicant)
- Other relevant documentation if a dependent is over 18 years of age
Governing Body: The National Migration Service
The National Migration Service (Servicio Nacional de Migración – SNM) is the government agency in Panama responsible for processing all visa and residency applications. The Qualified Investor Visa applications are processed through a special expedited window at the SNM.
Frequently Asked Questions: Panama Qualified Investor Visa
The minimum investment for the real estate and stock market options is USD $300,000. The minimum for the bank certificate of deposit option is USD $750,000.
The qualifying investment must be maintained for a minimum of five years from the date the permanent residency is granted.
This program is designed to be expedited. Once all documents are submitted, the National Migration Service is required to process the application within 30 days.
Yes. After holding permanent residency for five years, an investor is eligible to apply for Panamanian citizenship and a passport, subject to meeting other requirements.
Biz Latin Hub can help you get a Qualified Investor Visa in Panama
At Biz Latin Hub, we provide integrated market entry and back office services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, with offices in 17 major cities around the region.
Our portfolio includes accounting & taxation, company formation, due diligence, hiring & PEO, legal services, and visa processing, while our unrivaled reach in the region means we are ideally placed to support multi-jurisdiction market entries and cross-border operations.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can assist you.
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