Panama Visa Articles
Deeper guides that go beyond a single visa: tax comparisons, cost breakdowns, timelines to permanent residency and city-by-city retirement analysis. Every article cites official Servicio Nacional de Migracion (SNM) sources and shows a last-verified date.
residency
Panama Friendly Nations Visa 2026: What Changed After Decree 197
Executive Decree 197 of August 2021 ended the old "open a company plus USD 5,000 in the bank" path to permanent residency. We explain the current 2026 rules: 2-year provisional phase, three qualifying paths, the USD 200,000 real estate or deposit threshold, and the seven-year road to citizenship.
Last verified: April 18, 2026residency
Panama Pensionado Visa 2026: $1,000/Month Pension, Direct Permanent Residency
Panama's Pensionado Visa is routinely ranked the best retirement visa in the world: USD 1,000/month lifetime pension, direct permanent residency, and a statutory discount program covering flights, restaurants, hospital bills and property taxes. Here is what qualifies, what it costs, and what you cannot do on it.
Last verified: April 18, 2026residency
Panama Qualified Investor Visa 2026: 30-Day Permanent Residency on $300,000+
Decree 722 of October 2020 created the fastest residency program in Latin America: USD 300,000 in Panamanian real estate converts to permanent residency in 30 business days, no provisional phase. We explain the three investment paths, the 5-year lock-up, and why this program is the best choice if you have the capital.
Last verified: April 18, 2026tax
Panama Territorial Tax 2026: What Foreign Income Is Really Exempt
Panama's territorial tax system is the most generous in Latin America for foreign-income recipients. Only Panama-source income is taxed; foreign pensions, US dividends, and remote-work salary from foreign employers stay outside the tax base. We unpack what counts as foreign-source and where the boundaries lie.
Last verified: May 22, 2026relocation
Banking in Panama 2026: The Strict KYC and How Expats Get Through
Panama has the strictest banking KYC in Latin America, a legacy of the 2016 Panama Papers and FATF gray-listing. Opening a personal account as a foreign resident takes 2-6 weeks and requires extensive source-of-funds documentation. We map the 2026 process and the bank-by-bank reality.
Last verified: May 22, 2026