Guides to moving to Panama

Start with the order of the steps, then read about the residency option that fits you.

• Moving to Panama from the US: the steps in orderWhat to do, in what order, from gathering apostilled documents to your first tax return abroad.
• Panama residency for Americans: requirements and how to get itThe main residency routes, what each requires, and the steps from apostilled documents to your resident card.
• Panama Pensionado visa: requirements, discounts and stepsPanama's retirement visa: the pension you need, the documents, the discounts and the application.
• Panama Friendly Nations visa: requirements since 2021Who is eligible, the three ways to qualify since 2021, and the two-year provisional stage.
• Panama Qualified Investor visa: the golden visa routePermanent residency through a larger investment in real estate, securities or a bank deposit.
• Panama digital nomad visa: the short-stay visa for remote workersNine months, renewable once, for people paid from outside Panama. What it requires and where it stops.
• Panama citizenship and dual nationality for AmericansNaturalisation after five years as a permanent resident, the exam, and where dual nationality stands.
• Living in Panama as an American: what daily life is likeClimate, money, language, healthcare and safety, with the pros and cons people report after the move.
• Best places to live in Panama for AmericansSix areas compared on climate, cost, healthcare, community and distance from the capital.
• Cost of living in Panama for AmericansTypical monthly budgets, rent by area, and what costs more than people expect.
• Retiring in Panama: residency, healthcare and where people settleResidency on a pension, healthcare without Medicare, Social Security and tax, and where retirees live.
• Buying property in Panama as an AmericanForeigners can own property in Panama. How title works, the steps in a purchase and what to check first.