Panama Qualified Investor visa: the golden visa route

The Qualified Investor visa is Panama’s residency-by-investment programme, introduced in 2020 and often called its golden visa. It costs more than the other routes and in return gives permanent residency directly, with a faster process.

The investment options

Option	Amount	Notes
Real estate	From about $300,000	The decree’s standard figure is $500,000. A reduced $300,000 threshold was introduced as temporary and has been extended.
Securities	About $500,000	Bought through a licensed Panamanian brokerage
Fixed-term bank deposit	About $750,000	Held at a bank in Panama

Conditions that apply to all three:

• The investment is held for at least five years.
• The money has to come from outside Panama, and you will be asked to show where it came from.
• Real estate must be titled and free of liens. Purchases of property under construction have been accepted through a promise-to-purchase contract with the funds held in trust, on stricter terms.

The real estate threshold is the detail most likely to have changed. Ask your attorney which figure applies on the date you will file, and get it in writing before you sign a purchase contract.

What is different about this route

• Permanent residency from the start. There is no provisional stage, as there is with the Friendly Nations visa.
• Speed. The programme was set up with a target of about 30 days for a decision once a complete file is submitted. Actual times vary.
• You can start from abroad. The application can be filed by your attorney under a power of attorney, though you will still need to come to Panama to complete it and collect your card.
• Higher government fees. They run to around $10,000 for the main applicant, with further fees for each dependant, on top of legal fees.
• No nationality list. It is not limited to citizens of friendly nations.

Documents

• Passport, with copies of every page.
• A criminal background check, apostilled. For Americans this is the FBI report.
• Proof of the investment: the Public Registry certificate for property, or the brokerage’s or bank’s certificate.
• Evidence that the funds came from abroad, such as bank transfer records.
• A sworn statement on the source of the funds.
• Marriage and birth certificates for dependants, apostilled.
• A medical certificate from a doctor in Panama.

Who it suits

• People who were going to buy a home at this price anyway and want permanent residency without a two-year provisional period.
• People who can’t spend long in Panama during the application.
• Citizens of countries that are not on the friendly nations list.

For most Americans one of the cheaper routes does the job:

Your situation	Usual route
Lifetime pension of $1,000 a month or more	Pensionado visa
No pension, about $200,000 for property or a deposit	Friendly Nations visa
$300,000 or more to invest, and speed matters	Qualified Investor visa

Before you invest

• Don’t let the visa pick the property. A purchase made to hit a threshold is still a property you have to live in or sell. Read buying property in Panama.
• Check title independently. Use an attorney who is not connected to the seller or developer.
• Understand the five years. Ask what happens to your status if you sell and buy a different property during that time.
• Ask about tax. Panama taxes income earned in Panama, including rent and interest on some investments. US citizens also report the investment and any foreign accounts to the US. See taxes for Americans in Panama.

The application must be filed by a Panamanian immigration attorney.

Common questions

Does Panama have a golden visa?

Panama's Qualified Investor visa is what people usually mean. It gives permanent residency in return for an investment in real estate, securities or a fixed-term bank deposit, held for at least five years.

How much do you have to invest for the Panama Qualified Investor visa?

The decree sets three options: real estate, securities bought through a licensed Panamanian brokerage for about $500,000, or a fixed-term bank deposit of about $750,000. Real estate has been accepted from $300,000 under a reduced threshold that was introduced as temporary and later extended. Confirm the current figure before you buy.

Does the Qualified Investor visa give Panamanian citizenship?

No. It gives permanent residency. Panama has no citizenship by investment programme. Permanent residents can apply to naturalise after five years, which involves real ties to Panama and a Spanish-language exam.