Panama Friendly Nations visa: requirements and residence

What this category permits and its two stages

The category commonly called the Friendly Nations visa requires a listed nationality and a documented economic or professional purpose. Executive Decree 226 of 2021 provides for a two-year provisional permit. After that period, article 3 of Executive Decree 197 of 2021 allows an application for permanent residence with the required supporting documents.

Permanent residence requires a further application and assessment. A listed passport, a bank account or a company without evidence of one of the prescribed grounds is insufficient. Residence is also distinct from citizenship and does not replace a work permit.

Sources: Decreto Ejecutivo 226 de 20 de julio de 2021 · arts. 1–5: nationalities, employment, property, deposits and commencement; Decreto Ejecutivo 197 de 7 de mayo de 2021 · art. 3: application for permanent residence after two years; Decreto Ejecutivo 16 de 31 de agosto de 2026 · arts. 1–5: addition of Ecuador and current list. (in Spanish)

Eligible nationalities: list checked in 2026

Executive Decree 16 of 31 August 2026 added Ecuador and restated the list. It took effect the day after publication in the Official Gazette of 31 August. The list includes:

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Germany; Argentina; Australia; Republic of Korea; Austria; Brazil; Belgium; Canada; Spain; United States of America; Slovakia; France; Finland; Netherlands; Ireland; Japan; Norway; Czech Republic; Switzerland; Singapore; Uruguay; Chile; Sweden; Poland; Hungary; Greece; Portugal; Croatia; Estonia; Lithuania; Latvia; Cyprus; Malta; Serbia; Montenegro; Israel; Denmark; South Africa; New Zealand; Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China; Luxembourg; Liechtenstein; Monaco; Andorra; San Marino; Costa Rica; Paraguay; Mexico; Peru; Ecuador.

You must prove the nationality supporting your application. Living in a listed country does not make you its national. If you hold several nationalities, the application must establish which one you rely on and ensure consistent identification documents.

Sources: Decreto Ejecutivo 16 de 31 de agosto de 2026 · arts. 1–5: addition of Ecuador and current list. (in Spanish)

Employment, property or deposit: document your chosen ground

• Employment: a notarised employer letter stating position, salary and the repatriation undertaking where applicable; the company’s Public Registry certificate; a notarised copy of its operating notice or a notarised legal justification for not requiring one. The checklist requires a copy of the work-permit power of attorney and application filed with MITRADEL, signed by employer and applicant. Approval on this ground requires processing the permit authorising work.
• Property: a Public Registry certificate proving ownership with a minimum value of B/.200,000. The acquisition may be financed through a local bank.
• Fixed-term deposit: certification from a general-license bank operating in Panama for at least B/.200,000, unencumbered and with a minimum three-year term. It must identify the holder, existence, value and term.

The property or deposit may be held personally, through a legal entity of which the applicant is the ultimate beneficial owner, or through a private interest foundation of which the applicant is both founder and ultimate beneficiary. That relationship must be proved. The permit does not authorize professions reserved to nationals.

Sources: Decreto Ejecutivo 226 de 20 de julio de 2021 · arts. 1–5: nationalities, employment, property, deposits and commencement; Servicio Nacional de Migración · PPT-PE and PPP-PE forms: provisional residence, dependents and permanent residence requirements. (in Spanish)

Documents for the provisional application

The National Migration Service’s PPT-PE checklist requires a notarised power of attorney and an application through a lawyer; the power includes the parents’ names and nationalities. Add three photographs, a passport copy certified by a notary or authenticated as applicable, a criminal-record certificate, a health certificate, the sworn personal-background form and the payments described below.

This general file must also contain the employment, property or deposit evidence. Under article 28 of Decree Law 3, the health certificate must be issued by a duly qualified professional within the three months before filing. Check names, passport numbers and certifications before obtaining documents with limited validity.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Migración · PPT-PE and PPP-PE forms: provisional residence, dependents and permanent residence requirements; Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008 · art. 28: common documents, government charges and repatriation deposit. (in Spanish)

Dependants and family financial means

Decree 226 refers to the dependant rules in Decree 320. These cover a spouse, minor children, relatives with disabilities and dependent parents, as well as adult children subject to age, study and financial-dependency conditions. Each relationship needs its own evidence; the main applicant’s nationality list does not replace assessment of a dependant.

Prepare a responsibility letter and the relevant marriage or birth certificate, or judicial guardianship or custody evidence. For adult applicants under 25, the checklist requires regular full-time study and a sworn declaration of unmarried status. Financial means may be shown through a tax return with tax clearance and monthly income of at least B/.1,000 plus B/.100 per dependant, or an updated employment letter with a payslip or CSS statement and work permit. This figure concerns family financial evidence; it is neither the investment amount nor a fee.

Sources: Decreto Ejecutivo 226 de 20 de julio de 2021 · arts. 1–5: nationalities, employment, property, deposits and commencement; Servicio Nacional de Migración · PPT-PE and PPP-PE forms: provisional residence, dependents and permanent residence requirements; Decreto Ejecutivo 320 de 8 de agosto de 2008 · arts. 224–226 and 247: dependents and foreign documents. (in Spanish)

Prepare foreign documents before traveling

Article 247 of Decree 320 requires an apostille or consular authentication and Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification, as applicable. Documents in another language require a translation by a public translator authorized in Panama under that article. Foreign-currency amounts require a conversion certified by a competent entity.

Before arranging travel, review the passport, criminal record, family documents, investment structure and employer or bank availability. Coordinate steps requiring personal attendance and any departure or re-entry permissions applicable to your status. Preparing documents does not guarantee entry into Panama or approval.

Sources: Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008 · art. 28: common documents, government charges and repatriation deposit; Decreto Ejecutivo 320 de 8 de agosto de 2008 · arts. 224–226 and 247: dependents and foreign documents. (in Spanish)

After two years: applying for permanent residence

Article 3 of Decree 197 requires fresh proof of the requirements for the ground used, excluding the payments under article 28(4) of Decree Law 3. Immigration’s PPP-PE checklist also excludes the criminal-record certificate. Updated employment, property or deposit documents and, where relevant, family evidence are reviewed.

Prepare this second stage before the provisional permit expires. If you change employer, sell the property, alter ownership or end the deposit, review the consequences first. Completing two years does not itself turn the card into permanent residence.

Sources: Decreto Ejecutivo 197 de 7 de mayo de 2021 · art. 3: application for permanent residence after two years; Servicio Nacional de Migración · PPT-PE and PPP-PE forms: provisional residence, dependents and permanent residence requirements; Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008 · art. 28: common documents, government charges and repatriation deposit. (in Spanish)

Initial payments and planning the application

The initial checklist requires a certified cheque for B/.250 payable to the National Treasury as the application charge and a certified cheque for B/.800 payable to the National Migration Service as a repatriation deposit, subject to any applicable legal exemptions. This B/.1,050 is not the overall cost: investment, cards, employment procedures, certifications, translations and legal fees are separate.

The firm reviews nationality, the chosen ground, family and documents; it then prepares and files the application, addresses requests and organises the permanent-residence stage. The proposal should separate the charges and services included. Neither a decision date nor acceptance of a particular investment is guaranteed before its evidence is examined.

Sources: Servicio Nacional de Migración · PPT-PE and PPP-PE forms: provisional residence, dependents and permanent residence requirements; Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008 · art. 28: common documents, government charges and repatriation deposit. (in Spanish)

Practical example: a financed purchase and two residence stages

Hypothetical scenario: a national of a Friendly Nations country buys a B/.220,000 property using financing from a local bank. Before filing, the property’s registration and value, its registered owner and the applicant’s personal documents are checked. The purchase alone does not grant residence.

If the provisional permit is granted, the applicant must prepare the permanent-residence application after the two-year period and establish the applicable requirements again. The consequences of selling or changing ownership should be reviewed before doing so.

Frequently asked questions