Panama and remote assistance · Quirós & Quirós
Panama immigration, residency and Pensionado consultations
Consult Katherine Quirós V. in Santiago de Veraguas about Panama residency, including the Pensionado route. We review your category, documents and proposed application.
On this page
Getting started
Key points
- The category depends on the legal basis and personal circumstances.
- Foreign documents may need to meet specific formalities and validity requirements.
- Residence and authorization to work are separate matters.
- Filing an application does not mean it has been approved.
Considering the Panama Pensionado route?
Tell us your nationality, where you live, who pays your pension and whether family members would be included. Have your passport, pension certification and available immigration records ready. We assess the category and which documents need to be obtained or formalised before an application. The proposal separates legal fees, third-party expenses and included work.
Panama government · Pensionado residence information (Spanish)
Choose a category that fits your situation
Residence may be based on various ties or conditions provided for in the regulations. The consultation identifies nationality, immigration status, purpose and family composition. Katherine Quirós V. reviews the background to explain the appropriate route and the documentation needed to support it.
For the Qualified Investor category, the investment type, funds and dates must be verified. Executive Decree 17 of 2026 preserves the rules applicable when applications were filed with the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) or the National Migration Service before the decree took effect, without prejudice to more favourable procedural rules. Investments made or binding contracts completed before it took effect may qualify under the previous rules if the corresponding application is filed within six months of that date. Foreign nationals who, on 16 September 2026, had a pending application or valid immigration status under the Permanent Residence for Personal Economic Solvency category may apply to convert to the Qualified Investor category within the following twelve months, provided they meet the applicable minimum investment amounts and other requirements. Investments made before 15 October 2020 are excluded from this conversion. Provide contracts, payment records and immigration documents so that your circumstances can be assessed.
Source: Executive Decree 17 of 2026, articles 18, 19 and 21 (official text in Spanish).
Promise-to-purchase agreement: from B/.300,000, through a trust administered by a bank or trustee licensed in Panama, or payment of 100% to the developer or seller. Under the latter route, the entire investment must be secured by an irrevocable, unconditional bank instrument payable on first demand, issued by an institution licensed in Panama, valid until the property is built, separately titled and registered in the investor’s name. This instrument must be renewed and submitted annually to MICI until those conditions are met. The cumulative period of residency supported solely by promise-to-purchase agreements cannot exceed three years. Actual payment, investment value and foreign origin of funds must be evidenced, alongside the other Article 7 requirements.
Fixed-term deposits: at least B/.750,000 in a privately owned bank with a general license, or B/.500,000 when placed directly and exclusively with Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros. Deposits must remain in place for five uninterrupted years, free of liens, pledges or restrictions securing third-party financing, with documented foreign origin of funds. A bank certification and a bank-authenticated copy of the deposit certificate are required.
The investment must be retained for at least five years and evidenced annually before MICI. Meeting the minimum amount does not guarantee immigration approval. This summary does not replace a review of all applicable requirements and documents.
Prepare documents before traveling
Certificates, background records and family documents may require an apostille or legalization, translation and a specific validity period. The list must match the particular category. These conditions should be confirmed before paying for or sending documents, especially when each family member has a different background.
Application and follow-up
The file must be consistent in its identification details, legal basis and attachments. The service may include preparation, filing and responses to queries within the agreed scope. The time needed to gather documents is distinguished from the authority's decision time, and steps requiring personal attendance are identified.
Family and employment
The inclusion of family members depends on the category and the proven family relationship. Likewise, immigration status should not be confused with the permit or authorization needed to work. Planning must treat residence, dependents and economic activity separately to avoid assuming that authorizations already exist when they do not.
Renewals and changes in circumstances
If you already have a permit or case file, provide decisions, cards and correspondence. A change of employer, family ties or circumstances may require specific analysis. Housing and moving arrangements are handled through relocation services, which complement immigration advice with a different scope.
Residence as a retired pensioner
If you receive a pension and wish to settle in Panama, the initial review identifies the payer, whether the pension is payable for life and the certification available. It also considers dependants and the documents proving family relationships. Katherine Quirós V. compares these records with the requirements of the category before preparing the application.
The National Migration Service’s official requirements distinguish public and private pensions and request additional documents depending on the circumstances. An individual review determines which requirements apply and the formalities for each document.
Panama Pensionado visa for retirees and pensioners — Read the complete guide →
Arranging your consultation from Veraguas
At first contact, state your nationality, country of residence, intended travel or entry date, current permit and expiry date. Explain whether you receive a pension, have family ties in Panama or intend to work or invest. These details help identify a suitable category before you pay for certificates.
Consultations are coordinated from Santiago de Veraguas. The engagement identifies steps requiring personal attendance, procedures before the competent authority and any necessary travel. If you already applied, include the receipt, card, decision or request for further information.
How we proceed
Your matter, step by step
- Identify the category
State your nationality, entry date, current permit and expiry dates, family ties, employment or investment, and residence objective. Disclose any previous applications.
- Prepare the documents
We check that the documentation provides the supporting evidence required for the category under consideration.
- File and follow up
Keep applications, receipts and communications for each family member. Report changes in your circumstances and any planned departures from the country during the procedure.
Preparing for your consultation
- Passport and identity document.
- Entry information and current immigration status.
- Previous permits, applications or decisions.
- Background on the relevant family relationship, activity or investment.
- Requests received from the authority and intended purpose of stay.
Fees, expenses and timing
Separate professional fees, applicable government fees, certifications, translations and authentications. The category and dependents affect the budget.
Obtaining foreign documents, their validity, appointments and requests from the National Migration Service all affect timing. Do not confuse the permit's duration with the time needed for approval.
How we explain your legal fees →Answers for this consultation
Is entering Panama as a tourist equivalent to obtaining residence?
No. Tourist entry is not residence. Immigration distinguishes non-resident, temporary resident and permanent resident permits, each with its own requirements. The appropriate category depends on the purpose of the stay and the applicant’s circumstances. Check which fits your plans before organizing a move.
Does residence in Panama automatically authorize me to work?
Immigration permission and work authorization must be examined separately. Residence does not mean every employment activity is authorized: the immigration category, work permit and applicable employment conditions must be checked. Explain whether you plan employment, professional practice or a business.
What should I check when applying for pensioner residence?
The pension must meet the conditions and be adequately documented. The official requirements include certificates, background checks, personal documents and additional requirements in certain cases. Dependants and the pension’s source must also be reviewed before preparing the file and estimating costs.
More questions about this service:
- Is entering Panama as a tourist equivalent to obtaining residence?
- Does residence in Panama automatically authorize me to work?
- What should I check when applying for pensioner residence?
- What is PPSH and how do I know whether I can apply?
- Can I include dependants in a pensioner residence application?
- Does marriage to a Panamanian automatically grant residence?
- Which family documents are reviewed for a Panama residence application?
- Can I prepare my residence application before traveling to Panama?
- I want to live in Panama. How do I choose a residence category?
- Can you review an immigration application I have already submitted?
- Does buying property automatically give me residence?
Working with our firm
A clearly defined engagement
- Review of immigration options and documentation.
- Preparation and filing of the application covered by the engagement.
- Management of the file and responses to queries within the agreed scope.
Our proposal sets out which of these services you need and the terms of our engagement.
Guides to prepare for your consultation
- Panama Pensionado visa for retirees and pensioners
Panama Pensionado residence requirements: lifetime pension, documents, dependants and legal assistance from Quirós & Quirós.
- Panama Qualified Investor Visa
Investment routes, minimum amounts, documents, costs and ongoing residence requirements under Panama’s Executive Decree 17 of 2026.
Guides and answers for your consultation
- Panama Friendly Nations visa: requirements and residence
Panama Friendly Nations residence: eligible nationalities, employment, property or B/.200,000 deposit, dependants, payments and permanent residence.
- Panamanian citizenship and naturalization: requirements and stages
Naturalization in Panama: qualifying residence, reciprocity, documents, examination, renunciation, naturalization certificate, oath and registration.