2026 guide to Friendly Nations, Pensionado, investment and other Panama residency routes. Immigration lawyers with 20+ years of experience.
Evaluate my eligibilityRespuesta en menos de 2 horas · Evaluación inicial confidencial
Moving to Panama can open a new chapter for your family, retirement or investment plans. FDR Abogados provides structured immigration guidance so you can understand your options, prepare the right documents and move forward with greater certainty.
A route for nationals of eligible countries through employment, qualifying real estate investment or a fixed-term deposit. The current regime begins with a 2-year provisional permit before permanent residency may be requested.
Complete guide: Friendly Nations Visa
The Pensionado route provides direct permanent residency for applicants with a qualifying lifetime pension. The Retired Annuitant is a separate temporary route with different financial requirements.
Complete guide: Pensionado Visa
The PPT-SEP route starts with a 2-year provisional permit and uses a US$300,000 investment structure through a fixed-term deposit, real estate or a combination of both.
Complete guide: Economic Solvency Visa
A direct permanent residency route with different minimum investments depending on the vehicle: US$300,000 in real estate, US$500,000 in securities or US$750,000 in a fixed-term deposit.
Complete guide: Qualified Investor Visa
Forestry investment routes range from temporary permits at US$80,000 to direct permanent residency at US$350,000, subject to project certification and applicable requirements.
Complete guide: Forestry Investment Residency
A successful move also requires work authorization, banking, corporate structure and asset protection. FDR Abogados coordinates immigration, corporate, labor and patrimonial advice in Panama.
Evaluate your eligibility with a confidential initial review.
Evaluate my eligibilityYes. Panamanian law allows spouses, minor children (or students up to age 25) and parents to be included as dependents in most residency programs.
It varies by program. Investment visas like PPT-SEP can be completed in a few months. Programs with a provisional stage require approximately 2 years before applying for permanent residency. At FDR, we optimize each file to minimize delays.
It depends on the visa type. In most cases, you must be present for the initial application submission and biometric data collection, but continuous presence is not required while the file is under review.
