Investor, retiree, remote earner, or relocating family — the right Panama residency route depends on who you are, not a generic checklist. We match you to the route, then run the whole relocation as one team.
Find My Route ↓⏳ Executive Decree No. 17 (published September 2026) replaced the old framework: US$300,000 in real estate still grants immediate permanent residency, with no expiration date, as long as it's a new, first-sale property bought directly from a developer.
A resale property now needs US$500,000 instead. Every listing we currently show is new-construction, first-sale inventory — the category that kept the lower number. See our full Decree 17 breakdown for pre-construction rules and the transition window.
Qualified Investor route — $300,000 in a new, first-sale property, no expiration date. Immediate permanent residency, no temporary phase, no minimum annual stay.
Pensionado route — US$1,000/month pension (+$250 per dependent), or as low as $750/month if paired with a $100,000 property. Roughly 3-month approval.
Friendly Nations or Economic Solvency routes — from $200,000 in property, deposit, or a qualifying job offer. 2 years provisional, then permanent.
One qualifying investment covers spouse, children and dependent parents under most routes — spouses can also co-own, each contributing half the minimum.
| Route | Requirement | Status granted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Investor — real estate | US$300,000, new/first-sale property, no expiration; US$500,000 for resale | Immediate permanent residency | Investors & luxury buyers |
| Qualified Investor — securities | US$500,000 via a licensed Panamanian brokerage | Immediate permanent residency | Portfolio investors |
| Qualified Investor — bank deposit | US$750,000 fixed-term deposit, free of liens | Immediate permanent residency | The conservative route |
| Pensionado | Lifetime pension of US$1,000/month, +US$250 per dependent | Permanent residency, ~3 months | Retirees |
| Friendly Nations | US$200,000 in property, a qualifying job offer, or 3-year deposit | 2 years provisional, then permanent | Eligible nationalities, remote earners |
| Economic Solvency | US$300,000 in property, deposit, or a mix | 2 years provisional, then permanent | Families building toward naturalisation |
Residency and tax residency are governed by separate rules — holding a Cédula E does not automatically change where you're taxed. US citizens are taxed on worldwide income regardless of residence. Full strategy session available through Country Consultancy.
Filing the paperwork is the easy part. What actually determines whether a relocation works is everything around it — the bank account that needs the visa filed first, the furniture that has to arrive before you do, the accountant who needs to exist before the first rental invoice goes out. We run all of it as one accountable team with a single point of contact.
A pre-filtered itinerary matched to your budget and goals — not a fourteen-property weekend.
Route selection through Cédula E, coordinated with specialised immigration counsel — many routes filed from abroad.
Documentation prep, introductions and realistic timelines for the part everyone underestimates.
Your unit earning while you're on another continent — guest or tenant management, maintenance, reporting.
Bookkeeping, ITBMS filings, municipal registration and your annual property tax calendar — handled quietly.
Rental-grade turnkey to full custom, sourced, delivered and installed before you land.
Indicative, not a promise — immigration and banking timelines move, and we'd rather set expectations honestly than impressively.
| Window | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 | Brief, shortlist, financial models produced, consulting session scheduled |
| Weeks 3–4 | Scouting trip: three properties, notary introduction, bank appointment |
| Weeks 4–6 | Negotiation, promise of sale, due diligence on title and licences |
| Weeks 6–10 | Closing at notary and Public Registry; residency file assembled and filed |
| Weeks 8–12 | Furnishing installed, utilities connected, management onboarded |
| Ongoing | Reporting, compliance calendar, annual investment confirmation |
Panama's six residency routes, side by side — thresholds, timelines, and exactly what Executive Decree No. 17 changed, explained in plain English.
All six routes compared, real costs and timelines, and the current new-build vs. resale split explained. Read it right here — no form to fill first.
Read the Residency Dossier →Prefer a PDF? Email us and we'll send it. Or message Proper Consulting directly on WhatsApp +507 6238-3315 — it's a WhatsApp number, not a phone line.
If you're a founder or executive in California, New York, Ontario or BC weighing where a recent liquidity event should go to work, the residency math above is only half the picture.
Real capital-gains exposure by jurisdiction, price-per-square-foot vs. Miami and Austin, real yields, and the Investor Visa's new-build vs. resale split — no rounding in your favor. Read it right here — no form to fill first.
Read the Founder's Exit Dossier →Under the Qualified Investor route, US$300,000 in a new, first-sale property bought directly from a developer grants immediate permanent residency, with no expiration date, per Executive Decree No. 17 (September 2026). A resale property requires US$500,000 instead. Other routes — securities ($500,000) or a bank deposit ($750,000) — grant the same immediate permanent status through different assets.
Not automatically. Residency and tax residency are governed by separate rules — holding a Cédula E does not by itself change where you are taxed. US citizens in particular are taxed on worldwide income by the US regardless of where they live. We recommend a dedicated tax strategy session before assuming residency changes your tax picture.
Yes. Under most routes, one qualifying investment covers a spouse, children and dependent parents as part of the same application. Spouses can also co-own the qualifying asset, each contributing half the minimum threshold, rather than one person holding it alone.
Indicatively, around 90 days from an initial scouting trip to being settled: roughly 2-4 weeks for shortlisting and financial modeling, 4-6 weeks for negotiation and closing due diligence, and 6-12 weeks for closing, residency filing and furnishing. Immigration and banking timelines can move, and we set expectations on the specific route rather than promising a fixed date.
Pensionado requires a lifetime pension of at least US$1,000/month (plus US$250 per dependent) and grants permanent residency in around 3 months — it's built for retirees with a confirmed pension. Friendly Nations requires US$200,000 in property, a qualifying job offer, or a 3-year deposit, and grants 2 years of provisional residency before converting to permanent — it fits remote earners and younger applicants from eligible nationalities who don't yet have a pension.
A person replies — no automated sequences. If it makes sense, we set up a discovery call.