Panama · Investing
Panama Qualified Investor · Securities
Investment needed: PAB 500k+ ≈ $500k
Programa de Inversionista Calificado — mercado de valores (Decreto Ejecutivo 17 of 2026)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Qualified Investor · Securities is an investing route for Panama. Applicants need an investment of PAB 500k+ ≈ $500k. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- PAB 500k+ ≈ $500k
- Government fees
- PAB 5,000 ≈ $5,000 · +3 more
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fees PAB 10k ≈ $10k in total (2 fees); investment PAB 500k+ ≈ $500k. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesPAB 5,000 ≈ $5,000 · +3 more
- PAB 5,000 (≈ $5,000)Application payment to the National Treasury (Decreto art. 11).
- PAB 5,000 (≈ $5,000)Repatriation deposit paid to the Servicio Nacional de Migración with the application (Decreto art. 11).
- PAB 1,000 (≈ $1,000)Per dependant: application payment to the National Treasury (Decreto art. 11).
- PAB 1,000 (≈ $1,000)Per dependant: repatriation deposit paid to the Servicio Nacional de Migración (Decreto art. 11).
Invested and heldPAB 500k+ ≈ $500k
- PAB 500,000 (≈ $500,000)Aggregate investment in eligible instruments through a securities house licensed by the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores, held without interruption for five years (Decreto art. 8).
RenewalRenewal rules
Permanent residence has no fixed term, but the investment must be kept for 5 years with proof each year.
CitizenshipGeneral rule: 5 years of residence
Naturalisation needs 5 consecutive years of residence in Panama, plus Spanish and basic knowledge of Panamanian history, geography and politics.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
The application can be started through an attorney even before you enter Panama.
Presence rulesStay rule
The investor must visit Panama at least once every 2 years to keep permanent residence.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Can't be renewed
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The investment is made through a securities house licensed by the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores.
- Eligible instruments are private-equity and venture funds, Panamanian government bonds and notes, and other registered securities, funds or REITs.
What you must show1
- The investment totals at least B/.500,000 and funds come from abroad.
Documents2
- The securities house certifies the holder, exact amount, instruments and custodian.
- A bank letter or statement shows the funds were transferred from abroad.
Steps1
- The Ministry of Commerce issues an investment certificate valid for 3 months, then the migration service decides within 30 working days.
After you arrive1
- The investment is kept for five years with annual proof; a market fall not caused by the investor can be restored within 90 days of notice.
When you become tax resident
How Panama decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Foreign-source income
Territorial
Panama taxes income produced inside Panama only; the taxable base of a taxpayer is gross income less foreign-source income, exempt income and deductible costs, and the DGI personal return has a separate line for foreign-source income.
- Special regime
Panama territorial income tax · Tax relief
All tax rules for Panama Tax records checked
Full official text
Permanent residence for foreigners who invest through eligible securities-market instruments. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- An investment of at least PAB 500,000 (≈ $500,000) · Aggregate investment in eligible instruments through a securities house licensed by the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores, held without interruption for five years (Decreto art. 8). 3
- A fee of PAB 5,000 (≈ $5,000) · Application payment to the National Treasury (Decreto art. 11). 3
- A fee of PAB 5,000 (≈ $5,000) · Repatriation deposit paid to the Servicio Nacional de Migración with the application (Decreto art. 11). 3
- A fee of PAB 1,000 (≈ $1,000) · Per dependant: application payment to the National Treasury (Decreto art. 11). 3
- A fee of PAB 1,000 (≈ $1,000) · Per dependant: repatriation deposit paid to the Servicio Nacional de Migración (Decreto art. 11). 3
Requirements
- The investment is made through a securities house licensed by the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores. 3
- Eligible instruments are private-equity and venture funds, Panamanian government bonds and notes, and other registered securities, funds or REITs. 3
- The investment totals at least B/.500,000 and funds come from abroad. 3
- The securities house certifies the holder, exact amount, instruments and custodian. 3
- A bank letter or statement shows the funds were transferred from abroad. 3
- The Ministry of Commerce issues an investment certificate valid for 3 months, then the migration service decides within 30 working days. 3
- The investment is kept for five years with annual proof; a market fall not caused by the investor can be restored within 90 days of notice. 3
Stay
- Permanent residence is granted directly, without a prior temporary residence, and has no fixed term. The investment must be kept for five years with annual proof, the investor must visit Panama at least once every two years, and naturalisation can be requested after five consecutive years of residence.
- Not renewable according to our source.
Family
The investment can extend the benefits to the spouse, children and qualifying parents.
Official sources
- Panamá apuesta por más inversión y empleo con nuevo decreto de Inversionista Calificado (Decreto Ejecutivo 17 of 8 Sept 2026) · Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2026-09-28
- Programa de Inversionista Calificado (obligations: keep investment 5 years, visit once every 2 years) · Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias · checked 2026-10-12
- Decreto Ejecutivo que subroga el Decreto Ejecutivo 722 de 2020 (Residente Permanente en calidad de Inversionista Calificado), Gaceta Oficial Digital 30613, 16 September 2026 · Gaceta Oficial de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11
- Constitución Política de la República de Panamá, art. 10 · Asamblea Nacional de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11
Qualified Investor · Securities and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Investor · Securities | Needs an investment of PAB 500k+ ≈ $500k | – | – |
| Qualified Investor · Property | Needs an investment of PAB 300k+ ≈ $300k | – | – |
| Qualified Investor · Deposit | Needs an investment from PAB 500k ≈ $500k | – | – |
| Investor residence Mexico | Needs an investment of MXN 5.4M+ ≈ $294k | 4 yr | With a permit |
| Investor M · Property Colombia | Needs an investment of COP 612.8M+ ≈ $192k | 3 yr | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Qualified Investor · Securities?
An investment of at least PAB 500,000 (≈ $500,000). Aggregate investment in eligible instruments through a securities house licensed by the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores, held without interruption for five years (Decreto art. A fee of PAB 5,000 (≈ $5,000). Application payment to the National Treasury (Decreto art. A fee of PAB 5,000 (≈ $5,000). Repatriation deposit paid to the Servicio Nacional de Migración with the application (Decreto art. A fee of PAB 1,000 (≈ $1,000). Per dependant: application payment to the National Treasury (Decreto art.
How long can I stay on the Qualified Investor · Securities?
Permanent residence is granted directly, without a prior temporary residence, and has no fixed term.
Can I bring my family on the Qualified Investor · Securities?
The investment can extend the benefits to the spouse, children and qualifying parents.
Is there a tax break for Qualified Investor · Securities holders in Panama?
Panama territorial income tax (foreign-source income outside the tax base): Panama taxes income produced inside Panama only; the taxable base of a taxpayer is gross income less foreign-source income, exempt income and deductible costs, and the DGI personal return has a separate line for foreign-source income. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Panama territorial income tax (foreign-source income outside the tax base)
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Applies to every taxpayer, natural or legal, national or foreign
Panama taxes income produced inside Panama only; the taxable base of a taxpayer is gross income less foreign-source income, exempt income and deductible costs, and the DGI personal return has a separate line for foreign-source income.
Taxed on
Taxable income = gross income minus foreign-source income, exempt/non-taxable income and deductible costs and expenses (Código Fiscal art. 695 as amended by Ley 8 of 2010); art. 694 par. 2 lists activities whose income is not treated as produced in Panama (invoicing from a Panama office for goods moving only abroad, directing from Panama transactions that are completed abroad, distributing dividends out of income not produced in Panama).
Who it applies to
- Applies to every taxpayer, natural or legal, national or foreign (art. 694 definition of contribuyente); no application, visa status or registration is needed to have foreign-source income left out of the base.
- Foreign-source income is reported on line 18 of the DGI natural-person return, citing par. 2 of art. 694 of the Código Fiscal and special laws.
Exclusions
- Income from work or services performed in Panama, Panama-located assets and Panama business activity is Panama-source and taxable.
- Persons domiciled abroad who receive payments for services that benefit persons in Panama and affect Panama-source income are subject to withholding on 50% of the amount remitted under art. 694 lit. e as amended by Ley 8 of 2010, unless they register as taxpayers.
- Costs and expenses attributable to foreign-source income are not deductible against taxable income.
Tax residence
no residency test is recorded.
Visas
The territorial base applies regardless of visa or residence permit type; it is a feature of the income tax, not of an immigration route.
Other taxes
Social security (CSS) and educational insurance are charged on salary by separate tariffs set out in the DGI instructivo (educational insurance tariff 2.75% of the base for employees per the instructivo).
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Panamá apuesta por más inversión y empleo con nuevo decreto de Inversionista Calificado (Decreto Ejecutivo 17 of 8 Sept 2026) · Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias · checked 2026-10-12
- Programa de Inversionista Calificado (obligations: keep investment 5 years, visit once every 2 years) · Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias · checked 2026-10-12
- Decreto Ejecutivo que subroga el Decreto Ejecutivo 722 de 2020 (Residente Permanente en calidad de Inversionista Calificado), Gaceta Oficial Digital 30613, 16 September 2026 · Gaceta Oficial de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11
- Constitución Política de la República de Panamá, art. 10 · Asamblea Nacional de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.