--- title: "Panama Spouse of a citizen requirements 2026: 2-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/spouse-of-citizen/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- Panama · Spouse visas # Panama Spouse of a citizen **First stay:** 2 yrs Permanent Residence Permit as Spouse of a Panamanian (Casado con Panameño) Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 2 yrs (Two-year provisional residence permit, then application for permanent residence.) - **Who can apply:** Any passport - **Tax angle:** Tax relief (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.) ## Key facts Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for Panama. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source. - **Government fees:** PAB 250 ≈ $250 - **First stay:** 2 yrs ## Cost, time and long term **Government fees: PAB 250 ≈ $250** - PAB 250 (≈ $250) Payment to the National Treasury for the application for a migration category. **Renewal: Renewal rules** A provisional residence permit is granted for 2 years, after which you apply for permanent residence. [Servicio Nacional de Migración](https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RD1.pdf) **Permanent residence: After 2 years of residence** After the 2-year provisional permit you can apply for permanent residence. [Servicio Nacional de Migración](https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RD1.pdf) **Citizenship: General rule: 3 years of residence** A foreign spouse of a Panamanian can naturalise after 3 consecutive years of residence, plus Spanish and basic knowledge of Panamanian history, geography and politics. [Asamblea Nacional de Panamá](https://www.asamblea.gob.pa/Uploads/DocumentosCompartidos/137/Documento_Constitucion_1972.pdf) ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - Married to a Panamanian national and living with the spouse in conditions of singularity, stability and continuity. - Marriage alone does not grant a right to residence; the service may refuse entry or residence on public-interest grounds. #### What you must show - B/.250 payment to the National Treasury for the application. #### Documents - Application filed through a legal representative with a notarised copy of the passport. - Criminal record certificate, health certificate issued within 3 months, and sworn declaration of personal background. - Certificate of single status from the country of origin. - Marriage certificate and the Panamanian spouse's birth certificate, both issued by the Civil Registry. - Copy of the Panamanian spouse's identity card and a notarised responsibility and repatriation letter from the spouse. - Proof of the marital home: lease, property title or utility bill. - Foreign documents apostilled or authenticated, and translated into Spanish by an authorised translator. #### Steps 1. A provisional two-year residence permit with identity document is issued first. #### After you arrive - After the provisional period the holder may apply for permanent residence if the legal requirements are met. - The permit can be cancelled if the marriage was used only to obtain residence. ## 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 ## What you need to arrange - **Accommodation** Proof of the marital home: lease, property title or utility bill - **Certified translation** Foreign documents apostilled or authenticated, and translated into Spanish by an authorised translator - **Police certificate and civil documents** Criminal record certificate, health certificate issued within 3 months, and sworn declaration of personal background Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts. **Full official text** For a foreigner married to a Panamanian who lives with the spouse. It starts with a two-year provisional residence permit and can become permanent residence afterwards. (sources 1, 2, 3) #### What you must show and pay - A fee of PAB 250 (≈ $250) · Payment to the National Treasury for the application for a migration category. (source 2) #### Requirements - Married to a Panamanian national and living with the spouse in conditions of singularity, stability and continuity. (source 1) - Marriage alone does not grant a right to residence; the service may refuse entry or residence on public-interest grounds. (source 1) - B/.250 payment to the National Treasury for the application. (source 2) - Application filed through a legal representative with a notarised copy of the passport. (source 1) - Criminal record certificate, health certificate issued within 3 months, and sworn declaration of personal background. (source 2) - Certificate of single status from the country of origin. (source 1) - Marriage certificate and the Panamanian spouse's birth certificate, both issued by the Civil Registry. (source 3) - Copy of the Panamanian spouse's identity card and a notarised responsibility and repatriation letter from the spouse. (source 3) - Proof of the marital home: lease, property title or utility bill. (source 3) - Foreign documents apostilled or authenticated, and translated into Spanish by an authorised translator. (source 1) - A provisional two-year residence permit with identity document is issued first. (source 2) - After the provisional period the holder may apply for permanent residence if the legal requirements are met. (source 2) - The permit can be cancelled if the marriage was used only to obtain residence. (source 2) #### Stay - Two-year provisional residence permit, then application for permanent residence. - Initial permitted stay: 24 months. #### Family Dependants must meet the requirements of the family-reunification temporary residence permit. Checked 2026-10-12 ## Official sources 1. [Solicitud de Permiso de Residente Permanente como Casado con Panameño](https://www.panamadigital.gob.pa/InformacionTramite/solicitud-de-permiso-de-residente-permanente-como-casado-con-panameno) · Servicio Nacional de Migración / Panamá Digital · checked 2026-10-11 2. [Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008 (Servicio Nacional de Migración), arts. 18-29](https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/25986/9070.pdf) · Gaceta Oficial Digital de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11 3. [Permiso de residente provisional por razones demográficas, reagrupación familiar, casado con panameño(a)](https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RD1.pdf) · Servicio Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-12 4. [Constitución Política de la República de Panamá, art. 10](https://www.asamblea.gob.pa/Uploads/DocumentosCompartidos/137/Documento_Constitucion_1972.pdf) · Asamblea Nacional de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11 ## Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Spouse of a citizen | – | 2 yr | – | | [Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/spouse-of-citizen/) Mexico | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited | | [Partner of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/colombia/partner-of-citizen/) Colombia | – | – | Yes | | [Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/costa-rica/spouse-of-citizen/) Costa Rica | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited | | [Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/brazil/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) Brazil | – | – | Yes | ## Questions people ask ### How much money do I need for the Spouse of a citizen? A fee of PAB 250 (≈ $250). Payment to the National Treasury for the application for a migration category. ### How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen? Two-year provisional residence permit, then application for permanent residence. ### Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen? Dependants must meet the requirements of the family-reunification temporary residence permit. ### Does the Spouse of a citizen lead to permanent residence in Panama? Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward permanent residence in Panama, which the rules allow after 2 years of residence. The general rule for citizenship is 3 years of residence. ### Is there a tax break for Spouse of a citizen 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)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/tax/#tax-pa-territorial-income-tax) Tax relief Foreign-source income: Territorial **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 10 Oct 2026, some details partly verified [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) [Full page →](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/tax/) ## More in Panama [Remote worker visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/remote-worker-visa/) [Qualified Investor · Property](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/qualified-investor-new-real-estate/) [Qualified Investor · Deposit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/qualified-investor-fixed-deposit/) [Qualified Investor · Securities](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/qualified-investor-securities/) [Retired rentista](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/rentista-retirado/) [Pensionado residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/pensionado-residence/) [Friendly Nations residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/friendly-nations-permanent/) ## Spouse and partner visas elsewhere [🇦🇷 Spouse visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/argentina/family-reunification/) [🇺🇸 Spouse green card (F2A)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-states/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) [🇵🇪 Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/peru/spouse-of-permanent-resident/) [🇩🇴 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/dominican-republic/spouse-of-citizen/) [🇦🇬 Spouse of a citizen](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/spouse-of-citizen/) [🇨🇼 Spouse of a resident](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/curacao/spouse-of-resident/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## 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. 1. [Solicitud de Permiso de Residente Permanente como Casado con Panameño](https://www.panamadigital.gob.pa/InformacionTramite/solicitud-de-permiso-de-residente-permanente-como-casado-con-panameno) · Servicio Nacional de Migración / Panamá Digital · checked 2026-10-11 2. [Decreto Ley 3 de 22 de febrero de 2008 (Servicio Nacional de Migración), arts. 18-29](https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/25986/9070.pdf) · Gaceta Oficial Digital de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11 3. [Permiso de residente provisional por razones demográficas, reagrupación familiar, casado con panameño(a)](https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RD1.pdf) · Servicio Nacional de Migración · checked 2026-10-12 4. [Constitución Política de la República de Panamá, art. 10](https://www.asamblea.gob.pa/Uploads/DocumentosCompartidos/137/Documento_Constitucion_1972.pdf) · Asamblea Nacional de Panamá · checked 2026-10-11 Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.