Panama Qualified Investor

Summary

The Qualified Investor Visa (Visa de Inversionista Calificado) is Panama's higher-tier investment residency — a direct permanent-residency route open to all nationalities regardless of the Friendly Nations list. It was created by Executive Decree 722 of 2020 for investors making a substantial, documented commitment to Panama.

Three investment tracks: $300,000 in Panamanian real estate (rising to $500,000 in October 2026), $500,000 in qualified Panama Stock Exchange securities, or $750,000 in a five-year fixed-term bank deposit. Each grants the same outcome — direct permanent residency.

Eligibility

You qualify if all of the following are true:

• You can commit the required capital from your own resources — not borrowed funds.
• You can prove clean criminal history from every country of residence for the past two years.
• Your funds are transferred into Panama from abroad (documented wire).
• You meet the threshold of one of the three investment tracks.

The real estate track

$300,000 in Panamanian property, rising to $500,000 on October 16, 2026. The property can be any type — condo, house, commercial, land — as long as its registered value meets the threshold and it's held in your own name (not through a holding company). Mortgage financing doesn't qualify; the $300k must be your own equity.

Applications submitted before October 2026 lock in the $300k tier. If your property purchase doesn't close until after the date, the $500k tier applies.

The Panama Stock Exchange track

$500,000 in qualified securities listed on the Bolsa de Valores de Panamá. The investment has to be held for a minimum of five years. Qualified instruments include Panamanian corporate bonds, government securities, and listed equity. Most applicants use fixed-income instruments from the larger Panamanian banks for stability.

The bank deposit track

$750,000 in a five-year fixed-term CD at a licensed Panamanian bank. The highest threshold of the three, but the most liquid in one sense — the capital returns to you (with interest) in five years. Panama's major banks (Banco General, Banistmo, BAC, Global Bank) all offer qualifying CDs.

Direct permanent residence

Qualified Investor files are handled as direct permanent-residence applications. The residency is permanent from day one — there's no two-year temporary stage to convert.

Dual citizenship

This is a residency program. Five years into permanent residency, you can apply for Panamanian naturalization — which requires renunciation of your original citizenship.

Duration, Renewal, and Long-Term Path

• Duration: Direct permanent residence through the qualifying investor route.
• Renewal: The qualifying investment must be maintained for the required holding period.

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route gives you investor residence in Panama. Initial validity: Direct permanent residence through the qualifying investor route. Renewal or longer-term path: The qualifying investment must be maintained for the required holding period. Key limit: The track must be fully funded with your own capital from abroad: $300,000/$500,000 real estate based on filing date, $500,000 Panama Stock Exchange securities, or a $750,000 five-year bank CD.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a guarantee of approval. Immigration authorities can still review documents, admissibility, background, funds, and whether the facts match the pathway rules.

Next Steps

1. Pick your track. Real estate is the most common and has the lowest headline number (through October 2026). Securities suit investors already managing portfolios; CDs suit those who want a clean in-and-out.
2. Retain a Panamanian immigration lawyer. Qualified Investor is filed with Migración and requires a Panamanian apoderado (legal representative).
3. Document your funds. Bank statements, employment records, business-sale proceeds, or investment returns — Migración wants to see the origin of the capital.
4. Move funds to Panama. The capital transfer must originate from your foreign account and land in your Panamanian bank account. Keep the wire documentation.
5. Close the investment. Sign the property sale deed, place the CD, or buy the securities. Get the registered documentation.
6. File and receive your cédula. Your lawyer submits the application, follows the review with Migración, and coordinates issuance of the permanent residency card once approved.

Sources

• Decreto Ejecutivo 722 de 2020 — the Qualified Investor framework.
• Servicio Nacional de Migración — Inversionista Calificado — official application portal.
• Bolsa de Valores de Panamá — the qualifying stock exchange for the securities track.