**Please note that the Panama Friendly Countries Visa program has changed since August 7, 2021. This page has been updated to reflect the new program requirements and processes.
This residency visa is granted to nationals of specific countries, based on the friendship and collaboration agreements signed by the Republic of Panama with those countries.
This residency visa is given to people from specific countries, based on agreements Panama has with them. There have been some big changes to the program starting from August 7, 2021:
- Residency will now be temporary for 2 years, and then you can choose to apply for permanent residency.
- Peru and Paraguay have been added to the list of friendly countries, while Taiwan has been removed.
- To apply for this residency, you now need to meet one of these requirements:
- a. Invest $200,000 in a property, which can be financed by a local bank.
- b. Have a job offer from a Panamanian company.
- c. Deposit $200,000 in a local bank account.
Executive Decree 343 of May 16, 2012, introduced the Permanent Residency by Friendly Nations program. It allows citizens from certain countries with economic or professional ties to Panama to apply for residency. This decree was later amended by Executive Decrees 197 on May 7, 2021, and 226 on July 20, 2021.
