A US-dollar economy, a strong territorial tax system, an accessible residence-by-investment programme, and a strategic location at the crossroads of the Americas. Panama remains one of the most practical residence routes for families with Latin American, North American or globally-mobile life patterns.
Panama operates several long-standing residence routes that have become benchmarks in the Latin American residence-by-investment landscape. The two most relevant for Ovata clients are the Friendly Nations Visa (Visa de Países Amigos), restructured in 2021 to require either a real-estate investment, a fixed deposit, or qualifying employment in Panama, and the Qualified Investor Visa (Visa de Inversionista Calificado), introduced in 2020 as an expedited route for higher-tier investors.
The Friendly Nations Visa is available only to nationals of designated "friendly" countries (approximately fifty jurisdictions, including most EU member states, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, the UAE, Argentina, Brazil and others). The Qualified Investor Visa is nationality-neutral and is the more common Ovata recommendation for clients outside the friendly-nations list.
Panama's strategic case is the combination of a USD-economy (no exchange risk against the US dollar), a substantially territorial tax system, a comparatively short five-year path to naturalisation, and very strong English-language professional services infrastructure for a Latin American jurisdiction. The downsides are real and worth flagging at the outset: Panama remains on certain EU and OECD "grey lists" with the result that its banking sector has tightened materially over the past five years, and the country's political cycle is shorter and more volatile than the European or Asian competitors.
Minimum investment / income requirements only. Total programme costs (government fees, legal fees, due-diligence costs, and applicable local taxes) will be higher and are discussed in your private consultation. Figures are stated in good faith based on the published programme rules at the time of writing; programmes evolve and Ovata briefs current thresholds on every engagement.
Panama operates a substantially territorial tax system: only Panamanian-source income is taxable in Panama. Foreign-source dividends, interest, capital gains and investment income are, in principle, not taxable in Panama. There is no wealth tax, no estate or inheritance tax (with limited exceptions), and no general capital gains tax on non-Panamanian assets.
The complications are international, not domestic. Panama's inclusion on various "non-cooperative" tax lists has led many G20 jurisdictions to apply enhanced reporting on Panamanian residents and bank accounts, and the Common Reporting Standard applies. The interaction between Panamanian residence and the principal's home-country tax residence (particularly for US citizens, who remain subject to worldwide US tax irrespective of residence) requires careful planning with named US and home-jurisdiction tax counsel.
This is orientation, not advice. Panama's tax position is favourable; the international tax environment around Panama is the question that needs qualified counsel.
Yes, by the standards of the Panamanian residence system. The Qualified Investor route can move from submission to permanent residence in as little as 30 days post-approval, where the Friendly Nations route typically requires two years from provisional to permanent residence.
Permanent residence in Panama is generally maintained by entering Panama at least once every two years. The five-year path to citizenship, however, requires substantively more physical presence in Panama.
Yes. Both routes permit lawful employment or self-employment in Panama, subject in some sectors to specific work-permit requirements that are typically straightforward for residence-permission holders.
It can be — but US citizens remain taxable worldwide regardless of residence, and the move-to-Panama tax case is generally weaker for US persons than for non-US clients. We discuss this explicitly at the initial consultation and engage US counsel before any commitment.
The path to the first call is deliberately short.
A short form on this site — your name, jurisdiction of interest, contact details.
Within one business day, we send you a confidential questionnaire — eligibility, family composition, jurisdictions of interest, capital position, timing.
A senior Ovata advisor reviews your questionnaire and prepares an initial assessment of the programmes that fit your circumstances.
Once your assessment is ready, we send a direct dial to your mobile — opened for a 30-minute window so you can connect with your advisor at your convenience.
We do not use AI agents on the phone. Every conversation is with a senior Ovata advisor.
Important disclosures. Programme parameters are current at the date of publication and subject to change by the issuing government. The investment figures shown represent the minimum qualifying threshold under the relevant programme; total programme costs — including government processing fees, professional fees, due-diligence charges, and applicable taxes — are discussed during your private consultation. Ovata Group does not provide legal, tax, or financial advice; we coordinate with your professional advisors in each jurisdiction.
The route choice matters — and so does the banking pre-clearance. A short call is the right first step.